After the Korean War, Americans Tony and Felix own a tramp boat, the Ruby, which they use for small-scale smuggling around the Caribbean, along with a third crewman, Jimmy Jean.

One day their bartender contact, Miguel, introduces them to an American businessman who has been enjoying the company of beautiful but passport-less European goddess Irena.

Knowing the kind of woman she is, Felix does his best to protect his partner by warning Irena to stay away from Tony.

He also plans to kill Felix, correctly suspecting that his former partner tipped off the customs agents to get rid of the competition for Irena.

After a collision, Tony is trapped below deck under a girder, with time running out – the ship is aflame and carrying a highly explosive cargo.

The film had a gala premiere in the attendance of Princess Alexandra of Kent at the Odeon Marble Arch in London on 30 May 1957,[1] and went on general release in Britain the next day.