The Sun Shines Bright (1953)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Laurence Stallings (screenplay)
Irvin S. Cobb (short stories "The Sun Shines Bright", "The Mob from Massac" and "The Lord Provides")

Release Date:

2 May 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

John Ford weaves three "Judge Priest" stories together to form a good- natured exploration of honour...

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Charles Winninger	...	Judge William Pittman Priest
Arleen Whelan	...	Lucy Lee Lake
John Russell	...	Ashby Corwin
Stepin Fetchit	...	Jeff Poindexter
Russell Simpson	...	Dr. Lewt Lake
Ludwig Stössel	...	Herman Felsburg (as Ludwig Stossel)
Francis Ford	...	Feeney (Old Backwoodsman)
Paul Hurst	...	Army Sgt. Jimmy Bagby
Mitchell Lewis	...	Sheriff Andy Redcliffe
Grant Withers	...	Buck Ramsey
Milburn Stone	...	Horace K. Maydew
Dorothy Jordan	...	Lucy Lee's mother
Elzie Emanuel	...	U.S. Grant 'You Ess' Woodford
Henry O'Neill	...	Joe D. Habersham
Slim Pickens	...	Sterling, Lanky Backwoodsman

Runtime:

90 min | 100 min (video version) | USA:92 min (original theatrical version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #16222) | Argentina:Atp | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Argosy Pictures

Quotes:

[the prayer he says at the funeral of Lucy Lee's mother]
Ashby Corwin: Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, / look upon a little child. / Pity her simplicity; / suffer her to come to thee. / Amen.

Movie Connections:

Version of Judge Priest (1934)

A beautiful about loyalty in a time that never was

It is a lovely film to watch. Archie Stout one of fords favorite cameraman, shot it. The last scene where Judge Priest is seen in the doorway echos the last scene in the Searchers. It is a film about loyalty, honor and redemption. But there are scenes where the black people of the town are shown to be childlike, and in awe of their white leaders. This marks the film as a product of a time long past. Some of the scenes of the black people are demeaning. But over all, Judge Preists sense of honor, his fairness to all, his sense of decency looms over the film. Ford makes Judge Priest (played by Charles Winninger in his best role) a heroic figure. But a figure that is isolated even in a crowd. A former bugler he is left to carry on the codes of honor and fairness that the old south thought it contained. People vote for him, return him to office year after year, yet he goes into his home alone. He is man out of his time. A man of the community but set apart from it by his strict adherence to his code. Some of the acting in the film is over acting. But the last fifteen minutes are lovely to watch.