Following the colossal success of The Quiet Man, Ford's Argosy Pictures had one film left on its deal with Republic Pictures, and the success of the Ireland-set picture meant Ford could do whatever he wanted, and he wanted to do a remake of Judge Priest, which he'd made in the '30s with Will Rogers. Herb Yates could hardly refuse, but he had no enthusiasm for it. The film opened to tepid reviews and poor business, but in a 1966 interview Ford picked it as his own personal favorite of all his films. Republic had cut 10 minutes from it upon initial release, including the Stepin Fetchit opening; that was restored in 1990 and is now on Blu-ray/DVD from our friends at Olive Films. It's a small town in Kentucky a few decades after the end of the Civil War, but the Rebs and Yankees live together only reluctantly and the colored folks get along swell so long as they watch themselves. Now, we've got 100 min. of this, but the story of the film is more about people than plot, so just be aware. Former Confederate, Judge Priest (Charles Winninger), is up for re-election on Tuesday, but pompous ass (and REPUBLICAN!) Milburn Stone looks to be the favorite. Million-dollar Dialog: Citizen: 'I declare, Billy, I like you so much personally. I wish I could vote for you. But being a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, I'd just as leave cut my throat as vote for a Democrat.' Throughout the film, the good Judge is going to be faced with several choices and he's gonna have to do the right thing or the popular thing, from stopping they lynching of a young black man to eschewing his corn-liquor appreciation for lemonade and Temperance votes (women can't vote, of course, but their husbands can) to settling a dispute over the town's biggest secret: the town doctor's beautiful daughter was adopted, and is in reality the daughter of a woman of ill repute who was run out of town, and is furthermore the granddaughter of the town's local Confederate hero. When a previous citizen, John Russell, comes back to woo her, it's all going to come out. PLUS the ill-repute lady has come home to die, and wants a Christian burial! WOW! There's a LOT of drama going on here, and I think I may have forgotten a few subplots, too, folks. There is an awful lot to like and admire about this picture; it's very... Christian. I wish all Christians were as wise and loving and forgiving as the ones in this movie. I wish people who disagree vehemently about things can co-exist in respect anyway. I wish politicians did the right thing instead of the popular thing more often. Did this world exist back at the turn of the 20th century? I dunno. I wasn't there. Ford seems to think so, though, huh? Or was he deliberately romanticizing the period? Anybody? Hands, please. As for the Blacks in the film, it's an odd mix of stereotypes and men of dignity, but the obvious effect is that they get along just fine so long as good, decent white folks can stand up for 'em. The prostitute's funeral sequence, done nearly silent and then with great eloquence by Judge Priest, is hauntingly moving, and I'll never forget it. A very good picture, and well worth seeing.