The Rebel Set

Mr. Tucker, owner of a Los Angeles coffee house, hires three down-on-their-luck beatniks—John Mapes, Ray Miller, and George Leland—to take part in an armored car robbery planned around a Chicago stopover on their Los Angeles to New York train trip. He promises substantial pay for each man’s role in the heist, and the plan hinges on their willingness to risk everything. Tucker’s arrangement also sets in motion the events that will unfold across rail and city streets.

Tucker and his henchman Sidney fly ahead to Chicago to set up the robbery and secure the pickup point for the armored car. They arrange the logistics so the four-hour stopover can be exploited for the heist. The scheme is now anchored in two cities and a moving train.

The armored car robbery is staged during Chicago’s four-hour stopover and appears to go off without a hitch. The three conspirators, along with the money, are transferred into a fake police car after overpowering the guards. Nearly a million dollars change hands as the plan seems to succeed.

The three men board the train toward Chicago, continuing their journey to the payday they expect. Jeanne joins John on the trip, adding personal tension to the already dangerous plan. The departure marks the transition from staging to a moving crime in transit.

On the route, George shoots out a tire on the armored truck and Sidney steers a car into it to block the guards. John and Ray then drive up disguised as policemen in a police car and tie up the guards before transferring the money to the fake police car. The extraction leaves the crew with the cash and a path forward.

They drive off to a new location to bury their clothes, guns, and other gear. The cash is placed into a gift box and entrusted to George for safekeeping. The stash is hidden before the group continues their travel.

The men continue on the train to New York, with Tucker promising each man $200,000. The journey becomes a tense test of nerves as the loot sits in their hands. The rail journey keeps the criminals in close quarters as the plan advances.

Back on the train, Leland’s greed takes over and he decides to keep all the money. John and Ray go to talk to him but discover he is dead, a suicide note left behind. The murder shifts the balance of power among the conspirators.

Tucker, disguising himself as a man of the cloth, infiltrates the train to tighten his grip on the loot. He eliminates Leland and Miller, leaving Mapes as the sole threat who can stop him. The pursuit turns deadly as the two men clash across the rail cars.

John Mapes confesses to his wife Jeanne about his involvement in the robbery. The confession reveals the personal cost of the crime and adds emotional weight to the unfolding crisis. Jeanne’s reaction highlights the human stakes beyond the crime itself.

When the cops board the train in Newark to investigate Leland's murder, John confesses to his own role in the heist. The authorities close in as new revelations come to light. The train becomes a moving crime scene as more secrets surface.

Tucker jumps from the train with the money, triggering a frantic chase through the cars and into the railyard. Shots echo through the yard as pursuers close in. Tucker collapses on an electric transformer and dies, while Mapes surrenders to the police.

Jeanne shares a goodbye hug with John as the passengers come to terms with the caper’s outcome. Rita Leland waits for her son George on the train, unaware that he is already dead. The final moments underscore the human cost of ambition and crime for everyone involved.