Southern banjo player Luke Stringer had headed to New York to find fame and fortune. He returns to his sister's farm, sad, defeated, and with just twelve dollars in his pocket. Hoping to put the pieces of his life back together, he meets up with the town's recluse and her blind daughter. The woman, Ruthie, is known as "the snake lady" because she makes and sells snakeskin articles. Luke takes a liking to her and begins teaching her daughter to play the banjo.

The employees of an insurance company located on the nineteenth floor of a Philadelphia office building are anticipating the upcoming weekend as Friday afternoon approaches. Cal Brown, a Korean War veteran, suddenly pulls a gun and announces to his co-workers that they are going to take Hill 902. He begins to train his "platoon", and, as the evening progresses, they come to understand the horrors of war.

Ex-boxer Joey Briggs has been in an institution for three years, being treated for drug and alcohol abuse and emotional trauma. His psychiatrist now feels he is ready to re-enter society. As he takes a train journey to an unspecified destination, he contemplates his past through mental flashbacks and conversations with a friendly porter, and tries to come to terms with himself. A young blind girl he meets on the train may help him.

Peter Zandocus was sent to jail for three years for tax evasion, but will get out a year early for good behavior. He will be released in a week. Sidney Hagen of the IRS, fraud division, is convinced that Zandocus stashed away a million dollars before going to jail. He sends a special agent, Ray March, to cozy up to Norma Jean Fryburger, the girl who testified on Zandocus' behalf and who Hagen believes is holding the money out of fear for her life.

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