The title character, played by John Payne, is a ship's captain whose embittered behavior after losing his lady love seemingly leads to tragedy. Accused of deliberately scuttling his ship during a typhoon, Captain China hopes to clear himself by signing on as a common seaman on a vessel captain by his former first mate Brendensen (Jeffrey Lynn). There's no love lost between the two men, and their mutual animosity is intensified when both fall in love with beautiful passenger Kim Mitchell (Gail Russell). During a second storm, the strengths and weaknesses of both men are brought to the forefront, leading to a satisfactory conclusion.
