▁Tom ▁Douglas . ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁" The ▁C yn ic ▁Effect ," ▁a ▁short ▁story ▁by ▁N al bro ▁Bart ley . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁J ol anda , ▁a ▁young ▁fla pper , ▁goes ▁to ▁great ▁lengths ▁to ▁secure ▁her ▁relationship ▁with ▁Nathan iel ▁H ugg ins , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁town ' s ▁ph arm ac ist . ▁However , ▁Ez ra ▁H ugg ins , ▁the ▁father , ▁doesn ' t ▁appro ve ▁of ▁the ▁relationship . ▁To ▁her ▁luck , ▁J ol anda ▁happens ▁to ▁over he ar ▁a ▁conversation ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁finds ▁out ▁that ▁Ez ra ▁is ▁il leg ally ▁producing ▁alco hol ▁in ▁his ▁bar n . ▁J ol anda ▁uses ▁this ▁to ▁black mail ▁the ▁him , ▁gain ing ▁his ▁consent ▁for ▁her ▁to ▁be ▁with ▁his ▁son . ▁To ▁get ▁rid ▁of ▁J ol anda ' s ▁power , ▁Ez ra ▁burn s ▁his ▁bar n ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁evidence ▁that ▁J ol anda ▁has ▁against ▁him . ▁J ol anda ▁gets ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁fire ▁and ▁is ▁res cu ed ▁by ▁Lem u ell ▁Phil pot ts , ▁the ▁bash ful ▁boy ▁who ▁has ▁loved ▁her ▁the ▁whole ▁time . ▁She ▁ultimately ▁los es ▁Nathan iel ▁to ▁her ▁enemy , ▁Mar guer ite ; ▁however , ▁she ▁ends ▁up ▁with ▁Nathan iel , ▁who ▁truly ▁car es ▁for ▁her . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Time ▁magazine ▁was ▁r uth less ▁with ▁its ▁review : ▁" In cludes ▁in ▁its