Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) travels to an island in the Florida Keys to visit the widow of a war buddy. At the hotel where he stays, he encounters crass gangster Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson). Rocco and his henchmen have taken over the hotel and McCloud must decide whether to become involved or to remain aloof. The stage is set for a rich confrontation between Rocco, who is forcefully oppressive and the one man who can do something - McCloud. Based on the play by Maxwell Anderson.