Chris Dale is the chief trial deputy for the district attorney. He is a sharp-tongued, egocentric man who is dominating and abusive to his wife. He learns that Ellen Randle Dudley, accused of murdering her husband with an ax, has been captured in the town of Evanston--which is outside of his jurisdiction. Dale promptly travels to Evanston, rides rough-shod over the local sheriff, and settles down to an intense, grueling interrogation of the woman. It becomes clear that the woman's relationship to her husband mirrored Dale's own marriage. As he comes to realize this, Dale is both repulsed by and attracted to the woman.

Southern banjo player Luke Stringer had headed to New York to find fame and fortune. He returns to his sister's farm, sad, defeated, and with just twelve dollars in his pocket. Hoping to put the pieces of his life back together, he meets up with the town's recluse and her blind daughter. The woman, Ruthie, is known as "the snake lady" because she makes and sells snakeskin articles. Luke takes a liking to her and begins teaching her daughter to play the banjo.

The employees of an insurance company located on the nineteenth floor of a Philadelphia office building are anticipating the upcoming weekend as Friday afternoon approaches. Cal Brown, a Korean War veteran, suddenly pulls a gun and announces to his co-workers that they are going to take Hill 902. He begins to train his "platoon", and, as the evening progresses, they come to understand the horrors of war.

Three dim-witted guys decide to rob the corner saloon while the owner is away. What they don't know is that saloon is owned by the Mafia

At night, on a coastal road, a boy is nearly hit by a car. The car's passengers, stopping to see if the boy is all right, are disturbed by his strange behavior.