Ben Quick (Newman) is a handsome and confident young man with ambitions to rise above his current condition in life. Unfortunately, he comes from a family with a..."reputation"...that leads the people of his hometown to accuse him of barn-burning (a revenge tactic that was common in the 1950's South, and a good way to get yourself lynched). Ben does not deny or confirm the townspeople's accusations, but he agrees to leave when they cannot find enough proof to convict him. He becomes a drifter, wandering the humid environment of Mississippi just as the Summer starts. After weeks of travel, he hitches a ride with two women driving into the nearby town of Frenchman's Bend: Clara Varner and her sister-in-law, Eula. The latter is a gorgeous Southern Belle with a flirtatious and easy-going natur