The Judge Steps Out (1949)

Director:

Boris Ingster

Writers:

Boris Ingster (screenplay)
Boris Ingster (story)

Release Date:

11 June 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

He Handed Down a Decision IN FAVOR OF HIMSELF!

Plot:

A Boston judge bored with his life leaves his family and heads off for adventure. He gets a job as a...

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Beautiful Woman | Husband Wife Relationship

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Alexander Knox	...	Judge Thomas Bailey
Ann Sothern	...	Peggy
George Tobias	...	Mike
Sharyn Moffett	...	Nan
Florence Bates	...	Chita
Frieda Inescort	...	Evelyn Bailey
Myrna Dell	...	Mrs. Joan Winthrop
Ian Wolfe	...	Hector Brown
H.B. Warner	...	Chief Justice Hayes
Martha Hyer	...	Catherine Bailey Struthers III
James Warren	...	John Struthers III
Whitford Kane	...	Dr. Charles P. Boyd
Harry Hayden	...	Judge Davis
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Martha, the Maid (as Anita Bolster)

Also Known As:

Indian Summer (UK) (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed between mid-January and late March 1947, this movie was held back until its Manhattan premiere at the Palace Theatre on June 2, 1949, followed by its wide release on June 11, 1949, by which time four cast members, William B. Davidson, Paul Everton, Edwin Jerome, and Carl Faulkner had already passed away.

Way ahead of its time

The previous post says it all. "The Judge Steps Out" shows a mid-life crisis decades before the term was popular. Alexander Knox's judge is transformed from uptight Bostonian to thoughtful seeker of something better than social standing, a man who loves Ann Sothern and their new life together--without marriage! There are glimpses of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley years before it developed into the LA metropolis--the highway outside their door is now Ventura Blvd./the 101 freeway. For those who have never considered leaving it all and coming to California for the easy-going lifestyle, this film shows why so many traveled there--the judge finds himself swinging in a hammock, enjoying the garden, the comfortable clothes (big change from New England garb) and the neighborly dreamers. Ann Sothern is perfect as a woman who has lost a child and still has love in her heart. Don't miss this film!