Home Town Story

Home Town Story is a 1951 American drama film written and directed by Arthur Pierson and starring Jeffrey Lynn, Donald Crisp, Marjorie Reynolds, Marilyn Monroe and Alan Hale Jr.

Plot

Defeated politician Blake Washburn becomes the editor of a small-town newspaper in an effort to promote his reelection. His campaign is intended as a continuing exposé of the evils of large industry, and his strategy is to publish daily screeds against enormous corporate profits that enrich shareholders.
On a school outing to an abandoned mine, Washburn's younger sister is trapped in the collapse of a mine tunnel caused by a disgruntled employee's negligence, and the town's businesses come to her rescue. The sister is rescued, prompting Washburn to experience a change of heart and recognize that large corporations are necessary because "it takes bigness to do big things".

Reception

Critic Mildred Martin of The Philadelphia Inquirer called Home Town Story "a pleasant if suspiciously starry-eyed film".
According to MGM records, the film grossed $243,000 in the United States and Canada and $91,000 elsewhere, returning a profit of $195,000.