Jack Malloy, former All American football player from Notre Dame and a running back for the New York Jets, becomes a bum when his football days are over. His classmate, Sam Shalom, becomes the president of the United States. As president Shalom is concerned with the high cost of incarcerating prisoners. He plans to use an abandoned Naval base in the South Pacific to determine if 500 prisoners can support themselves. He needs someone to represent him on the island. The individual must be courageous, strong, likeable, and a bit crazy. He thinks of Jack Malloy. The FBI finds Jack in jail with a bunch of drunks. Jack is brought to Washington D.C. where he meets the first lady and falls in love with her. Jack's mind rebels at the idea of coping with hundreds of hardened criminals on an isolated island, but he's desperate for work, needs food, and a place to live. Moreover, he wants to get as far away as possible from the first lady. He's a drunk but he doesn't want to make a fool of himself. He agrees to help the President and join the criminals on the island.