After World War Two, Johnny Duval returns home to the bayous of Louisiana where he was a U.S. Coast Guardbar pilot. However, after serving in the Coast Guard, Johnny is affected by stress when he lost the destroyer escort under his command, blaming himself for the loss of the ship that was torpedoed. Initially Johnny refuses to take up his old piloting duties, offering to work as an ordinary seaman. He is tricked into filling in for a pilot and does an admirable job where he regains his confidence.
In the meantime Johnny is distracted from his bride to be Toni Rousseau by the visit of a spoiled rich city girl Janet Hilton whose father P.T. Hilton buys up land in the bayous and posts the areas for no hunting or fishing that has a devastating effect on the local culture. Local hot head and Johnny's rival Mike Kalavich knocks down the Hilton's signs and goes poaching on their land.
The film was meant to be the first of a three-picture deal between Weissmuller and Pine-Thomas Productions which was signed in February 1944.[2] He was going to make Combat Correspondent about a war correspondent in the South Pacific, and a musical Western.[3] However Weissmuller only made one film for the company.
Filming was to have started on 10 April 1945[4] but was delayed until October.
