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WRITTEN BY MATTHEW KEUTER |
SYNOPSIS
Spanning the 40 years between 1910 and 1950, River Ditty tells the tale of eight souls linked by blood, love, violence, poverty and a mighty river. In 1910 Arlo and Sunshine, posing as brother and sister, jump a midnight boxcar fleeing Mr. Dye who owns the brothel where Arlo plays the piano and Sunshine runs the girls. In an attempt to appease the jealous and volatile Mr. Dye, they leave behind all worldly possession and declare themselves born anew. Hope quickly turns to despair when the feisty Sunshine falls sick leaving the gentle Arlo to defend her from the two rail riders who jumped the same boxcar - a violent father/son team of railroad thieves. Delirious with fever, Sunshine pulls a knife on the two thieves, her courage winning the heart of young Harlan - a mountain of a man and the thieving son - who in turn defends her honor from his vicious father. That's where River Ditty begins. Introduce the hard-nosed Sheriff, his son who falls in love with our piano player, a steamer trunk of Mr. Dye's gold, a bloody clawhammer, a shotgun, and Lilly Fair the best earning of the Mr. Dye's girls... and it takes 40 years to sort out.
