Arkansas Judge (1941) w/ Roy Rogers

At a celebration in Peaceful Valley, Arkansas, Judge Abner Weaver states that he founded the town forty years ago to establish a community where the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," would reign supreme. Joining the party is Tom Martel, Abner's foster son, who has just returned from law school. Tom is the focus of a rivalry between Abner's daughter Margaret and town banker August Huston's daughter Hettie, who sees Tom as her ticket out of the small town. Hettie arrives wearing an expensive gown and succeeds in attracting Tom's attention, but the festivities are interrupted by the Widow Smithers, who announces that fifty dollars has been stolen from her flour barrel and accuses Mary Shoemaker, a hard-working scrubwoman who does odd jobs for everyone. Abner warns everyone not to speculate when there is no evidence, while Huston worries about how Hettie got the money for her gown. The next day, Abner's brother Cicero tells Elviry, Abner's wife, that he saw Hettie sneaking out of the widow's house before the party. Soon a rumor that Hettie stole the money sets neighbor against neighbor as everyone takes sides. Cast Roy Rogers as Tom Martel Veda Ann Borg as Hettie Huston Spring Byington as Mary Shoemaker Pauline Moore as Margaret Weaver Leon Weaver as Judge Abner Weaver Frank Weaver as Cicero Weaver June Weaver as Elviry Weaver Eily Malyon as Widow Smithers Minerva Urecal as Miranda Frank M. Thomas as August Huston Minerva Urecal as Miranda Wolfson