Death Tide

Off the coast of South America, criminal Eric Paulsen meets a waiting sailboat and begins a dangerous journey to New York, where he intends to steal a million dollars worth of diamonds. Paulsen's trip is timed to the split second, and near the Sandy Hook lighthouse off the Long Island coast, he joins his three henchman, among whom are Bowen and boat captain Pete Mooney. They then proceed to steal the diamonds from a passing ocean liner. Meanwhile, also at sea is photographer Art Wilson, who is shooting "artistic stuff" of a model in a skimpy bikini while his wife Jean steers their rented boat. When Art and Jean dock, their pal Dave tells them about the daring theft of the diamonds from the ocean liner. Both the insurance company covering the gems and the shipping corporation are offering huge rewards for the capture of the modern-day pirates, and although Art briefly dreams of riches, the pragmatic Jean urges him to begin their next assignment, which is to photograph the anniversary voyage of another large ocean liner. Unknown to Art and Jean, Paulsen and his men, disguised as photographers, have joined the flotilla of press boats and thus managed to sneak into the United States, even though Paulsen does not have a passport. Paulsen intends to take the well-known collection of diamonds to a jeweler to have them re-cut, and then leave New York the following day. After Paulsen and two of his men leave the boat, Art and Jean notice them when they steal the cab Art had hailed. That evening, while listening to a radio report describing the culprits, one of whom was whistling and another with a stiff arm, Art and Jean begin to speculate that they were the men who stole their cab. Among the photographs Art took that day is a picture of the three men aboard Mooney's boat, but when they go to Mooney's dock, Mooney states that he does not know who his passengers were and orders the Wilsons to leave. Art and Jean drown their sorrows at a nearby soda fountain, where the soda jerk looks at their photograph and recognizes one of the henchmen, Bowen, who lives nearby. When the Wilsons visit Bowen, using the excuse that Art's photographs of the anniversary voyage were ruined and he would like to buy Bowen's, the criminal denies being on Mooney's boat. Art becomes suspicious though, when he sees Mooney's name written on Bowen's desk calendar, and the Wilsons then hide in their car and follow Bowen as he speeds away. Bowen goes to Paulsen's hideout, and the Wilsons, hidden below an open window, listen as he tells the gangster about them. They also spot a diamond on the table and then investigate the speedboat tied up nearby. While they are checking out the craft, Bowen sneaks up behind them, but before he can strike them, Jean turns and screams. Art falls into the water and manages to escape, although Jean is taken captive by the criminals. After Art overhears Paulsen order Bowen to have Mooney meet them at the channel house, Art returns to Mooney's to question him. Finding the place deserted, Art is about to telephone the police when Mooney enters and hits him over the head, knocking him unconscious. After Mooney leaves, Art is revived by Mooney's father, who tends to Art's wound but threatens him with a sap when Art asks him about the channel house. Art wrestles the weapon from the older man and forces him to disclose that Gloria, Mooney's girl friend, may know the location of the hideout. Art goes to Gloria's apartment, but the tough-talking blonde sees through his story that he and Mooney are friends. Gloria relents, however, and gives him the address of the house, and in the early morning, Art sneaks up outside the new hideout. Mooney arrives in the speedboat, and after stowing the diamonds below, forces Jean aboard. Art, who has hidden on the speedboat, manages to overpower Mooney and take off with Jean, although Paulsen and his henchman pursue them in another speedboat. The tense chase is punctuated by Paulsen's gunshots until Art and Jean reach a remote dock below a bridge and attempt to climb up to safety. The henchman chases them, and during a struggle, falls on a nail-ridden plank and is killed. Paulsen then clambers up onto the bridge and chases Art, who is trying to distract him from Jean, and when Art reaches the end of the bridge, Paulsen reaches out to hit him. Paulsen's swing causes him to lose his balance, however, and he falls to his death in the water below. Later, Art and Jean have returned the diamonds and collected their reward, and after paying their now-hefty income taxes, have enough left over to buy their own sailboat.