High School Hellcats

On the first day of high school, new student Joyce Martin is confronted by Connie Harris, the brutish leader of a high school all-girl gang known as the Hellcats. Connie advises Joyce that despite the dress-code rules, all the girls will be wearing slacks the following day. Joyce hesitantly agrees and the next day, over the protest of her parents Roger and Linda, goes to school dressed in pants, only to discover that she has been the victim of Connie's prank. Deeply embarrassed, Joyce cuts class and wanders into a local coffee shop where she meets counter attendant Mike Landers, who is sympathetic to her predicament. Mike confides he is an orphan, going to night school to study engineering and envies her family life. Although Joyce laments that her parents never pay attention to her, Mike insists that she is lucky. That evening Connie telephones Joyce and invites her to a meeting of the Hellcats at their secret hideaway in the balcony of an abandoned movie house across town. At the meeting Connie informs Joyce that she is being considered for gang membership and outlines group rules, which include not dating, not studying and defying all teachers except the amiable home economics teacher Trudy Davis. The next day, Connie and her deputy, Dolly Crane, order Joyce to steal from a five and dime store as an initiation into the Hellcats. Later at the coffee shop, Mike is dismayed to see Joyce with Connie and Dolly. He notices the stolen earrings, but Joyce feigns indifference to him, then secretly promises to meet him later. Later, Joyce and Mike drive out to the river and Mike expresses concern over Joyce socializing with Connie and warns her that the Hellcats are no good. When Mike accuses her of stealing the earrings, Joyce explains that unknown to the others, she left behind money to pay for them. Joyce admits she is desperate to be accepted at school and that the unhappiness she is experiencing at home has led her to become a member of the Hellcats. Mike then confesses his attraction to Joyce and hopes she will eventually have no need for the Hellcats. The following day at school, Connie orders Joyce to ask a local boy, Rip, to a party the gang is sponsoring that night. When Joyce complies and Connie is pleased, Dolly grows jealous. After school, Mike picks up Joyce but is dismayed when she states that she must return early for a party with the Hellcats that night. That evening, Rip takes Joyce to the party, but when she grows uncomfortable with the drinking and his amorous attentions, abandons her for another girl. Later, Fred, Connie's date, suggests that everyone play a game in the dark. In the midst of the game there is a terrifying shriek and the revelers discover that Connie is dead, having fallen down the basement steps. Rip orders everyone to leave and confesses to the bewildered Joyce that they cannot call the police as they have broken into the house for the party. After Rip drops Joyce at home, he worries that she will talk about the party. When Mike arrives at Joyce's shortly thereafter, Rip and Fred follow them and beat up Mike. Joyce insists that Mike not report them and then tells him a little about the party without mentioning Connie's death. Later, Roger is furious that Joyce has remained out so late, and despite Linda's protests, upbraids her severely when she returns home. Joyce insists her father has no reason to distrust her and Linda agrees. On Monday at school, Dolly notifies the Hellcats that she has taken over the gang and that they must agree on a story regarding Connie. The girls are confused, however, when Dolly reveals that she believes someone pushed Connie down the stairs and that she intends to learn his or her identity. Later, gang member Meg warns Joyce that Dolly can be dangerous. In school that afternoon Miss Davis is summoned to meet police lieutenant Manners, who informs her that Connie has been reported missing. Manners asks to meet with the girls one by one, but upon questioning them, finds that all of their stories are similar. Joyce admits that Dolly is Connie's best friend, which infuriates Dolly. That evening Mike and Joyce hear the radio news report that Connie's body has been found when the owners of the house returned from vacation. Distressed, Joyce goes to see Miss Davis, but cannot bring herself to divulge the truth. The next day at school, Joyce finds Dolly leaving her a note announcing an emergency meeting of the Hellcats that night at the movie theater. Joyce tells Dolly that she intends to quit the gang, but Dolly insists that she must formally do so at the meeting. Mike is pleased to hear Joyce intends to leave the gang and drives her to the meeting that night. Meanwhile Meg and another gang member visit Miss Davis to relate that they found Dolly's note to Joyce and are concerned as no other members were invited. Miss Davis contacts Manners and he agrees to send a police car to the movie theater. Upon arriving at the theater, Joyce is alarmed to find only Dolly, who confesses that she pushed Connie to her death because she was jealous of Joyce. When Dolly attempts to attack Joyce with a knife, she falls over the balcony ledge to her death just as the police and Mike arrive inside. After Miss Davis telephones the Martins to explain everything, Joyce and Mike are greeted warmly when Joyce returns home.