The feature starred James Mason, Dorothy Dandridge, Broderick Crawford, and Stuart Whitman.

Filming took place in southern California aboard the Chios, Greece-registered SS Igor (originally the Philip C. Shera), a World War II Liberty Ship owned by the Los and Pezas shipowning families.

When the captain of the merchant vessel S.S. Berwind dies, Ed Rummill is offered the job.

Those problems involve two of the ship's crew members, Henry Scott and Leroy Martin.

Meanwhile, a frustrated Scott uses his rifle to pick off additional crew members, starting with the ship's bridge and working his way down.