Judge Priest: the 1934 film

Judge Priest 1934

Many of the first motion-pictures had had their topic related to the American Civil War and even though film technology had not been very advanced during the period, film directors have managed to produce impressive movies. Judge Priest is such a movie, but, unlike most movies from the genre, it differs through the fact that it has a great deal of humor involved in the story. The plot has been adapted from Irvin S. Cobb's writings.

The action of the movie takes place in the southern Kentucky, in 1890, a place which did not differ much from what it had been previous to the war. In spite of having lost the war, most southerners haven't lost their principles consequent to 1865. For many decades after the war, the south remained unchanged, and, despite of the fact that black people had now been freed, they still were underprivileged when compared to whites.

The actors prove to have exceptional power of control over the characters that they play. The audience has the feeling of authenticity with features characteristic to the Confederate South revealing themselves during the movie.

The first scene of the movie has Judge William Priest supervising a trial in which a lazy black man named Jeff Pointdexter is accused of having stolen chickens. Horace Maydew is the prosecutor and he loudly holds his speech meant to expose and prove Pointdexter's guilt. Without paying attention to Maydew's talking, the Judge carefully reads some comics.

As most influential people in the south during the period have been involved in the Civil War, the court also has several Confederate fighters arguing over some events which took part in the war. The Judge intervenes and starts to participate in the debate as he has a different opinion than the rest of the men. Maydew desperately attempts to calm things down and to make the Judge concentrate on the case. Finally, the Judge listens to the black man as he presents his alibi. Curiously, he learns that Pointdexter had caught some big fish during the time that the crime was committed. Instead of condemning the man, Priest persuades him to teach him his fishing methods and they both go fishing. Becoming fond of Pointdexter, the Judge invites him to work at his house.

The story goes on as the Judge's nephew, Jerome, is presented as he returns from the North where he earned a degree in law. Jerome develops a crush for the next-door neighbor's daughter, Ellie May Gilliespie, and his uncle helps him get to her heart through several clever methods. Jerome's mother does not agree with the Judge's behavior, as she is not willing to accept having her son marrying a girl that has no parents. The Judge later found out that Ellie's father is none other than the local blacksmith, Bob Gillis.

Jerome has no time to spend as he is presented with his first case, where he has to defend Gillis against a man which he stabbed. Gillis stabbed the barber for the fact that he had said bad words relating to Ellie's past.