The Fugitive Kind

Having been in and out of trouble with the law from his fast living, Valentine Xavier, a drifter and musician who played primarily in New Orleans, decides to turn over a new leaf when he reaches Two Rivers County in the American deep south. With the help of the sheriff's wife Vee Talbot, Xavier is able to get a job as a clerk at Torrance Mercantile in Vee knowing that Jabe Torrance will soon be coming home from the Memphis hospital, and will likely never be able to get out of bed in the apartment above the store on his own, leaving his wife, Lady Torrance, to run the store by herself. Xavier, in his trademark snakeskin jacket, exudes a masculine sexuality, which increases business at the store by all the admiring young women of the county now frequenting it. Who lets him know in no uncertain terms that she is interested is party girl Carol Cutrere, whose fast ways has had her banned from Two Rivers, period, plus a number of other businesses outside of the county line. The one female in the county openly stating that she is not interested is Lady, despite not loving or ever having loved hard and violent Jabe, she putting any past infidelity in search of happiness behind her. The interactions between Xavier and Lady lead to them once again striving for happiness in their lives, which is interrupted by many of the men, including Sheriff Jordan Talbot, looking out for Jabe's interests, they who, as a collective, have an equally violent outlook as the answer to life's problems.