Judge Priest (1934)

One could hardly say that there aren't elements to the 1934 film 'Judge Priest' that aren't problematic, especially when looked back on 85 years later. There is the "lost cause" confederacy element, singing and presumably docile and happy black folks, and Stepin Fetchit's standard, shambling shtick. Yet this is a film that was also attempting to be unusually progressive on racial matters for a mainstream movie of it's era. Judge William "Billy" Priest was a creation of humorist Irvin S. Cobb, inspired by his boyhood in post Civil War Kentucky. Priest is perfectly embodied by fellow humorist Will Rogers. 

The action is set in the rural Kentucky of 1890, not that there is much of it. The plot is pretty lose, this movie is about the central character and the atmosphere, a sympathetic look at a fondly remembered time in the life of the author, which is not say an entirely uncritical one. Priest is in many way more paternalistic to his white neighbors then the black employees he treats mostly with respect. A widower of 19 years, and 25 years the elected judge of his county, Priest is a confederate veteran, but has to practically be dragged to a solders reunion (he needs to press flesh for votes). He thinks the war and his service in it was a mistake, but knows that he can't be to critical in public, the locals respect his judgment for the most part, but might not if he was too open about this. 

The two principal stories concern the Judges efforts to help his nephew romance the woman he loves, despite the disapproval of the boys mother who looks like down on the girl for coming from nothing. There is also an effort by some locals to unfairly railroad an itinerant laborer, new to the town. That man is white but there may have been a third major plot string to the story. A reportedly eloquent speech against lynching was delivered by Priest and actually filmed, but nervous Fox executive axed it from the final release and the scene is apparently now lost. Director John Ford was not happy about this edit, so much so that 20+ years later he remade the film as 'The Sun Shines Bright' largely so he could have the speech in there. 

At places an awkward film, and it is still very much of a less enlightened time, but the progressive-ism, warmth, and patience of the lead character, though perhaps a little muted on occasion, is there all the same. ***