Haven D. Allridge (Walter Pidgeon) is a newspaper editor. His family is well respected and his son-in-law Randy Stauton is the county prosecutor. One night, he is pulled over by a corrupt cop and sentenced in a kangaroo court. It's a shakedown of various travelers who have the misfortune of passing through the county. While Randy advises him to let it go, Haven is not about to let any of it go. State attorney Chick Johnson takes an interest but when he arrives in town, he finds that all the opposition had shut down.
The kangaroo court is a great scene. It might add some spice if it could add a black defendant. It's an interesting story although the split timeline has some issues. There is a lack of visual differentiation between Allridge's timeline and Johnson's timeline. I'm not sure there is an easy way to do it in a black and white movie. The movie starts out really strong and I'm solidly behind Allridge as the lead character. I wonder if staying only with him as the lead would be a better choice.
The kangaroo court is a great scene. It might add some spice if it could add a black defendant. It's an interesting story although the split timeline has some issues. There is a lack of visual differentiation between Allridge's timeline and Johnson's timeline. I'm not sure there is an easy way to do it in a black and white movie. The movie starts out really strong and I'm solidly behind Allridge as the lead character. I wonder if staying only with him as the lead would be a better choice.