Judge Priest **** (1934, Will Rogers, Tom Brown, Anita Louise, Henry B Walthall, David Landau) – Classic Movie Review 10,126

Director John Ford’s 1934 film Judge Priest stars Will Rogers as 1890s widowed small-town Kentucky Judge Priest, a proud Confederate veteran, who engages his laid-back common-sense and humanity to dispense justice generally, and in particular steers the course of true justice in a tricky court case when Bob Gillis (David Landau) is accused of a murderous attack.

This seemingly mild-mannered and cosy but extremely warm and engaging comedy drama is written by Dudley Nichols and Lamar Trotti, based on the character of Judge Priest from the stories by Irvin S Cobb.

Judge Priest is an inspired effort from director Ford, with the liveliest of turns from an ideally cast Rogers and Henry B Walthall as the kindly reverend gentleman, the Rev Ashby Brand, who helps out the accused. Ford directs lovingly and most tellingly.

The characters returned in Ford’s The Sun Shines Bright (1953).

Hattie McDaniel plays Aunt Dilsey.

Also in the cast are Tom Brown as Jerome Priest, Anita Louise as Ellie May Gillespie, Rochelle Hudson as Virginia Maydew, Berton Churchill as Senator Horace Maydew, Hattie McDaniel as Aunt Dilsey, Stepin Fetchit, Charley Grapewin, Brenda Fowler, Frank Melton, Roger Imhof, Francis Ford, Paul McAllister, Matt McHugh, Hyman Meyer, Ernest Shields, Paul McVey, Frank Morna and Robert Parrish.

Judge Priest is directed by John Ford, runs 80 minutes, is made by Fox Film Corporation, is released by Fox Film, is written by Dudley Nichols and Lamar Trotti, based on the stories by Irvin S Cobb, is shot in black and white by George Schneiderman, is produced by Sol M Wurtzel, is scored by Samuel S Kaylin, with production designs by William S Darling.

Fox wanted to say on screen ‘Based on the Judge Priest Stories by Irvin S Cobb’ but Cobb who was still writing his stories and thought the statement might harm future sales, so Fox had to say ‘Based on Irvin S Cobb’s character of Judge Priest’.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,126

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