The Notorious Mr. Monks

In Central California, hitchhiker Dan Flynn comes across drunken Ben Monks, passed out at the wheel of his parked car. While Dan is combing through Ben's wallet to locate his address, Chip Klamp drives by and, after accusing Dan of planning to rob Ben, proclaims that Ben is "a bad man" and drives away. Dan drives Ben home, where Ben's wife Angela invites him in. Angie, who married the much older Ben because he promised her there was millions of dollars worth of oil on his farm, has grown weary of his alcoholism and abusiveness. Attracted to Dan, she offers him a job on the farm, and with no other prospects, he accepts. In the morning, Ben gruffly negotiates a low wage for Dan, and over the next days pushes him to work long hours. One night, after Angie informs Dan about the oil, he is about to kiss her when Ben drives up. Two weeks go by during which Dan chafes under Ben's ill-treatment. One afternoon, upon seeing Ben whipping his overburdened horse, Dan tries to intercede and when Ben snaps the whip on Dan's back, Dan punches him. Back at the house, Angie defends Ben as a sad old man, after which Dan lashes out at her. When he apologizes, she begs him to stay. Later, Chip, who used to date Angie, informs her that he has had his neighboring land surveyed and discovered there is no oil, then tells Ben that Angie is having an affair with Dan. A drunken Ben drives home without realizing that young runaway Gilda Hadley is hiding in his back seat. At the farm, when Ben accuses Angie of cheating, she retorts that he lied about the oil and calls him old, prompting him to hit her, after which he pleads with her not to leave him. Ben retreats to the barn, where he finds Gilda and agrees to hide her in the loft. Just then, Dan arrives with the veterinarian, hoping to save Ben's ailing horse, but they are too late. Ben throws a bottle at Dan, who attacks him, but their fight is cut short by the entrance of the sheriff, who is searching for Gilda. Despite the sheriff's offer to share the reward offered by her wealthy father, Ben declares that he has not seen the girl. Meanwhile, Angie visits Dan as he packs to leave. Assuming she told Ben that they were lovers, Dan rejects her advances, then returns to the barn to demand his pay from Ben. Finding Ben on the ground, Dan assumes he is passed out and takes his car, not knowing that Gilda is again hiding in it. On the road, Gilda tells Dan that she is running away from her boyfriend, and that she dropped her locket in the