Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton) convinces the King to grant him a commission to escort a treasure-laden ship from India back to England. The treacherous captain intends to take the treasure for himself and recruits for the voyage so of his most trusted hands. Kidd wasn't expecting to have an "honest" man on board in the form of Adam Mercy (Randolph Scott) or a female passenger in the form of Lady Ann Falconer (Barbara Britton).