King Creole

Nineteen-year-old high school student Danny Fisher works before and after school in order to support his father and sister Mimi. After Danny's mother died, his grieving father lost his job as a pharmacist and moved his impoverished family to the French Quarter in New Orleans.

At work one morning, Danny rescues Ronnie from her abusive date. After a taxi ride to Danny's high school, she kisses him. Danny responds to some schoolmates' teasing by kissing Ronnie and punching one of them in the face. That earns him a trip to the principal's office. Miss Pearson, his teacher, tells Danny that he will not graduate. Principal Mr. Evans is sympathetic but powerless to help, so Danny decides to drop out of school.

When he leaves the school grounds, three young men take him into an alley. Their leader, Shark, wants revenge for Danny hitting his brother. Danny defends himself so well that Shark invites him to join them. Mr. Fisher tries to convince his son to stay in school. Instead, he helps Shark's gang shoplift at a five-and-dime by singing "Lover Doll" to distract the customers and staff.

Only Nellie, working at the snack bar, notices his complicity in the theft, but she does not report him. Danny invites Nellie to a fictitious party in a hotel room; finding nobody else there, she starts crying and leaves after admitting that she still wants to see him again, but not under those conditions.

That night, Danny meets Ronnie again at The Blue Shade night club, where he works. At first, she pretends not to know him, as she is accompanied by her boyfriend and the club's owner, Maxie Fields, aka "The Pig". When Maxie does not believe her, she claims that she heard Danny sing once. Maxie insists that Danny prove that he can sing. His rendition of "Trouble" impresses Charlie LeGrand, the honest owner of the King Creole club, the only nightspot in the area not owned by Maxie. He offers Danny a job as a singer.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fisher gets work as a pharmacist in a drug store, but his boss Mr. Primont is constantly demeaning him. That makes it easier for Danny to go against his father's wishes and take Charlie's offer. When Danny is a hit, Maxie tries to hire him. Danny declines his offer out of loyalty to Charlie.

Shark, now working for Maxie, suggests to Danny they beat up Primont to help his father. When Mr. Fisher leaves the store dressed in Primont's hat and coat (lent due to a rainstorm), Shark recognizes him, but mugs him anyway, as that would be even better for Maxie's purposes. Danny's father is so badly injured that he needs an expensive operation, which Maxie pays for. Maxie blackmails Danny into signing with him by threatening to tell his father about his involvement in the mugging. Danny pummels Maxie and helps Ronnie leave him.

Maxie sends his henchmen after Danny. Shark and another gang member trap him in an alley. Danny knocks out one of his pursuers. Shark stabs Danny but is killed. Ronnie finds Danny and takes him to her house to recover. She asks him to forget her sordid past and pretend to love her. Danny replies that it would not be difficult and kisses her. Maxie drives up, accompanied by Dummy, a member of Danny's former gang. Maxie fatally shoots Ronnie. Dummy, who had been befriended by Danny, grapples with Maxie, but the gun goes off, killing its owner.

Danny returns to the King Creole. He sings the lines, "Let's think of the future, forget the past, you're not my first love, but you're my last", to Nellie in the audience. Mr. Fisher arrives to listen to his son sing.