The first of the five films in which Bill Elliott plays a detective lieutenant in the L.A. Sheriff's Department, Dial Red "0" opens with war-torn veteran Ralph Wyatt getting word that his wife is divorcing him; he flees the veterans' hospital's psychiatric ward to go talk to her. His escape touches off an all-out manhunt led by Lieutenant Andy Flynn of the Sheriff's Department. Wyatt's wife Connie is having an affair with Norman Roper, a judo expert in Wyatt's old Marine unit. When Roper refuses to divorce his own wife (Regina Gibson) to marry Connie, they have a violent quarrel in Connie's apartment. Roper kills Connie and incriminates Wyatt, who is arrested and held on suspicion of homicide. Convinced that Roper is the real murderer, Wyatt escapes from his cell in the Hollywood Sheriff's office and goes to Roper's home. Lt. Flynn has discovered evidence pointing to Roper as the killer, and arrives in time to prevent Wyatt from killing him. Jazzman Shorty Rogers and his Giants are also on hand as part of the Hollywood nightlife. Elliott's name was changed to Andy Doyle for the next four films, as a real Andy Flynn worked in Los Angeles law enforcement.