Michael Curtiz - Flamingo Road (1949)

In Boldon, the corrupt Sheriff Titus Semple rules the town and elects whoever he wants with the support of the powerful group led by the constructor Dan Reynolds. Now he wants to elect his deputy Fielding Carlisle, who is the son of a former judge, to the Senate. When a carnival is forced to leave Boldon, the dancer Lane Bellamy has no place to go and stays in a tent. Titus sends Fielding to the carnival and he helps Lane to find a job as waitress in a diner and a place to stay. They have a romantic relationship, but Titus sees Lane as a liability to the political career of his protege. So he forces her boss to fire Lane; he does not let Lane get a job; and he frames Lane to send her to prison. When she is released, she finds a job working for Lute Mae Sanders in her roadhouse. She meets Dan and soon they get married and move to the fancy Flamingo Road. But the ambitious Titus has different political plans from Dan and his group and wants to elect Fielding as Governor. Dan refuses the request and Titus uses blackmail to force Dan and his group to support Fielding. Dan does not accept and Titus decides to destroy Dan and Lane. Will he succeed?