Plot
Miss Carol (Diana Durrell) is an idealistic teacher in a remote one-room schoolhouse. A native of the Ozarks herself, she is determined to stop the practice of child marriage, in which older men marry teen or preteen girls. Her campaign raises the ire of some local men, led by Jake Bolby, who drag her into the woods one night with the intention of tarring and feathering her. Before they can do this, however, Angelo the dwarf and Mr. Colton arrive with a shotgun to save the day.
Following this, Jake Bolby comes across young Jennie Colton swimming naked. When her father dies, Bolby decides to take advantage of the opportunity to blackmail her mother into letting him marry the girl, threatening that otherwise he will see her hanged for murder. After he "courts" Jennie by giving her a doll, the two are married. It later turns out that this ceremony was illegal, as child marriage had been banned several days prior, but this point quickly becomes moot. Before Bolby can consummate the union, he is gunned down by Angelo. Jennie leaves his house with Freddie, and the movie ends.
Read more about this topic: Child Bride
Famous quotes containing the word plot:
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—John Ashbery (b. 1927)