Aging rodeo cowboy Jed Shelby (Steve Cochran) receives word that his eldest son, Buzz (Dean Stockwell), is standing trial in Sunrise for the death of a young woman. He hops the next bus to Sunrise to assist in the defense of his son whom he believes has certainly been framed. In the process, he is reunited with the wife Flo (Bethel Leslie) whom he abandoned twice, his youngest son Jonathan (Billy Buntrock of "Hazel" fame), and his old friend Will Mayberry who is now Sheriff of Sunrise. Jed's investigations led to conflicts with town rich boy, Tony Maddox (Chris Robinson of "12 O'Clock High") and the socio- economically challenged Shirley Miller (future Elvis girlfriend, Anne Helm) to whom he is newly engaged.