A Family trials and tribulations in '20s Oklahoma. Preston gives a poignant portrayal of a husband who chooses the warmth of another woman over his cold wife and familial duties. He tries to compensate for his own lack of self-esteem by cheating on his patient wife (Dorothy McGuire).Preston's "other woman" is played by Angela Lansbury. His daughter falls in love with a Jewish boy who commits suicide due to anti-Semitic pressure. Meanwhile, young Sonny must come to terms with the evil he imagines to exist in the dark at the top of the stairs. An emotional but wonderful movie and very well performed by Dorothy McGuire,Angela Lansbury and Robert Preston.