Madonna of the Desert

Manhattan garbage-truck driver, Eddie Martin (Fred Brady) finds $5,000 in a bag in a high-price restaurant garbage can and he and his sweetheart Julie Connors (Jeff Donnell) spend it all on a night-on-the-town and expensive new clothes and other items they never dreamed of having. Complications arise when the money turns out to be extortion money belonging to a blackmailer/gangster named Steve Crawford (William Wright.) Further complications ensue when the police show up asking noisy questions of Eddie and Julie as to why they have marked-money set up by the police department to trap the blackmailer.

An Eastern potentate, the Rajah of Bandor (Charles Lung), and his American bride (Sue Casey), are robbed of a fortune in jewels on the Riviera, by a quartet of thieves led by Otto Von Herzen (Stephen Bekassy). The gang flees to Hong Kong, followed by Charles Reeves (Robin Hughes), British insurance investigator, and his sister, Susan ('Lois Hall' )qv)). Bill Whitfield (Warren Douglas), a none-too-bright American entrepreneur, gets involved with Stella Strutzenbacher (June Vincent), a flashy and stylish member of Herr Von Herzen's gang. The gang, already riddled with dissension, are easy pickings for Whitfield, Charles and Susan to capture and recover the Rajah's jewels.

Muriel is the scheming widow of the fabulously-wealthy Hartford Chaney III. Muriel's husband has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, freeing her to marry her playboy paramour Frederick St. Clair. However, Chaney's daughter from a previous marriage suspects that her father has been murdered.

Inspector Cork pursues a bank robber who serves in the army and receives facial injuries. After plastic surgery he shows up as a bank president planning an enormous robbery.

Gambling boss Greg Morella runs a crooked ship-- all the gaming tables on his floating casino are rigged. Because the ship operates outside of the three-mile state limit, the authorities can't get the evidence they need to convict Morella. Roving reporter Jim Carver thinks he can get the goods on the kingpin. He enlists Morella's secretary Laurie to help him secure evidence of the fixed games as well as proof that Morella murdered his partner Max Gates.

A young couple struggles to raise their adopted daughter, but a mysterious murder reveals the child's unknown fortune and a greedy lawyer who is out to steal it.