Starting with a violent prison break, clever, ruthless Ralph Cotter corrupts everyone around him.

From the trial of the survivors, we flash back to amoral crook Ralph Cotter's violent prison break, assisted by Holiday Carleton, sister of another prisoner...who doesn't make it. Soon Ralph manipulates the grieving Holiday into his arms, and two crooked cops follow her into his pocket. Ralph's total lack of scruple brings him great success in a series of robberies. But his easy conquest of gullible heiress Margaret Dobson proves more dangerous to him than any crime...—Rod Crawford <[email protected]>

The criminal Ralph Cotter and his partner Carleton flee from the prison, but Carleton is wounded and Ralph executes him with a bullet on the head. Carleton's sister Holiday helps Ralph to escape and kills a guard. The clever Ralph manipulates Holiday and she becomes his lover. Then he blackmails and bribes the dirty Inspector Charles Weber and Lieutenant John Reece and associates to the corrupt lawyer Keith 'Cherokee' Mandon. Ralph gets a new identity and he gets a license to carry gun. When Ralph meets the wealthy Margaret Dobson, Mandon advises him that she is a dangerous woman, since her father is the powerful Ezra Dobson. But the ambitious Ralph does not pay attention to Mandon's advice and leaves Holiday with tragic consequences.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At their collective trial the accused, who include corrupt prison and police officers, think back to their disastrous association with a vicious killer from the time of his break from jail.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}