One Sunday Afternoon

Dr. Lucius 'Biff' Grimes is a small-town dentist who feels stuck in his lot. He is married to Amy, yet secretly longs for his former sweetheart Virgie. His restlessness colors his days at the clinic and shadows his imagination.

Years earlier, Grimes lost Virgie Brush Barnstead to Hugo Barnstead. He still mourns that romance as Hugo returns to town with money and influence. The memory fuels Grimes' bitterness and resentment.

Hugo offers Grimes a job at his carriage factory on the condition that he spy on other employees. Grimes is tempted by the money but refuses to act as a snitch. The uneasy bargain foreshadows the strain between them.

Grimes' refusal to snitch leads to a confrontation with a security guard, who is shot in the leg. Hugo blames Grimes for the incident and its fallout. Grimes is fired and the next years are spent paying for that moment.

Grimes serves two years in prison for the earlier trouble. Amy and her mother struggle to survive by doing washing to make ends meet. Amy spends her hard-earned money on a correspondence course in dentistry, lying to Grimes about it.

With Hugo now wealthy, Grimes is consumed with revenge. The past wounds fester as he navigates his quiet life in the present. The tension hints at an inevitable clash with Hugo and Virgie.

Hugo arrives with a dental emergency at Grimes' clinic. Grimes, drinking with his buddy Snappy, begins to treat him with nitrous oxide and oxygen, teetering on the edge of violence. The anesthetic becomes a window into their shared history as the past is revealed.

As the anesthetic deepens, the story of the past is told. Grimes remembers the factory spying job, his refusal to snitch, the firing, and the subsequent two years in prison. The flashback reframes the present moment with old grievances resurfacing.

In the present, Virgie returns as a harridan who dresses and acts provocatively. She seems to complicate Hugo's life and tests Grimes' restraint as he faces the consequences of their past. Her presence further raises the tension in the room.

Grimes turns up the oxygen to save Hugo, then pulls the troublesome tooth to end the danger. Hugo wakes up, unaware of the near-death moment and of Virgie's machinations. The moment marks a balance between mercy and revenge.

Hugo wakes up, oblivious to the near-death moment and to Virgie's flirtation with Grimes. Grimes remains cool and notes there is no charge for the service. The surface civility hides the deep wounds from their shared history.

Amy arrives to check on her husband and gently scolds him for drinking. Grimes sings 'In the Good Old Summer Time' and tells her she is very sweet, renewing his love for her. They share a tender embrace and dance, choosing love over vengeance.