The story of a disabled beggar in Charleston,S.C. who falls in love with a prostitute, this is the first filmed version of Gershwin's opera which uses Gershwin's own orchestrations and practically all of the music, with only one major cut.

Ripley, the vampire, was frozen in the late eighteenth century, but has revived in modern times and becomes a successful businessman. At a ceremony to invoke Satan, Ripley learns that his revival has come with a price: in the next three days, he must kill three women in order to gain another year of life. Miranda's father, Davenant, arrives and tells her that she must marry the Earl of Marsden to secure a business deal.