Once one of the most prominent families in this western town, the Washoe Smith family has sunk into degradation since Washoe's (Guy Kibbee) wife died. He is now a hopeless alcoholic and as a result, broke from drinking up his estate. When the town pays his bills and throws him and daughter Anne Shirley out (turning the house into the new school), they are forced to move into his old cabin, but town do-gooder's (aka busybody's) try to take her in to get her away from him, even against her will.
As much of a drunk as Kibbee is, it is obvious that he needs constant care and daughter Shirley is more than willing to provide it. New schoolmaster John Beal shows up and Shirley is immediately entranced by him, but the gossips and bullies are not having it. The mayor and his wife and spoiled daughter (basically a variation of the Olsens from "Little House on the Prairie" and a not so comic version of the mayor and his family in "The Music Man") create all sorts of gossip surrounding Beal and Shirley, and when tragedy strikes for poor Anne, it's up to her to set things right with the help of guardian Douglas Dumbrille and saloon hostess Esther Howard who provide the type of strength that she needs since Beal seems unwilling to fight, even in defending himself.
It's a rather strange, maudlin melodrama, previously filmed in the silent era, and rather old fashioned in pre-World War II, post-depression era stylings. There were all sorts of slice of life dramas still being made during this time, but outside of this and "Way Down East", they didn't seem as if they would have starred Lillian Gish or Mary Pickford two decades before. Shirley seems to be playing a variation of the same character she'd been playing since "Anne of Green Gables", so the role seems no challenge for her (the same type of part that had failed with Katharine Hepburn at RKO with "The Little Minister" and "Spitfire"), but Kibbee is excellent as the lovable but tragic father.
It's nice to see Douglas Dumbrille playing a non-villain for a change, although in a few scenes, that becomes questionable. As usual, Kathleen Howard (a sadly forgotten character actress) makes the most of her blowzy character, a salt of the earth with a salty tongue that Marjorie Main would later become famous for. Beal's rather a bland leading man, so he's quickly passed over in getting any attention, but the supporting cast is filled with some delightful character actors, some of the characters quite hissable. The Nellie Olsen like brat is none other than Barbara Pepper who would go on to play the original Mrs. Ziffle on "Green Acres". It's surprises like that which prevents this from becoming totally forgettable.
