Hot Car Girl

In order to maintain their sporty cars and party lifestyle, California teen Walter "Duke" Willis and his best friend Fred steal auto parts and sell them to junk dealer Joe Dooley. Duke begins dating Margaret "Peg" Dale, who has recently moved to the area, and one evening takes her to a popular roadhouse where Lou, the proprietor, spikes the orange soda with alcohol to make money on the side. Unfamiliar with drinking, Peg is seduced by Duke and awakens the next morning, embarrassed and distressed. Fred's sweetheart Mickey encourages Peg to lie to her mother, telling her she stayed out all night with a girl friend. Later on the beach, Peg confronts Duke about his stealing, but he grows angry when she implies she would like to settle down and get married. While driving home along the coast highway, Duke spots a fancy sports car and taunts the young woman driver, Janice Wheeler, who hastens to get away from him. The two cars speed along the narrow, winding road until spotted by a motorcycle police officer who gives chase. Panicked, Duke tries to force Janice to stop, thus causing her to swerve into the motorcyclist. Duke and Peg drive away, but Janice is taken into custody of the police and, after calming down, she is able to give a description of Duke and his car to the investigating detective, Lt. Ryan. Peg, distraught to learn of the motorcycle policeman's death over the radio, pleads with Duke to turn himself in, but he insists it was an accident. Later, Joe reads about the incident and recognizes the description of Duke's car, but when he informs Duke that he knows of his involvement in the accident, Duke and Fred beat him up. Afraid to leave Duke or turn him in, Peg instead tells her mother she has gotten a night-shift job as an operator and accompanies Duke, Fred and Mickey on several all-night car-part thefts. Several days later, Janice identifies the exact model of Duke's car for Ryan and Janice's wealthy father, Mr. Wheeler, insists that the information be printed in the paper, along with a statement declaring that Janice can also identify the driver. After reading the paper, Mickey convinces Fred to stop seeing Duke, as she does not want them to be dragged into his increasingly dangerous situation. Believing that she can convince Janice that the crash was an accident, Peg telephones her to set up a rendezvous. Unaware of whom she is meeting, Janice agrees, then becomes angry when she recognizes Peg and Duke. When Janice threatens to expose them to the police, Duke smashes her over the head with a soda bottle, killing her. Peg is mortified, but Duke forces her to run away with him. Hoping for the reward listed by Wheeler, Joe goes to the police, but is arrested as a material witness and dealer in stolen goods. That night, a gas-station attendant hears a radio bulletin describing Duke's license plate and later, when Duke stops for gas, recognizes the number. After Duke knocks out the attendant, he steals money from the cash register, takes a pistol he finds in the drawer, and escapes in another car. Fred and Mickey hear the report of Duke's crimes on the radio and, concerned that Peg is involved, Mickey telephones the Dale house late at night and asks to speak with Peg. Suspicious of the lateness of the call, Mrs. Dale telephones Peg's office and discovers that Peg has never worked there. Distressed, Mrs. Dale goes to the police to report Peg missing. Meanwhile, Duke holds up a man at a restaurant and steals his car. Back at the police station, Ryan matches Mrs. Dale's description of Peg with that of the gas-station attendant's account of Duke's companion. Later, when Duke apologizes to Peg for getting her involved, she pleads with him to turn himself in, but he insists that he will never allow himself to be arrested. Duke then reveals he has been beaten by the police on several occasions and hates them. Concerned for Peg, Mickey and Fred report Duke to the police and voice their suspicion that Peg is an unwilling accomplice. Ryan orders roadblocks set up throughout the county, forcing Duke and Peg into the desert, where Duke orders Peg to take the car and leave him while he hides in a cave. Peg reluctantly departs, then leads the police back to Duke's hideout. Ryan attempts to talk Duke into surrendering, but Duke shoots him in the arm. The police then fire tear gas into the cave, forcing Duke into the open where he is shot down. Afterward, Ryan finds a note in the cave from Duke proclaiming Peg's innocence and accepting full responsibility for his actions.