▁Gl oria ▁Dick son , ▁Edward ▁Nor ris , ▁and ▁L ana ▁Turner , ▁in ▁her ▁feature ▁debut . ▁It ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁novel ▁by ▁Ward ▁Gre ene ▁called ▁Death ▁in ▁the ▁Deep ▁ ▁South , ▁which ▁was ▁in ▁turn ▁a ▁fict ional ized ▁account ▁of ▁a ▁real - life ▁case : ▁the ▁trial ▁and ▁subsequent ▁l yn ch ing ▁of ▁Leo ▁Frank ▁after ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁Mary ▁Ph agan ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁ ▁Plot ▁A ▁southern ▁town ▁is ▁rock ed ▁by ▁sc andal ▁when ▁te en ager ▁Mary ▁Clay ▁is ▁murder ed ▁on ▁Confeder ate ▁Memorial ▁Day . ▁ ▁A ▁district ▁att orney ▁with ▁political ▁amb itions , ▁Andrew ▁Griff in , ▁sees ▁the ▁crime ▁as ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁if ▁he ▁can ▁find ▁the ▁right ▁sc ap ego at ▁to ▁be ▁tried ▁for ▁the ▁crime . ▁He ▁see ks ▁out ▁Robert ▁H ale , ▁Mary ' s ▁teacher ▁at ▁the ▁business ▁school ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁killed . ▁Even ▁though ▁all ▁evidence ▁against ▁H ale ▁is ▁circumst ant ial , ▁H ale ▁happens ▁to ▁be ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁( Le o ▁Frank ▁was ▁a ▁Sou ther ner ▁from ▁Texas , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁Jewish ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁raised ▁in ▁New ▁York ), ▁and ▁Griff in ▁works ▁with ▁rep orter ▁William ▁Bro ck ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁media ▁f ren zy ▁of ▁pre jud ice ▁and ▁hat red ▁against ▁the ▁teacher . ▁The ▁issue ▁moves ▁from ▁innoc ence ▁or ▁gu ilt ▁to ▁the ▁continu ing ▁big ot ry