Customer Reviews

Judge Priest [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Fox is certainly sticking its neck out with this uber-large uber-expensive release that has been talked about and expected for over a year. John Ford's career at Fox spanned thirty years and most of his best non-John Wayne films were made there. I don't provide much more than what came out in the press release below, mainly either because these films haven't been seen for years or they have been in wide release and even on DVD and their contents are very commonly known.

Just Pals (1920)- only 50 minutes long, stars Buck Jones as a small town fellow who befriends a homeless boy.
Feature film with Dolby 5.0 Surround Sound and Spanish/French subtitles

The Iron Horse (1924) - George O'Brien stars in the story of the building of the Union Pacific Railroad
Two versions - U.K. and United States
Feature film with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and Spanish/French subtitles
Commentary by Author & Film Historian Robert Birchard (International only)
"Scoring The Past: The Iron Horse Sessions with Christopher Caliendo" featurette (International only)
Restoration comparison (International only)
Vintage program (International only)
Advertising gallery (International only)

3 Bad Men (1926) - stars George O'Brien in a saga of three outlaws of the wild west who become protectors of a little girl after her mother is killed. Sports some of Ford's great scenic long shots that his westerns are known for.
Feature film with Dolby 5.0 Surround Sound and Spanish/French subtitles

Four Sons (1928) - Three German brothers enlist in the German army during WWI, the fourth goes to America.
Feature film with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and Spanish/French subtitles

Hangman's House (1928) - screen debut of John Wayne stars Victor McLaglan in a saga set in Ireland. A predecessor to "The Informer" this time McLaglan is the hero.
Feature film with Dolby 5.0 Surround Sound and Spanish/French subtitles

Previously listed films are all silents and can be purchased as a 5-set in John Ford's Epic Silent Collection, due out the same date as this large set.

Born Reckless (1930) - the early problems of sound in movies, and in particular dialogue, plague this tale of a gangster sentenced to fight in the war.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles

Up The River (1930) - More early sound problems in which singing and dancing (not done very well) are inserted into a film that has the only mutual appearance of Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. No early talkie was complete without a musical number.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Theatrical trailer
Still gallery

Seas Beneath (1931) - stars George O'Brien in a maritime thriller.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles

Doctor Bull (1933) - stars Will Rogers in the first of three collaborations between Ford and Rogers.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles

Pilgrimage (1933) - Drama about a son who is sent off to war to prevent him from marrying a girl that his mother thinks is beneath him. The son is killed in battle. However, all of this is too late to prevent a grandchild from being produced from the union.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Commentary by Biographer & Film Historian Joseph McBride
Restoration comparison

Judge Priest (1934) - stars Will Rogers as a southern Judge who enjoys taffy pulls and croquet when not on the bench.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles

The World Moves On (1934)- moves from reconstruction to the depression much like the British-made Cavalcade did, except that film took on a much smaller slice of time.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles

Steamboat Round The Bend (1935) - stars Will Rogers (already on DVD) The final collaboration between Rogers and Ford is perhaps the best. Rogers plays a man going up and down the Mississippi on an old steamboat charging the local population admission to look at the wax figures he is carrying. He plans to use the money he raises to hire a lawyer to free his nephew from a serious charge.
Feature film with English Stereo and English Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Author Scott Eyman
Restoration comparison
Theatrical trailer
Will Rogers Theater: Doubting Thomas, In Old Kentucky, Life Begins at 40

The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) - Warner Baxter plays Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was sent to prison after treating Lincoln's killer while not realizing his patient's true identity.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Restoration comparison
Interactive pressbook gallery
Advertising gallery
Still gallery

Wee Willie Winkie (1937)- A perhaps over-long Shirley Temple film seems an odd vehicle for John Ford. It's good enough, but not the best that Temple made as a child.
Feature film (tinted version) in English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Feature film (black & white) in English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Restoration comparison

Four Men and a Prayer (1938) - A British officer is branded as a coward and his sons try to clear his name. Another reviewer aptly described it as "The Four Feathers Meet Nancy Drew (Loretta Young)".
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles

Drums Along The Mohawk (1939) (already on DVD)
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish/French Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Commentary by Film Historians Julie Kirgo & Nick Redman
Theatrical trailer
Still galleries:
Advertising
Lobby cards
Studio portraits
Behind the scenes
Production stills

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) (On DVD in Criterion Collection) - Henry Fonda plays Abe Lincoln in this highly fictionalized account of Lincoln's life as a young adult.
Feature film with English Dolby Digital 1.0

