Judge Priest

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William L Judge Priest had me thinking that it was far more complex than people realized, up until the last 15 minutes or so. Yes, the film superficially romanticizes Lost Cause Southern pride and is rife with stereotypical depictions of black archetypes, but Rogers' Priest had genuine interactions with black characters, singing along to songs as an equal without derision and treating Perry's Pointdexter as a companion and equal in many scenes. Then, as the film approaches its conclusion, nearly ten minutes is dedicated to a passionate recount of how the defendant in a murder trial (who is actually shown to be guilty of manslaughter at a minimum) deserved freedom because he had been such a proud, brave Confederate soldier, amplified by Priest's orchestration of 'Dixie' through the courtroom window to enhance the patriotic appeal, resulting in the jury erupting in cheers, the courtroom devolving into chaos, and the defendant going free in defiance of the actual facts of the case. It's actually horrifying considering it in the context of Southern domestic law during post-Reconstruction, especially given how much charm Rogers gives off in the role. Much of the film's status will depend upon how you interpret Perry's Stepin Fetchit character and related depictions, here going by the name of Pointdexter; initial audiences would have laughed at him as a parody of a race, then he was considered to have been a profit-making caricature selling out his people for money, and now finally there is some thought that Fetchit may have represented more of a 'trickster' archetype, intentionally misleading white people by convincing them of his ineptitude for better treatment. You can make a case for the latter scenario in Judge Priest at points, but the conclusion largely does away with them as Pointexter has not only been saved from his poor luck by the benevolence of Priest, but had been conscripted into providing assistance to the defense team through his musical accompaniment. The narrative also features a poorly developed subplot regarding a young attorney nephew of Priest's and his budding love interest, but it's basically forgotten. Blah blah blah, "product of its time", but this film makes me rethink John Ford as a great American director, and doesn't make me think much of Rogers' homely comedy style if this is any indication of its content. (1/5) Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/24/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. I was glad to finally see this Will Rogers production. It is a cultural gem of a bygone era. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Even the indelible John Ford can make crap. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Rogers and Fetchit rescue this poorly made and shapeless oddity from being unenjoyable. Hardly surprising that the guy who played the priest was in Birth of a Nation, though. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member funny stuff brought to u by america's fave humorist will rogers. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member It is probably best to view this as an historical artefact, which is exactly how I approached it. I was curious about Will Rogers and this is his best known film. The cowboy humourist plays a laid back (though reputedly sage and fair) Kentucky judge who spends part of the movie encouraging his nephew to pursue his next door neighbour, a young lady of uncertain parentage (which dismays his snobby mother). The other part of the movie involves a court case that Judge Priest has to recuse himself from but still manages to manipulate. The case is won by appealing to southern memories of the Confederacy and patriotism for the same (the movie takes place in the 1890s) - so, not based on the facts of the case. Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel are both here and, although Will Rogers treats them like he does any other character in the film (perhaps overtly so), they do embody alarming and exaggerated racist stereotypes. However, the overall feel of the film remains good-natured. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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