The Delinquents

In suburban Kansas City, a group of hot-rod delinquents creates trouble in a bar after being refused drinks. They break a window, signaling their rebellious mood and setting the film's violence in motion. The incident foreshadows the escalation to come.

Scotty White and Janice Wilson are deeply in love, but Janice's parents oppose the romance, saying she is too young and Scotty runs with the wrong crowd. Her father tells Scotty to stay away and wait until Christmas vacation to talk to them. The couple's hopes clash with parental authority from the start.

At the drive-in that night, a gang wrongly targets Scotty as the tire-slasher they are seeking. Cholly intervenes and comes to Scotty's rescue, complicating the gang's plans. The rescue deepens the tension between Scotty and the delinquents and fuels their vendetta.

Cholly devises a scheme to introduce Scotty to Janice by posing as her new boyfriend. He intends this ruse to bridge the gap between the families and bring the lovers together. The plan marks the gang's shift from street fights to calculated manipulation.

Teens gather for a wild party at an abandoned mansion on the edge of town, with heavy drinking and dancing. Scotty and Janice slip away to steal a private moment amid the chaos. The setting confirms the excess and lawlessness that define the group's night.

Police suddenly arrive and break up the drunken free-for-all, scattering the crowd. Cholly and Eddy suspect an informant among them and grow more paranoid. The disruption heightens the sense of danger and foreshadows upcoming confrontations.

On the following day, the gang abducts Scotty, believing he tipped off the police. They force him to gulp an entire bottle of Scotch to coerce a confession. The kidnapping shifts the story from a party to a coercive capture.

While transporting him toward the countryside in panic, Eddy suggests hijacking a gas station. They stop at a service station to gas up, giving the plan a dangerous edge. Scotty wakes during the attempted robbery, accidentally disrupting the gang's plan.

Cholly hits the station attendant over the head with a gas pump, and the gang drives away, leaving Scotty behind with the cash and the wounded attendant. The moment underscores the gang's ruthlessness and their willingness to abandon their own when needed. Scotty stumbles home, shaken and frightened.

Back home, Scotty discovers Janice has been kidnapped by the gang. He fights back in the house, engaging in several brawls to defend himself and Janice. The night culminates in a switchblade duel with Cholly in the kitchen.

The tension erupts in a switchblade battle inside the home kitchen, with Cholly as one of the combatants. Scotty fights for his life and for Janice's safety as the violence escalates within the family space. The confrontation tests loyalties and resolve.

Wounded, Scotty goes to the police to report the chaos and seek protection. This official intervention marks a turning point in the confrontation with Cholly and Eddy. The community begins to reclaim control over the situation.

The Whites and Wilsons reclaim their kids, restoring some order and asserting parental authority over Scotty and Janice. The reunion signals the breakdown of the gang's power and the return of a semblance of normalcy. The story moves toward its resolution with an explicit moral framing.

The film opens and ends with a voiceover describing it as a tale of violence and immorality. The narrator emphasizes consequences and moral judgments, reinforcing the film's critical stance on delinquency. The final voiceover seals the thematic message as the credits roll.