After boxer Swede (Burt Lancaster) is gunned down by a pair of contract killers, insurance investigator Jim Reardon (Edmond O'Brien) sets about piecing together the motives behind the murder. Swede's story is revealed in flashback - how he became involved in the crime world of Big Jim Colfax (Albert Dekker), only to be seduced into armed robbery by Colfax's glamorous moll, Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner).

In Second World War France, German Colonel von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) orders the railway transfer of priceless works of art from the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris to the Fatherland. The French Resistance are determined to stop the cargo ever reaching Germany, and enrol railway inspector Labiche (Burt Lancaster) to help them in their cause. Franklin Coen and Frank Davis's script was nominated for an Oscar.

A terrorist infected with a deadly virus boards the Stockholm to Geneva Express and exposes all aboard to the disease. Colonel Mackenzie (Burt Lancaster) is called in to handle the situation and finds Dr. Chamberlain (Richard Harris) who is on board the train.

Mackenzie decides to re-route the train to the Cassandra Crossing where it will plunge into oblivion. But passengers miraculously begin to recover and Chamberlain must race against time to disconnect the cars.

Classic western starring Burt Lancaster. All his life Owen Daybright (Lancaster) has taken the rap for his friend Lee Strobie's (Robert Walker) misdemeanours. Owen now works as foreman on Strobie's ranch, and continues to take the blame for his friend's wrongs - even accepting paternity for Strobie's illegitimate child - in order to protect Strobie's wife, Jan (Joanne Dru). However, when Owen learns that Strobie plans to make off with his father's cattle, he finally decides that enough is enough.