淑惠和淑清姊妹倆喪母後相依為命，姊姊為了持家在舞廳賣唱，妹妹卻因此感到羞愧。淑清如願考進藥廠，戀上了開朗的玻璃部主任文彬，然而文彬傾心於有過一面之緣的淑惠。5月13日這天，淑清終於發現自己與姊姊愛上的是同一人，大受打擊憤而離家出走，不料卻遭苦戀淑惠的男子灌醉並帶往飯店。當愛妹心切的淑惠趕到飯店時見男子倒臥血泊，淑清則手握兇刀不省人事……。

《五月十三傷心夜》（1965）為導演原創劇本，內容豐富，有親情有愛情、有歌曲有笑料，緊湊呈現陰錯陽差的親姊妹三角戀和一宗兇殺命案，更記錄大稻埕五月十三迎城隍的盛況，反映時代氣氛，獲得熱烈迴響。雖與前作《錯戀》（1960）同樣聚焦女性，此片對年輕女性心境成長著墨更多，劇中人物內心掙扎在一來一往的交談中如實呈現，姊妹間的衝突，終於在妹妹的成長與祝福下化解，視為台灣成長類型電影中的先驅。

After the death of their mother, Siok-Hui sings in a nightclub to support her younger sister Siok-Tshing, but her immature sister looks down on her occupation. Siok-Tshing then begins working in a pharmaceutical company where she has a crush on her colleague Bun-Pin. But little does she know that Bun-Pin has fallen passionately in love with her sister. It's while attending a special celebration that Siok-Tshing finally finds out the truth. After drowning her sorrows in alcohol, she is forcibly taken to a hotel by a lascivious businessman obsessed with her sister. Siok-Hui rushes to the hotel, where she finds the man lying in a pool of blood…

Considered the forerunner of Taiwan's "coming-of-age" genre, the film is a rich, original story written by LIN Tuan-Chiu. Centering on an accidental love triangle and a murder, the film crafts the two sisters' story with captivating intensity, along with several comic elements, beautiful songs, and a splendid local parade that aroused laughter and tears among local audiences. While focusing on female characters, as in The Husband's Secret (1960), the film also gives weight to a young woman's emotional growth as the conflict between sisters is finally resolved with Siok-Tshing's understanding and blessings.