Dangerous Years

The God-fearing residents of Middleton worry that the Gopher Hole will corrupt their teenagers. Jeff Carter, a local teacher who runs a youth club, decides to investigate the roadhouse to determine whether the fears are justified. He begins to observe how the place shapes local youths and the rumors that surround it.

Jeff confronts the group during a planned robbery and is shot and killed by Danny Jones. The other boys flee in fear, while Willy Miller drives the getaway truck. The fatal shot transforms a street crime into a murder case that will haunt the town.

The boys slip away in Willy's father's delivery truck and hide at the Gopher Hole, joining a card game and acting as if they'd been there all night. A witness identifies the truck at the warehouse, linking them to the crime. The incident shifts from a robbery to an in-depth investigation and arrest.

Police arrest the boys at the Gopher Hole, with Danny as the only one not underage. They are charged with murder, abruptly turning a nighttime pastime into a courtroom drama. The town begins to brace for a public trial.

District Attorney Edgar Burns lays out the charges against Danny in court, arguing that Danny had planned to kill Jeff. He frames Danny as the center of the night’s criminal activity and questions his influence over the younger boys. The courtroom atmosphere grows tense as the trial gets underway.

Leo Emerson testifies that Danny encouraged the others to visit the Gopher Hole and led them into gambling and robberies. He describes Danny’s manipulative behavior and the fear it generated among the group. The confrontation begins to paint Danny as the mastermind behind the night’s deeds.

Danny refuses Jeff's offer to join the youth club and even threatens to punch him for interfering. Willy Miller confesses to taking the truck and acting as lookout, revealing that his father physically abuses him. The testimony deepens the case by showing Danny’s intimidation and the harsh family dynamics surrounding the boys.

Doris, a neglected teenage girl, tries to lie on the stand to shield Danny but breaks down under Burns's questioning. The emotional moment underscores the personal costs of the alleged gang influence. The jury sees the pressure each teen faces within the case.

Connie admits to having been close friends with Danny ten years earlier at an orphanage, shocking Burns. Burns explains that he did not realize he had a daughter due to his broken marriage and the wife’s disappearance. The revelation begins to blur the lines between personal histories and the case’s facts.

Miss Templeton, the orphanage proprietor, arrives and reveals that Danny is actually Burns’s biological son and that she had falsified records to pass Connie as Burns’s child in order to protect Connie. She contemplates telling Burns, but is hesitant because of the lies that protected Connie. The revelation compounds the courtroom tension as the truth edges closer to the surface.

As Danny publicly admits to shooting Jeff, Miss Templeton tries to tell the truth but dies on the stand before she can testify. The dramatic moment seals Danny’s fate and shifts the focus from family secrets to the verdict. The courtroom reels from the sudden loss and the burden of hidden histories.

Danny is convicted of Jeff’s murder and receives a life sentence, with the possibility of parole for good behavior. He is reminded that a life sentence can end early, and Burns and Connie vow to support him. The ending emphasizes the complexities of guilt, mercy, and family connections.