SYNOPSIS

Billy Bigelow (GORDON Mac-RAE) is questioned in heaven by the starkeeper (GENE LOCKHART) about what he did on earth.

His story begins one night in an amusement park in a small Maine town in the year 1900. Billy is the barker for Mrs. Mullin's (AUDREY CHRIS-TIE) carousel and is the special attraction of two factory girls, Julie Jordan (SHIRLEY JONES) and Carrie Pipperidge (BARBARA RUICK). Julie is mesmerized by Billy's breezy personality and when Mrs. Mullin accuses Julie of fooling with Billy, he quits his job.

Billy leaves the girls for a drink and Carrie, mystified by Julie's actions, takes the opportunity to confide her secret that she is plighted to Mr. Snow (ROBERT ROUNSEVILLE), a herring fisherman.

When Billy returns to the girls, they are warned by Mr. Bascomb, Julie's boss who happens along, and the town police-man, that Billy has a record of bedazzling girls and taking their money. Julie disregards their admonition.

Julie and Billy, missing for days, turn up at Nettie Fowler's (CLARAMAE TURNER) restaurant on the pier where fishermen gather to announce that they have been married.

Two months later Billy is talking with his unsavory friend, Jigger (CAMERON MITCHELL). They plot to rob Mr. Bascomb of the mill's payroll, using a clambake at Nettie's as their alibi. Billy wavers when he learns at the festivity that Julie is to have a baby, but, not wanting to be labeled a coward, he slips off with Jigger.

While waiting for the mill owner, Jigger wins. Billy's share in the prospective loot. When Billy and Jigger attack Bascomb, he whirls, disarms Jigger, draws a pistol and calls for help. Jigger breaks and runs. Bascomb orders a policeman to follow while he covers Billy. Billy, too, makes a break and as he leaps to the roof of a shed, he slips and falls backward on his own knife.

Julie, returning from the clambake, comes on the scene and rushes to Billy just as he dies. Helplessly, she turns to Nettie.

The scene returns to heaven and Billy is allowed to look down, where he sees his daughter Louise (SUSAN LUCKEY) being snubbed because of his misdeeds. Billy is permitted to visit her, becoming visible as he chooses. He consoles her and gives her a star just as Julie comes in to take her to the high school exercises. Julie. sees the star and ponders it.

At the graduation, the invis-ible Billy whispers to Louise to believe the speaker when he tells the graduates that they cannot lean on their parents' success, nor be hampered by their parents' failures. Louisa's young face lights up and Julie is caught happily in the contagion of her joy. Billy, still invisible, walks off with the Heavenly Friend—his job done.