By Violet LeVoit
A Stranger in Town
Brief Synopsis
A Supreme Court justice on vacation takes on crooked small-town politicians.
Cast & Crew
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Roy Rowland
Director
Frank Morgan
[Justice] John Josephus Grant
Richard Carlson
Bill Adams
Jean Rogers
Lucy Gilbert
Porter Hall
[Judge] Austin Harkley
Robert Barrat
Mayor [Jim] Connison
Film Details
Also Known As
Mr. Justice Goes Hunting, Supreme Court Justice
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Release Date
Apr
1943
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 7m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Film Length
6,024ft
Synopsis
After instructing his secretary, Lucy Gilbert, not to reveal his destination to anyone, John Josephus Grant, a cantankerous U.S. Supreme Court justice, embarks on an overdue duck hunting vacation. On his first day out, Joe is confronted by Orrin Todds, a game inspector, who demands to see his hunting license and then informs him that he needs a local stamp, which will cost him five dollars, plus a "tip." Annoyed, Joe refuses to pay Orrin and, without revealing his occupation, accompanies him to court in nearby Crownport. Citing the letter of the law, the judge, Austin Harkley, upholds Orrin's actions and fines Joe $100. Later, at the Crownport barbershop, Joe encounters young lawyer Bill Adams, who is running for mayor, and Jim Connison, the crooked incumbent, with whom Harkley is in cahoots. When one of Bill's poor clients, Tom Cooney, comes in the shop complaining that, because he missed one loan payment to equipment dealer Vinnie Zephyr Blaxton, Harkley has ordered his tractor repossessed, Connison offers him phony sympathy, prompting the hot-tempered Bill to take a swing at him. Later, Joe, describing himself as a retired lawyer, drops by Bill's office and chastises him for not putting much effort into defending Tom, whose hearing he had witnessed. Charles Craig, Bill's campaign manager, then comes by to announce that he also faces repossession from Blaxton, another Connison crony. After Bill admits that his campaign against Connison is more of a protest than a serious run for office, Joe suggests that he scour his law books to find a precedent to help Charlie. To his surprise, Bill finds an obscure law to counter Blaxton's claim and rushes to tell Joe about it. Joe advises Bill to unnerve Blaxton on the stand before making him admit that he does not carry spare parts for his tractors, the legal point on which Charlie's defense rests. Joe's trick works, and Harkley is forced to rule in favor of Charlie. Bill's victory causes Connison concern, and he, Blaxton and Harkley begin to scheme against him. Lucy, meanwhile, arrives in Crownport to deliver papers to Joe and is met at the train depot by Bill. Although Bill at first annoys the sophisticated Lucy with his clumsiness, he soon proves his mettle when he defends her against hotel owner Roscoe Swade, a Connison cohort who refuses to rent her a room because she has no luggage. Bill and Lucy engage Swade and his thug, Henry, in a fight and end up in jail. Apprised of their plight, Harkley pretends to be out of town, so that Bill will be forced to spend the weekend in jail. When Joe hears about Lucy and Bill's situation, however, he defends his secretary and demands that Swade have her and Bill released. Later that night, Joe gets an idea about how to defeat Swade in court. As Swade tries to spy on them, Joe arranges for Lucy to measure the hotel's linens and then orders Bill to check the by-laws that determine the legal standards for hotel linens. The next day, as Lucy and Bill are about to appear in court, a nervous Swade offers to drop all charges against them. Lucy and Bill accept Swade's deal, then file charges against him, claiming that his linens are smaller than the law allows. After Harkley is compelled to rule against his cohort, Connison arranges for Bill's landlord to evict him from his office on phony charges. When Bill is unable to rent new space because Connison has put pressure on all of the town's landlords, he decides to set up his campaign headquarters on the street. Connison's thugs, however, provoke Bill into fighting with them, and a small riot soon erupts. Again Bill is arrested, so Joe, who was knocked out during the brawl, marches to Harkley's house to demand that he swear out a warrant against the mayor on charges of conspiracy, abuse of public office and inciting a riot. When Harkley flatly refuses, Joe takes him aside, and after a brief discussion, Harkley feebly announces that he is releasing Bill. Harkley then accompanies Joe, Bill and Lucy to a rally at which Connison is speaking and issues his warrants. In court, Joe presents signed confessions from Connison's thugs, who implicate the mayor in the riot. Still unaware of Joe's identity, Connison challenges the justice's authority, and Joe finally reveals himself. After Bill faints at the news, Joe delivers a speech to the awestruck court about the importance of keeping watch on politicians. Later, in Washington, D.C., the newly elected Bill prepares to marry Lucy, while a rejuvenated Joe returns to the bench.