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) (on DVD under the Studio Classics series). The story of the Joads as they suffer mistreatment when they move from their repossessed Dust Bowl farm to California. The first of only two Best Actor nominations for Henry Fonda.
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Biographer & Film Historian Joseph McBride
U.K. prologue
Biography: Daryl Zannuck: 20th Century Filmmaker
Restoration comparison
Theatrical trailer
Movie Tone News:
1934: "First Drought In Many Years Hits Mid-West"
1934: "Drought Distress Is Increasing In The Mid-West"
1934: "Mid-West Drought Distress Becomes National Disaster"
1934: "Outtakes"
1941: "Roosevelt Lauds Motion Pictures At Academy Fete"
Still gallery

Tobacco Road (1941)
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Interactive press book
Poster gallery

How Green Was My Valley (1941) (on DVD under Studio Classics series). Stars Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara in the story of how lush Welsh countryside became an ugly strip-mined area over time. Won Best Picture.
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish/French Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Anna Lee Nathan and Biographer & Film Historian Joseph McBride
Backstory: How Green Was My Valley
Still gallery
Theatrical trailer

My Darling Clementine (1946) (on DVD under Studio Classics series). John Ford, who actually knew Wyatt Earp, directs Henry Fonda, who plays Wyatt Earp.
Disc One
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish/French Mono and Spanish subtitles
Commentary by Wyatt Earp III
Disc Two
Alternate pre-release version (Ford's cut)
What is the pre-release version featurette
Theatrical trailer
Behind the scenes

When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) - stars Dan Dailey. Willie joins the army to become a war hero, but winds up doing training duty right back in his home town.
Feature film with English Mono and Spanish/French subtitles
Restoration comparison
Advertising gallery

What Price Glory (1952) - stars James Cagney (already on DVD). This was based on an anti-war play that Ford turned into a comedy with rather strange results. Probably one the oddest and the weakest of the entries.
Feature film with English Stereo or English Mono, Spanish Mono and Spanish subtitles
Two theatrical trailers
Fox Flix: Crash Dive, The Hunters, Morituri

Becoming John Ford (2007)
Feature-length documentary with English Stereo and Spanish/French subtitles
The Battle of Midway (doc. 1942)
Battle of Midway - Additional Footage (1942)
December 7th (doc. 1943)
Torpedo Squadron (doc. 1942)
Ford at Fox Photo Galleries (estimated 29 to be broken out by title)
Ford at Fox Movie Poster / lobby card gallery
Pressbook Galleries
Vintage Programs: The Iron Horse, Four Sons

The following titles will be available individually that were not previously available on DVD: When Willie Comes Marching Home, The Iron Horse, Hangman's House, 3 Bad Men, Up The River, and The Prisoner Of Shark Island. There are also 3 smaller sets of Ford classics, Ford silents, and Ford comedies. Thus there is something in this release for every budget.

Some parting words... If you are a fan of classic films and DVD sets and you can possibly afford it, then BUY THIS SET. Fox has taken a very big chance on releasing such an expensive package. If it flops we've probably seen the last of such an extra-laden classic volume from Fox. Studios are out to make money. If they can do it by restoring and releasing the classics with all the trimmings (this set) they will. If they can do it by releasing schlock such as "The Best of Survivor" and "300" they'll do that. If Ford at Fox flops it's a sign that the money is in the latter business model. In the business ethics of America, when art comes up against profit, I think you know what always wins. Let's show Fox they can have both and maybe some day we'll have the Holy Grail of classic Fox sets - Borzage at Fox. One can only hope!

This is the first review for me--I do not usually make the time or have an inclination; nevertheless, I feel compelled after having purchased this version to warn future buyers that about 10 minutes of the film have been deleted from the original. One spot in particular is the poignant scene where Judge Priest is talking to his departed wife in their room as he stands before her picture. The early part is there, but then this version cuts abruptly to the cemetery scene. The full version gives greater depth to the character. I have no idea why this was felt necessary. What a dissapointment.

This set is impressive, no doubt. The collection of films is fantastic; the packaging looks nice, but it's all over the internet: the way the discs are secured damages them.

My set arrived-- with all of the discs on their spindles appropriately-- and EVERY ONE had significant scratches due to the method by which they were SCREWED ON to the spindles.

Were I the only person with this issue, I wouldn't score this set so poorly, but I have talked to dozens of people who purchased the set. Only ONE received his without significant scratching. I've tried contacting Fox, but they have been no help at all.

