Plot: In 1917, in Monterey, California, Cal is a youngster needy of fatherly love. His father Adam Trask is a farmer who favors his brother Aron and they believe that their mother died when they were children. One day, Cal discovers that his mother Kate is still alive and is the owner of a brothel in the nearby Salinas. However he keeps his discovery in secret and does not to tell his father and brother. When Adam decides to invest in the transportation of frozen lettuce, there is a problem on the railroad and he loses his saving. Cal contacts Kate and borrows five thousand dollars to invest in the promising bean business since the United States has entered in World War I, to recover his father's money and earn his love. Meanwhile Aron's girlfriend Abra and Cal fall in love with each other. Cal is well succeeded in his business and decides to give a surprise birthday party organized by Abra to his father to give his money as a birthday gift. The reaction of Adam and Aron trigger a series of incidents with tragic consequences.
Alternative Plot: In this film based on John Steinbeck's epic novel, Cal Trask (James Dean), the son of a California farmer (Raymond Massey), feels that his father cares only about his brother, Aron (Richard Davalos). When Cal embarks on a business venture to gain the favor of his dad, he finds himself dealing with his estranged mother (Jo Van Fleet), now the owner of a brothel, and tensions in the family rise even further when he begins to fall for Aron's girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris).
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