It tells the story of a reporter who investigates a dockland smuggling operation. In the process he becomes romantically involved with daughter of the man he is investigating. The film was based on a book by the same name, written by Max Miller. Miller was a beat reporter in San Diego who covered stories on the city's waterfront. The song "I Cover the Waterfront" appears in the film as an instrumental only. The song, with music by Johnny Green and lyrics by Edward Heyman, has become a jazz standard.