Alan Ladd stars as a wise guy who finds himself in one predicament after another in Lucky Jordan. When he discovers that he can no longer avoid the draft, a self-serving New York racketeer (Ladd) fails at his half-hearted attempt at military life. He goes AWOL, stealing a car that happens to contain a briefcase full of valuable military plans. What follows is an escapade filled with Nazi spies, espionage, assassins, saboteurs and a beautiful member of the WAC (Helen Walker) determined to reform the gangster.