The Farmer’s Daughter(1947)

Katie Holstrom (Loretta Young) leaves the family farm and heads to Capitol City to start nursing school.  She is swindled out of her money and has to spend the night in a seedy motel, then hitchhike to the city.  With no money, she takes a job as a maid in the house of Congressman Morley (Joseph Cotten).  Morley’s wealthy mother (Ethel Barrymore) is the real power broker in the political party.  The mother is a strong willed, dominating woman.  Katie and Morley clearly are interested in each other but, due to their social positions, nothing happens between them.

Another congressman dies, and the party selects Finley to run.  At a Finley rally, Katie confronts him about steering money to his friends, and opposing the needs of the working people.  She is such a sensation, that the opposition party asks her to be their candidate.  She leaves working for the Morley’s to run for office.  She appears poised to win in an upset.

The swindler who took her money in the beginning shows up, claiming that Katie is a “woman of ill repute” who spent a night in the seedy hotel with him.  Katie returns home to the farm.  Morley follows her to the farm, where they profess their love.  Katie’s father is angry she is quitting the race.  The father demands she fight for the truth.  Meanwhile, Morley’s mother has tricked Finley into revealing that he paid off the swindler to lie. Furthermore, Finley reveals that he is a member of the KKK.  When this is comes out, Finley’s political career is ruined.

Katie and Morley head to Congress as husband and wife.