The Great Commandment

The Christman family, on their way to Broadway, move into the small town of Apple Valley as Paul Christman hasn’t yet finished his book about the love of God. Horace Appletree, mayor of Apple Valley, and religious leader and son, high priest of Town Church, run the town. The mayor is determined to have Paul and family join his church. Paul, willing to go along, attends one time, but not again. When Mayor Appletree realizes Paul is winning the townsfolk over, he decides to hire a harlot to seduce Paul then run him out of town. Paul doesn’t fall for that little trick. Ruth, Paul’s wife, sees through the mayor’s scheming ways from the beginning. Meanwhile, Rebecca, the Christmans’ daughter, becomes involved with Tremain, leader of a street gang. Paul fails to keep them apart. As they ride with him on his motorcycle, they have an accident and Rebecca is killed. After the funeral, as the Christmans return home, they find a note on their door from the mayor threatening to evict them for failure to pay their rent. They quickly send a check. When the mayor receives it, he starts to burn it and throws it in the wastebasket, pretending the post office lost it. The maid, when cleaning, finds the check smoldering and puts it out, then returns it to Paul. When the mayor comes for the rent money, Paul hands him the partly burnt check. The mayor is speechless. With the ups and downs in Apple Valley, Paul finishes his book. And with help from Jacob Stein, a New York producer, the Christmans are able to get the message of God’s love to Broadway Paul Christman and family are on their way to Broadway, New York, as Paul continues to write his book about the love of God that he is taking there to share with the world. Along the way, they make a stopover in the quaint village of Apple Valley to live, where Mayor Horace Appletree rules with an iron fist. He and Paul, not seeing eye to eye, often confront each other about religion and belief. Due to their strong differences, the mayor insists the Christmans become members of Town Church, where his son, Clarence, is high priest. Because they refuse to join, the mayor concocts several evil schemes to force them out of town. However, they manage to go through all these trials and tribulations as Paul finally completes his book. Now they pray for a miracle, which comes by way of a phone call from Jacob Stein, a friend and well-known producer, inviting them to come to New York. At last, the Christmans can joyfully take the message of God’s love to Broadway and the world.