Former police detective Sam Wye (Fredric March) is on the trail of socialite Kay Kerrigan (Joan Bennett) who is accused of fatally shooting millionaire cad Thomas Bruhme (Sidney Blackmer). Kay has taken a ship to the South Seas followed by Sam, Sam's secretary Jean Livingstone (Ann Sothern) as well as police detectives Ben "Homer" Blodgett (Ralph Bellamy) and George Faulkner (Robert Elliott (actor)).