The Sellout (1952)

In the heartland of St. Howard, Haven D. Allridge presides over the News-Intelligencer, a newspaper that has witnessed the growth of the town and its people, including his own family. His daughter, Peggy, her husband Randy – the county prosecutor – and their child reside in the neighboring Bridgewood County. An otherwise ordinary day takes a drastic turn when Haven, while picking up an acquaintance, Wilfred Jackson, accidentally bumps into a county sign. This minor misstep plunges him and Wilfred into the corrupt world of Sheriff K.C. Burke. Thrown into jail overnight and subjected to brutal treatment by fellow inmates, Haven and Wilfred experience the harsh reality of Burke's tyranny. Wilfred, penniless and charged with soliciting rides, is dispatched to a labor camp pending trial, while Haven is slapped with a $68 fine for minor offences, a penalty only lessened upon Burke learning of Haven's relationship with Randy. This encounter sparks Haven's crusade against Burke's corruption, with the News-Intelligencer becoming the platform for the people's unheard stories. Haven meticulously builds an extensive dossier of corruption rampant in Bridgewood County. However, Burke retaliates with his own underhanded tactics, targeting Haven and his newspaper. Word of this corruption seeps into the state's attorney general's office, prompting Charles 'Chick' Johnson to spearhead the case against Burke. This case is to be Chick's swansong in public prosecution before he transitions to a lucrative private law career. However, upon arrival in St. Howard, Chick is met with a wall of silence. The once vocal townsfolk refuse to talk, and Haven has mysteriously halted his campaign against Burke. Chick uncovers a secret meeting between Haven, Burke, and Burke's legal powerhouse Nelson S. Tarsson, which coincides with Haven's sudden silence and the vanishing of his corruption files. With Haven's testimony crucial for the case, Chick must unravel the mystery of the secret meeting and reignite Haven's fight for justice against Burke and Tarsson – a task that proves far from straightforward.

The Sellout is a crime movie featuring Walter Pidgeon and directed by Gerald Mayer.

The Sellout is currently streaming on DIRECTV.