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6.5/10 • 41

1953-05-021h 42m

ComedyDrama

JUDGE BILLY PRIEST...the only man who ever called Mallie Crump a Lady

With the election approaching, a judge in a Southern town at the turn of the 20th century is involved variously in revealing the real identity of a young woman, reliving his Civil War memories, and preventing the lynching of an African youth.

Directors
John Ford
Editors
Jack Murray

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Charles Winninger

    Charles Winninger

    William Pittman Priest

  2. Arleen Whelan

    Arleen Whelan

    Lucy Lee Lake

  3. John Russell

    John Russell

    Ashby Corwin

  4. Stepin Fetchit

    Stepin Fetchit

    Jeff Poindexter

  5. Russell Simpson

    Russell Simpson

    Lewt Lake

  6. Ludwig Stössel

    Ludwig Stössel

    Herman Felsburg

  7. Francis Ford

    Francis Ford

    Feeney

  8. Paul Hurst

    Paul Hurst

    Jimmy Bagby

  9. Mitchell Lewis

    Mitchell Lewis

    Andy Redcliffe

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jan 5, 2025

7/10

"Priest" (Charles Winninger) is a Kentucky judge who is coming up for re-election and it's going to be a tough challenge. The town is divided roughly along the lines of an old Civil war mentality, congenially enough amongst the white folks but still consigning the black population to their traditional societal sub-strata. The judge's chances of winning become distinctly precarious when he intervenes in one case where a lawless bunch are apt to lynch a young man for an alleged crime against a white girl. Their evidence seems predicated solely on the racket caused by their bloodhounds and this is a man of principal who requires the rule of law to be upheld. His beliefs cause him yet further problems as a tragedy befalls the community that causes him, yet again, to take a stance that isn't going to win him many supporters either. Along the way, we delve a little into the history of the townsfolk during the war and the whole thing is underpinned with a geniality that Winninger delivers well. It emphasises the value of community, but only when community values and enforces it's own standards. Shame and, to a degree, contrition, are used quite successfully here to illustrate those points - but it's all presented in a light-hearted fashion. Can he win the vote, though?

Media

  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster
  • The Sun Shines Bright poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
dancingsmall townjudgekentuckyelectionyankee