Roddy McDowall was both star and co-producer of the compact actioner Tuna Clipper. Hoping to become a lawyer, Alec (Roddy McDowall) becomes a tuna fisherman in order to pay a debt. This turn of events puts Alec on the outs with his taciturn family. Eventually, the lad proves himself on all fronts, and is welcomed back into the family fold. The seaborne sequences are the film's highlights; less successful are the dramatic passages. Future Marcus Welby regular Elena Verdugo co-stars as McDowall's girlfriend.