Onarainynightin1928inaPennsylvaniafactorytowncalledIverstown,MarthaIvers(JanisWilson),thirteenyearsold,istryingtoescapefromtheguardianshipofherwealthy,domineeringaunt.Herfriend,thestreet-smart,poorSamMasterson(DarrylHickman),comesforherthroughherbedroomwindow,butMartha'sauntcatchesthem.WhileSamslipsoutunnoticed,MarthahitsMrs.Iversonthehead,causinghertofalldownthelongstaircaseanddie.ThoughSamsawnothing,theeventwaswitnessedbyWalterO'Neil(MickeyKuhn),thesonofMartha'stutor(RomanBohnen),knownasMr.O'Neil.MarthaliesabouttheincidenttoMr.O'Neil,andWaltersupportsher.[5]　　Mr.O'NeilsuspectswhathappenedbutpresentsMartha'sversionofeventstothepolice,thatanintruderisresponsible;hemakesuseofhisknowledgebyhavinghermarryhisson.Whenthepoliceidentifyaformeremployeeoftheauntasthemurderer,thetwoO'NeilsandMarthahelpconvicthim;heispunishedbyhanging.[5]　　Eighteenyearslater,theolderO'Neilhasdied.Walter(nowplayedbyKirkDouglas)isthedistrictattorney,whileMartha(BarbaraStanwyc