一个涉世未深的年轻海军士兵,因偷窃被叛处重刑。二个面露凶恶但内心善良的士官,受命押解。在漫长的押送路程中,他们不忍再让那孩子受死板军规的折磨,于是,三个人到处胡天胡地,狂欢纵欲,姿情放荡,结果小水兵竟起意开溜。Two bawdy, tough looking navy lifers - "Bad-Ass" Buddusky, and "Mule" Mulhall - are commissioned to escort a young pilferer named Meadows to the brig in Portsmouth. Meadows is not much of a thief. Indeed, in his late teens, he is not much of a man at all. His great crime was to try to steal forty dollars from the admiral's wife's pet charity. For this, he's been sentenced to eight years behind bars. At first, Buddusky and Mulhall view the journey as a paid vacation, but their holiday spirits are quickly depressed by the prisoner, who looks prepared to break into tears at any moment. And he has the lowest self-image imaginable. Buddusky gets it into his head to give Meadows a good time and teach him a bit about getting on in the world. Lesson one: Don't take every card life deals you. Next, he teaches Meadows to drink, and, as a coup de grace, finds a nice young whore to instruct him in lovemaking. Mule, who worries aloud about his own position with military authority, seems pleased with Meadows's progress. However, when the trio reach Portsmouth, the game comes abruptly to an end as reality sets in.