The swashbuckling title character, played by Richard Basehart, is an 18th-century gentleman accused of murdering a prince. In the tradition of Scaramouche, Cartouche takes refuge with a troupe of wandering actors. Villains Akim Tamiroff and Massimo Serato do their best to knock off Cartouche, but he gets the better of them in reel eight. English leading-lady Patricia Roc displays mucho cleavage as Cartouche's sweetheart.