Intrigue

Brad, a troubled young man, returns home after six months in rehab. On his first night he starts a fight at a dance club with a man named Logan because he was dancing with Sue, a girl with whom Brad is in love. Brad's older brother ends the fight just to beat up Logan later himself. Although Sue's strict father is strongly against her relationship with Logan, they secretly get married in Las Vegas. Soon Brad's love turns to obsession, and at the same time he falls back into using drugs. Sue's father takes matters into his own hands.—Serpico Jones

At Pancho's, a teenage hangout, Brad Martinelli (Richard Gering), a drug addict who has just returned to town, aggressively approaches Sue Randall (Marlo Ryan), jealous that she prefers Danny Logan (Gary Clarke) to him. When Danny asks Brad to leave Sue alone, then sympathetically says that everyone feels sorry for him, Brad erupts in anger and pulls a knife on Danny. Just then, Brad's older brother, Mob-connected drug dealer Nico, arrives and convinces Brad to leave, saying that he does not want Brad to "get sick" again and promising to "take care" of Danny. Later, when Danny kisses Sue goodnight in front of her parent's house, Brad secretly observes them. After Danny drives away, he is followed by Nico and his henchman, who pursues Danny in a high-speed chase, eventually forcing him off the road. Nico then gives Danny a beating, warning him not to cause Brad any more trouble.

The next morning, Danny's older brother, with whom Danny has lived since their parents died, callously dismisses Danny's facial bruises after he tells him what happened, and tells him to start acting like a man. Later, when Danny drives to Sue's house to pick her up for a party at the lake, her father, who has been berating Sue because Danny is not of their social class, sees the bruises and, thinking they prove that Danny is no good, orders him away.

At the lake, Danny meets friends Frida Porter and Slats but is too depressed to join the party. When Sue, who has sneaked out of the house, arrives, Danny tells her he does not blame her father for being protective and decides to try to talk to him.

The next day, while Nico is assigning Brad a job to deliver drugs, Danny goes to Sue's father's office. Although he tries to convince Randall that he and Sue are in love, Danny makes matters worse by saying that they will both work after high school to help pay for his college education. Randall refuses to hear of his daughter working and tells Danny to stay away from her or he will take legal action.

Later that afternoon, Sue again meets Danny, Frida and Slats at the lake. When Danny says that perhaps Randall is right about him, Sue suggests that if they get married right away, it would convince her father that they are serious. Although initially reluctant, Danny agrees, and they make plans to elope to Las Vegas that night and lie about their ages. While Frida, Slats and Danny go back to town, Brad sees Sue waiting by the lake and tries to convince her that they belong together. Just as he says "If I can't have you," Danny, who has just returned, interrupts and again fights with Brad, who leaves as Frida and Slats return with Sue's suitcase.

That evening, Nico sees his customer, Freddy, in a bar and threatens him because he has not been paid for the three packages of drugs. The nervous Freddy says that he received only two packages from Brad and begs for more time, but Nico replies that tomorrow night Freddy must give him all of the money or the three packages.

Meanwhile, Danny and Sue have gotten married in Las Vegas after Frida convinced Sue's parents that she was spending the night with her. Following an evening of dancing, they rent a motel room and nervously spend their first night together as a married couple.

At Pancho's, Nico and his cohort come looking for Danny because of the thrashing he gave Brad at the lake. When Slats and Frida refuse to say where Danny is, Brad beats Slats, prompting the hysterical Frida to reveal that Danny and Sue have gone to Las Vegas to get married. The next morning, when Sue and Danny return to town, they meet Frida and Slats at Pancho's. Slats does not reveal that Frida told Nico where they were the previous night and offers to buy them dinner if Frida again can provide Sue with an alibi. Sue then kisses Danny goodbye and hides her wedding ring on a neck chain.

That night, Brad, who learned about the wedding from Nico, anonymously calls the Randalls to tell them that Sue spent the previous night with Danny. The Randalls then drive to Pancho's and confront the teenagers. Although Mrs. Randall is sympathetic, Mr. Randall accuses Danny of turning his daughter into a "nasty little tramp." When Sue reveals that they have gotten married, her father promises to have the marriage annulled and send Danny to jail for taking a minor across a state line.

The next day, Sue goes to Danny's apartment crying, but he tells her that he is no good and does not want to cause her any more trouble. When she puts her ring back on, Danny says that their only hope is to leave and go to another town for a fresh start, although it will not be easy at first. They plan for her to sneak out of the house again that night and meet him at 7:30 PM near the lake. Danny then goes to Pancho's to tell Frida and Slats about leaving and is overheard by Brad.

That evening, Freddy calls to tell Nico that he has neither the money nor the packages and plead for more time. Nico refuses and says that he will find him. Desperate, Freddy calls the police. Meanwhile, Brad uses a hypodermic needle to inject himself with drugs. While Brad is high, Nico's cohort comes to the door and says that Nico will not be happy that he has disobeyed him. Brad shrugs off the warning, takes a gun and reveals that he is going after Danny. The cohort later tells Nico that Brad is "on the junk again," but before they can go looking for him, two policemen arrive and place them under arrest.

At the lake, Sue, Slats and Frida are waiting for Danny when Brad arrives, brandishing his gun. He then orders Slats and Frida to leave. After their car stalls on the road, they encounter Danny, who tells them to go for the police, then drives to the lake. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Randall realize that Sue has left home and learn from Frida's mother that she has gone to the lake to meet Danny. When Danny reaches the lake, Brad threatens to kill him, then turns the gun toward Sue. Just then, the policemen who have Nico and his cohort in their car are ordered to the lake after Slats's call to the police. They arrive just as the Randalls pull up and observe Danny trying to fight Brad to save Sue. Nico then pleads with his brother to give up the gun, but as he tries to take it, it accidentally goes off, killing Brad. As Nico weeps for his brother, Mr. Randall, who now realizes that Danny is a good boy, tells Sue "let's take him home."