Product Details

• Actors: Will Rogers, Tom Brown, Anita Louise
• Directors: John Ford
• Format: NTSC
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1.0
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Miracle Pictures
• Run Time: 81.0 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0009P75J0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,046 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Will Rogers plays Judge William "Billy" Priest in a very patriotic town. Priest is a laid-back widowed judge who upholds the law in his toughest court case yet. In the interim, he plays matchmaker for his young nephew.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Judicial scion of the 'Kentucky Priests', July 31, 2009

By	Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Note that this disc's manufacturer, MIRACLE PICTURES has no presence on the internet. Transfer quality of fringe outfits' product is rarely up to studio standards, but if you catch a bargain price this DVD may be worth a gamble.


Based on a character in dozens of Irvin S. Cobb stories, JUDGE PRIEST was said to be director John Ford's favorite of all his movies. It's set in the year 1890.

SYNOPSIS--
The Most Mellow Judge 'Willy' Priest (Rogers), possessor of a trove of homespun aphorisms, wears white suits and lives in a small Kentucky town whose citizens remain loyal to the long-dead Confederacy. Proud of his wartime service, this widowed jurist acts as matchmaker to his fresh-out-of-law-school nephew Jerome (Brown).

Priest's sister-in-law objects that Rome's girlfriend, Ellie May Gillespie (Louise) has untraceable bloodlines, as Ellie's mother died in childbirth and her father is nowhere to be found. Willy shields Ellie May from the unwanted attentions of rude-mannered barber Flem Talley (Melton), then he encourages Rome's and Ellie's relationship.

Later, spurned suitor Talley spots the town's anti-social blacksmith, Bob Gillis (Landau) placing flowers on the grave of Ellie's mom. Talley makes a nasty remark about Ellie and Gillis punches him. Talley and two others attack Gillis with pool cues and in defending himself, Bob cuts Talley with a knife. For his very first court case Rome will defend Bob Gillis, the man who stood up for Ellie's honor and was jailed as a result.


This picture has often been condemned for racial stereotyping. Stepin Fetchit's dialect-heavy cat-fishin' courtroom testimony and his harmonica version of "Marching Through Georgia," plus Hattie McDaniel's housemaid-warbling of Stephan Foster 'darky' tunes probably have a lot to do with such brickbats. Undoubtedly, scenes of former slaves marching with Confederate flags while playing "Dixie" have also inflamed modern passions.


Parenthetical number preceding title is an imdb 1 to 10 viewer poll rating.

(6.8) Judge Priest (1934) - Will Rogers/Tom Brown/Anita Louise/Henry B. Walthall/David Laudau/Frank Melton/Charley Grapewin/Hattie McDaniel/Stepin Fetchit

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Hollywood's Golden Age of Classic Comedies (2006) ... Passport Video", October 21, 2006

By	J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Passport Video and Koch Entertainment Distribution present "CLASSIC COMEDIES FROM HOLLYWOOD'S GOLDEN AGE" (Dolby digitally remastered) --- relive the laughter from Hollywood's Golden Age...spanning the early years of comedy ('20s--'40s) --- this collection features signature films from comedy's greatest names...besides that you just discovered the essential collection of classic comedy performances --- this compilation features more hours of the best routines in comedy history than you could shake a stick at...laugh along with your favorite film, scene and actors that keep you coming back for more.

15 Fabulously Funny Feature Films (in alphabetical order in which they appear)

1. FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND (1951) Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor & Joan Bennett
2. GENERAL, THE (1927 Buster Keaton
3. GOLD RUSH, THE (1925) Charlie Chaplin
4. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell
5. INSPECTOR GENERAL,THE (1949) Danny Kaye & Elsa Lanchester
6. JUDGE PRIEST (1934) Will Rogers & Hattie McDaniel
7. LIFE WITH FATHER (1947) William Powell, Elizabeth Taylor & Irene Dunne
8. MILKY WAY,THE (1936) Harold Lloyd & Adolphe Menjou
9. MR. ROBINSON CRUSOE (1932) Douglas Fairbanks Sr.
10. MY MAN GODFREY (1936) William Powell & Carole Lombard
11. NOTHING SACRED (1937) Fredric March & Carole Lombard
12. PALOOKA (1934) Stu Erwin & Jimmy Durante
13. SPEAK EASILY (1932) Buster Keaton & Jimmy Durante
14. THAT UNCERTAIN FEELING (1941) Merle Oberon & Melvyn Douglas
15. TOPPER RETURNS (1941) Joan Blondell & Roland Young

Great job by Passport Video for releasing "Classic Comedies From Hollywood's Golden Age", the digital transfere with a somewhat clean and clear print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s ... order your copy now from Amazon or Passport Video where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch performances mixed with laughter ... they're funny, they're sad, but most of all they're passionate ... here's a side-splitting collectioin of classic comedies that appeal to every sense of humor from slapstick to sophisticated --- they say that laughter is always the best medicine, try some you just might like it..

Total Time: 1315 mins on 5-DVD's ~ Passport Video DVD #5870 ~ (7/11/2006)