Starring Leon Weaver, Frank Weaver, June Weaver, Roy Rogers, Spring

Byington, Pauline Moore, Veda Ann Borg

Directed by Frank McDonald



Print: black/white

Runtime: 71 min.

Genre: musical

Print Quality: B



Peaceful Valley town-founder, Judge Abner Weaver is distressed when

the townspeople begin gossiping and "bearing false witness'" against

Mary Shoemaker , the community handy-woman, who is charged with

having stolen fifty dollars from Widow Smithers , and he and his wife

Elviry and brother Cicero stoutly defend Mary. The theft becomes a

matter of community interest when a rumor is circulated that Hettie

Huston , daughter of the local banker, August Houston, has stolen the

money in order to buy an expensive evening gown with which to dazzle

Tom Martel, a young lawyer whose legal education was sponsored by

Judge Weaver, whose daughter Margaret is also in love with Tom, and

the young lawyer is torn between the sophisticated attractions of Hettie

and the simple charm of Margaret. In order to save his daughter's

reputation, August Houston is eager to have Mary Shoemaker's guilt

established and to induce her to quietly leave town. Judge Weaver (not

on the bench)defends her so heatedly that Huston institutes a

slander-suit against his old friend, charging him with having damaged

Hettie's reputation. Margaret feels that inasmuch as her father has

financed Tom's legal education, it is his duty to defend her father. But

Tom is smitten with Hettie and proposes to her, and refuses to side

against her in the trial. As the trial proceeds, it becomes apparent that all

the witnesses are testifying against Judge Weaver because Huston and

his bank hold notes and mortgages on their homes and businesses. Tom

can stand it no longer and determines to defend the Judge, even though

it may mean breaking his engagement to Hettie, no matter how smitten he

may be. When it is suggested that Judge Weaver started the rumor

against Hettie because his daughter was in love with Tom and jealous of

Hettie, Tom puts Margaret on the stand and asks her to refute the

statement. Margaret cannot swear, under oath, that she doesn't love Tom;

and, as a result of her admission of love, the case is lost. But Huston

magnanimously declines to accept from Judge Weaver the judgment the

court has awarded him, on condition that Mary Shoemaker be sent out of

town. Judge Weaver, knowing that Mary was not the one who stole the

money, declines the offer. Meanwhile, a group of the town's riff-raff

decide to take matter in their own hands and set fire to Mary's House.

BUT, Mary is inside the house.