Former gunslinger George Temple (Glenn Ford) wants to keep his gun-fighting days a secret as he builds a new life. It seems whenever Temple's prowess with a gun is discovered, he and his wife, Dora (Jeanne Crain), have to skip town before someone challenges him to a duel. After eventually settling in a small town as a quiet shopkeeper, a drunken Temple makes the mistake of showing off his skills. When the criminal Vinnie Harold (Broderick Crawford) catches wind of it, a showdown is imminent.