Jeff Dawson (Gary Cooper) is a hapless oil speculator in South America whose misadventures reunite him with an old friend, Ward Paco Conway (Anthony Quinn). Unfortunately for Jeff, Pacos wife is bad-news, man-eating Marina (Barbara Stanwyck), the lover Jeff ran away from years ago, undoubtedly knowing that despite his lust for her, she was just no good. And now Jeff loves another woman, Sal (Ruth Roman).