Presley plays a teenager named Danny Fisher, who is forced to drop out of school to help support his father (Dean Jagger). Always in trouble, Danny is saved from a jail term by New Orleans saloon-keeper Charlie Le Grand (Paul Stewart), who gives the boy a job as a singer. Soon a local gang boss, Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau), a shadowy figure from Danny's criminal past, puts pressure on the boy, insisting that Danny sing at his saloon. To tempt Danny, Maxie relies upon the seductive charms of his girlfriend Ronnie (Carolyn Jones), while Danny's true love Nellie (Dolores Hart) suffers on the sidelines.