Hi Folks,

I bought this set...even though I own most of the strongest films in the collection as any true movie or Ford fan would...they are simply classics. I'm writing to tell the curious what the extra stuff is...and frankly, its not much. The smaller sets available are much better deals for the Ford novice. This set does contain Tobacco Road (which I'm sure will be out on its own soon) and a few other oddities that may or may not make it on their own but the packaging is overly large to accomodate the hardback book..which is really the only true extra item in here...and while its a really nice book , I doubt anyone would like to pay 2-3 hundred bucks for it. You can collect most of the relevant films in the smaller sets MUCH less expensively and the documentary DVD which is superb...is available on its own as well as in the classic set with Grapes/CLementine/How Green and Drums along the Mohawk...and You get cover art etc...this set is sadly lacking in such as the DVDs are in a big book. I should also add for the non-Ford fans who are curious...that this tells only half the story...the amazing Ford/John Wayne pictures are not here...and need to be in any Ford collection...among others so it isn't really even definitive Ford for $300...

I guess I would just sum it up by saying...you can get basically all of this elsewhere ..in a lot more convenient packaging and a lot cheaper...so this is something for the fan who just needs it all and or collector..but as is I can't recommend it for beginning Ford fan or fanatic.

I think this huge set has some missing Ford films shot at the Fox studios.
I have spotted two. The Submarine Patrol 1939 and Men Without Women 1930. They are also Fox films directed by Ford. But the set does not include them. I don't understand why. This huge set should have had all Ford-Fox films.

And I don't understand why "The World Moves On", "Tobacco Road" and "The Four Men and a Prayer" won't be released individually while some very early and obscure Ford films (like Just Pals) will be available separately. These films has a star power which is also a strong selling point for classic film fans. Madeleine Carroll, Gene Tierney, Loretta Young etc. I hope they will also be available in the near future.

Judge Priest is the story of a small town after the Civil War. The judge likes to meddle in other peoples' affairs, and sometimes he gets to do it and get paid for it. When an outsider in the town gets into a fight with the local barber, the barber takes the outsider to court and demands justice. However, things are not all that they seem and it is up to the judge to make things right.

There is a rousing finale with music and patriotism all bursting forth into an uplifting climax. Unfortunately, the major conflict is never explicitly resolved, so we just have to assume that everything came out alright in the end. The movie plays solely on our emotions for the grand finish.

The gratuitous romance in the film is weak; Brown and Louise come off as being ameatur actors, possibly because of their under-developed characters and juvenile dialogue. The black actors are seen more than in some other movies, but they are certainly stereotyped. After reading about Stepin Fetchit, I find it impossible not to like him, and he indeed provides plenty of laughs, but it is easy to see why modern audiences would be offended by his slow-moving and simple-minded antics. Hattie McDaniel fares a bit better, and most of her scenes are sung, shades of her start on the stage. Rogers is the standout, and rightfully so, since the title of the film is after his character's name. He gets to play his typical, slow-talking and wisdom-imparting self, a lovable character who easily carries the film.

Overall, this is a sweet, enjoyable programmer worth seeing if you're a fan of the director or the cast, but otherwise won't blow you away.

This is a great period film depicting life in Kentucky after the Civil War and Reconstruction Period. It still shows the stereotypes and prejudices which existed at that time in a somewhat humorous manner. Based on a story by the noted Kentucky humorist, Irvin S. Cobb, it presents life as one would have imagined it at that time period.

Excellent example of early American cinema with an unvarnished look at life in the South in the post civil war to the turn of the century era. No high speed gimicks just rural down home values of a society in transition from the old South to the industrial revolution. This is a real keeper.

John Ford is my favorite director. I have no problem watching his movies a 9th and 10th time but I'm doing my best to see as many of his movies as I can. Recently I had a chance to see 5 movies of his that I hadn't seen before. Some were pretty good and I would put "Judge Priest" in that category. This is a movie about the post-Civil War South (in Kentucky). One man, Judge Priest, makes a difference in his community by standing fast for what he feels is right. He does so by his innocent "Aw Shucks" manner that threatens no one but gradually persuades many. The movie culminates in a trial that culminates in a brilliant testimony by a former Confederate officer that is the single scene highlight of the movie. Overall, I would actually rate this movie a 3 Star but for the first opportunity I've ever had to witness the style of the great American Humorist, Will Rogers. I know he is working from a script but one gets a pretty clear picture as to how this man rose to such popularity. Imagine that there was a movie that you could watch and hear Mark Twain in a leading role! That, more than the plot and even more than the director is the real greatness of "Judge Priest".

One of the absolute best Will Rogers movies, only topped by Steamboat round the Bend. Besides the down home humor, the plot is excellent, and the defense of the Confederacy rings true to heart. Yankees, will blush, Westerners will shake their heads and those of us by grace of God born in the South will stand and cheer!