The Phillips family -- dad Tom (Dana Andrews), mom Peg (Jeanne Crain), teenager Tina (Laurie Mock) and young Jamie (Jeffrey Byron) -- find their road trip to California turned into a nightmare by three hot-rodding delinquents. Gloria (Mimsy Farmer), Duke (Paul Bertoya) and Ernie (Gene Kirkwood) pursue them across the desert, and when Duke sets his sights on young Tina, push comes to shove, and Tom decides to fight back.