The story of the disappearance of Francis, a beautiful young bank teller missing since her car was found submerged in a river in 1974. She has become the subject of myth and legend, and the town and townspeople have never been the same.
For every missing person, there's a story. Within every story, lies the truth. The Teller and the Truth is the story of Francis Wetherbee, a beautiful, young bank teller who disappeared in 1974 after her car was found submerged in a river. Filmmaker Andrew Shapter (Before the Music Dies, Happiness Is) follows the forty-year-old cold case that sparked the imagination of her hometown of Smithville, Texas, and beyond. Did she drown? Commit suicide? Was she kidnapped? Or is there another answer? Shapter combines a documentary style with a classic narrative interpretation in order to separate myth from truth about Francis. Various theories and conjectures are weighed against the "facts" as they are revealed in old photographs, authentic footage from home movies, and actual Vietnam-era rare (and never before seen) historical footage. As new evidence is discovered, the film transforms into a narrative, as her words-which reveal the truth--come to life. A small-town mystery now becomes a global search for a woman who may still be alive.—Patty Moynahan
What does it take to start your life all over again? The Teller and the Truth uncovers the truth surrounding the disappearance of Francis Wetherbee, a beautiful young bank teller who's been missing since a 1974 bank robbery in Smithville, Texas. Filmmaker Andrew Shapter (Before the Music Dies) reopens the forty year old cold case and discovers new clues that lead to a trip around the world. Shapter combines his narrative interpretation with a biographical documentary that examines the real Francis Wetherbee. Director comment 'The film really starting taking on a life of it's own as I started speaking with the different townspeople, almost as if they'd created a mythology around her disappearance. Without saying too much, I was amazed with how the story ends.'—Anonymous
The film style is reminiscent of a 1930s gangster film. It's also has a look of a documentary. There is also a story told out of sequence for much of the film. The film is based on the director's father's photograph of Frances Wetherbee, who disappeared from a small Texas town the day after the bank where she was employed as a teller was robbed in 1974. The film is part investigation and part drama.—[email protected]
