“All that Glistens”
Nineteenth century; San Mirage, West Coast USA.
The Gold Rush has dried up. JESS is hired as an odd job man at the local school. At the school, JESS notices BILLY getting into fights and then his sister MOLLY being picked on. MOLLY asks JESS if he can come and fix some broken slats on her porch and he agrees.
JESS is shocked by the dilapidated state of MOLLY and BILLY’s house. After his second visit, JESS realises that MOLLY and BILLY are permanently living alone. JESS confronts MOLLY on the subject.
MOLLY explains that the family was happy. PA had ambitions to move to a bigger house with the gold he expected to find but then MOTHER died and PA, heavily in debt, changed. He turned to drink and became depressed. After a drinking binge, MOLLY told PA to leave. This all occurred 6 weeks ago.
BILLY and MOLLY tell JESS that they are afraid to speak of their mother’s death and father’s disappearance, for fear of being separated and taken away to an orphanage. JESS warns the two children to stay out of trouble while he comes up with a solution. JESS takes a photo of PA away with him.At school, BILLY injures a larger boy after the boy scoffs about PA. The TEACHER calls in the SHERIFF who questions BILLY at his office. BILLY manages to escape.
Meanwhile, JESS finds PA in a bar in a neighbouring town, Blind Man’s Creek. JESS tells PA that his children will be taken away to the orphanage unless he returns. PA is low on confidence, believing himself no good to his children without a job or money. JESS persuades PA to meet with MOLLY. Back at the house, the SHERIFF has followed BILLY following his dash from the office. Taken by surprise on the porch, the SHERIFF is jabbed hard in the back by BILLY. Believing that he is being held at gunpoint, the SHERIFF raises his hands.
A crowd gathers outside the house for the drama. MOLLY manages to escape from the house and informs JESS as to what is happening. MOLLY goes to meet PA at a saloon in town, as JESS had previously arranged. MOLLY pleads with PA to come home. After some cajoling, he agrees.
At the house the SHERIFF manages to wrestle ‘the gun’ from BILLY, only to find that it is in fact a broom. The orphanage driver is on hand to collect Billy when PA and MOLLY arrive on a buckboard. BILLY runs to his father’s arms.
The SHERIFF talks to PA and the children. PA promises to give up the drink. The SHERIFF explains to the crowd about the loss of the mother. The town, on the eve of Thanksgiving, forgive BILLY for his actions. JESS moves on in his travels and PA takes his job as an odd jobs man.
