Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) walks into Walton, California when he is ejected from a cross-country bus when he can't come up with the fare. Stanton is a down-and-out press agent with a baggage full of cynicism. When he wanders into a local diner he meets Stella (Linda Darnell), a god-digger waitress who has come back from some bust up with a bad boyfriend. Stanton manages to talk his way into promoting Professor Madley (John Carradine), a performing mentalist who is scheduled to perform a show in town in the upcoming days. When Stanton gets involved in promoting Madley, he meets June Mills (Alice Faye), a wealthy, cultured young woman who lives with her older sister. Stanton is intrigued by the raw sexual appeal of Stella but is also drawn to the homey nature of June and he stays in town neglecting the offer from Professor Madley to travel with him as his show promoter. When Stanton makes a play for Stella she makes it clear that he must offer her marriage and a good life before she'll open up to him. June is also interested but her appeal from the start is far more substantial as a spiritual bond that also includes marriage. Stanton tells Stella that he'll marry June, get her money and come back, so he and Stella can go away together. Stanton and June marry much to the dismay of June's sister. When on their wedding night Stanton runs off to a liaison with Stella, she rebuffs him, and he returns to June patiently waiting to take him back. Mark Judd (Charles Bickford), a retired cop from New York, settled in Walton appears the next morning to question Stanton about Stella, as she was murdered the night before, shortly after Stanton had seen her. After brutally interogating Dave Atkins (Bruce Cabot), one of Stella's regular boyfriends, Judd focuses his attention on Stanton as the murderer. Stanton leaves town for San Francisco with June by his side. As they hole up in a cheap hotel, June and Stanton are finally able to find common ground, and Stanton understands how and why he must change his ways. June is picked up by police and returned to Walton, and is charged with Stella's murder. When Stanton returns to Walton he confronts Judd with new evidence to free June and point to the real murderer.
What town does Eric Stanton walk into?
Walton, California