Give Me Liberty (1936)

Patrick Henry's rousing speech before the Virginia legislature argues for colonial independence.

Director:

B. Reeves Eason

Writer:

Forrest Barnes (story)

Stars:

John Litel, Nedda Harrigan, Carlyle Moore Jr.

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Litel	...	Patrick Henry
Nedda Harrigan	...	Doxie Henry
Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Capt. Milton
Robert Warwick	...	George Washington
George Irving	...	Thomas Jefferson
Boyd Irwin	...	British Commissioner
Gordon Hart	...	Anti-Rebel Delegate Speaker
Myrtle Stedman	...	Martha Washington
Shirley Lloyd	...	Party Guest Giving Patrick a Violin
Ted Osborne	...	Randolph Peyton (as Theodore Osborne)

Storyline

George Washington tries to encourage gifted orator Patrick Henry to use his considerable powers to argue the case for colonial independence before the Virginia House of Burgesses, but the lawmaker's promise to his wife initially deters him. When the political climate changes, she eventually gives her consent, and Henry delivers his rousing "Give Me Liberty" speech to an enthusiastic legislature.

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Plot Keywords:

patrick henry | virginia | speech | george washington | promise | 

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Genres:

Short | Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1936 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vitaphone Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vitaphone production reels #7766-7767.

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Goofs

The guests at General Washington's house are shown dancing to Beethoven's "Minuet in G," which was not composed until 1796. In fact, Beethoven was only born in 1770, i.e. five years after the events shown at the beginning of the film.

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Quotes

Patrick Henry: Better a glorious death, Peyton, than an inglorious life.

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Connections

Edited into The Bill of Rights (1939)

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Soundtracks

"Liberty Rules Our Land"
(uncredited)
Music by M.K. Jerome
Lyrics by Jack Scholl
Sung by Bancroft Owen at Patrick Henry's house
Played as background music often

User Reviews

"Let George III profit by their example"

Give Me Liberty was the first of three short subjects in which character actor John Litel played the fiery Virginia bred founding father. This one is a competently made film which gives the essence of the real Patrick Henry.

One of the other reviewers mentioned that he thought Litel was old fashionedly flamboyant as Henry. But in point of fact that's what he was in real life. He was indeed the kind of spell binding orator whose words did move men. Henry was one of the leaders of the Virginia bar as well as a Delegate in the Virginia House of Burgesses, his summations to the jury were legendary.

That aroused a lot of jealousy among his contemporaries. Thomas Jefferson whose forte was writing not speaking, trained as a lawyer as a young man. I recall reading Dumas Malone's multi-volume Jefferson biography where Jefferson wrote in his diary about how hard he worked on researching precedents and that all Patrick Henry did was bamboozle juries with bull. Nothing's changed in over 230 years as far as lawyers in this country. Jefferson gave up law practice and it was Patrick Henry's stock in trade.

He was a mercurial man Henry, you never knew which side of an issue he'd wind up on. He was at various stages after the Revolution, a Federalist and an anti-Federalist whatever the mood struck him.

Don't look for consistency with Henry, but this film will give you a good idea what he was like in his glory days of the Revolutionary War.