Reviews

I caught this film on Amazon last year. Rural dramas are usually not my preferred genre but I was intrigued by the casting of Steve Cochran and Walter Brennan. I was not disappointed by this fine feature. Cochran and Ann Sheridan did a great job playing against type. Brennan and a young James Best have good roles and the child actors are believable (especially Sherry Jackson). The movie is sympathetic to its subject without being patronizing or cloying. Even Sonny Tufts gave a decent performance. I've read that Martin Sorcese is a fan of of the film. I'm not surprised: a great movie which deserves to be better known.

As a long time criminal/civil trial lawyer, I think most films/TV shows about trials are pretty bad. I thought this one was was good in that the trial procedures, in particular the direct and cross examinations of the witnesses, were highly realistic (as they are in the better known " Anatomy of a Murder"). Sanford Meisner's cross examination of Gig Young was very well done as was Franciosa's of Young's meddling mother. Hugh Griffith also did a good job as the judge. The police and prosecution were not portrayed in a very favorable light which was unusual during that era. I'm surprised that it's not out on DVD as yet. I caught it on FMC when that station was still running good movies. This film gives a far better picture of a trial than those in most TV shows which tend to show actors making speeches for the jury.