Director
Roy Rowland
Director
Cast
Frank Morgan
[Justice] John Josephus Grant
Richard Carlson
Bill Adams
Jean Rogers
Lucy Gilbert
Porter Hall
[Judge] Austin Harkley
Robert Barrat
Mayor [Jim] Connison
Donald Macbride
Vinnie Z[ephyr] Blaxton
Walter Baldwin
Tom Cooney
Andrew Tombes
Roscoe Swade
Olin Howlin
Homer Todds
Chill Wills
Charles Craig
Irving Bacon
Orrin Todds
Eddie Dunn
Henry
Gladys Blake
Birdie
John Hodiak
Hart Ridges
Edward Keane
Blaxton's lawyer
Robert E. Homans
Sergeant
Roger Moore
Clerk of court
Pierre Watkin
Associate justice
Edwin Stanley
Associate justice
Holmes Herbert
Associate justice
Richard Kipling
Associate justice
Phil Van Zandt
Reporter
Gladden James
Reporter
Hooper Atchley
Reporter
Cyril Ring
Reporter
Tom Murray
Policeman
Pat O'malley
Policeman
Eddy Chandler
Policeman
Bill Lally
Policeman
Kenneth Harlan
Banker
Joe Yule
Barber
Ben Taggart
Conductor
Fern Emmett
Chambermaid
Marion Murray
Waitress
Al Hill
Moving man
Leon Tyler
Kid
Voyt Williams
Kid
Bud Geary
Heckler
Sam Finn
Rowdy
Charles Sherlock
Rowdy
Margaret Bert
Nurse
Henry Sylvester
Process server
Arthur Loft
Chief Perkins
Minerva Urecal
Woman on train
Lester Dorr
Electric man
Paul Kruger
Truck driver
Erville Alderson
Eddy Waller
Crew
Mac Alper
Associate (Sets)
Daniele Amfitheatrof
Music Score
George Bourne
Camera
John Burch
Assistant Director
Howard Campbell
Associate (Art Direction)
Cedric Gibbons
Art Director
Irene
Costume Supervisor
William Kozlenko
Original Screenplay
Isobel Lennart
Original Screenplay
Arthur Rose
Unit Manager
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
Nathaniel Shilkret
Music Score
Shoup
Associate
Robert Sisk
Producer
Elmo Veron
Film Editor
Sidney Wagner
Director of Photography
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
Film Details
Also Known As
Mr. Justice Goes Hunting, Supreme Court Justice
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Release Date
Apr
1943
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 7m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Film Length
6,024ft
Articles
A Stranger in Town
It's easy to see why this anti-corruption drama had the working title "Mr. Justice Goes Hunting": When a Supreme Court justice John Grant (Frank Morgan, famous as the title character in The Wizard Of Oz (1939)) takes a much needed vacation hunting duck in the hinterlands of Crownport, he tumbles into a hotbed of small town law corruption: the crooked game inspector who angles for a bribe before turning him in to the town's heartless judge, the sticky-fingered mayor who's happy to have business continue as usual, and even the town barber who chisels extra quarters out of unsuspecting newcomers looking for a shave. It seems like the only honest man in town is idealistic young lawyer Bill Adams (Richard Carlson), who's fighting a Sisyphusian campaign to become the new mayor. Judge Grant takes him under his tutelage, and they fight to bring some honor to the town. In real life, screenwriter Isobel Lennart was less principled than the characters she created for the screen - a member of the Communist party in the 1930s, she later turned "friendly witness" for HUAC and pointed fingers at 21 other screenwriters, thus securing her own career in Hollywood during the Blacklist era.
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
A Stranger in Town
It's easy to see why this anti-corruption drama had the working title "Mr. Justice Goes Hunting": When a Supreme Court justice John Grant (Frank Morgan, famous as the title character in The Wizard Of Oz (1939)) takes a much needed vacation hunting duck in the hinterlands of Crownport, he tumbles into a hotbed of small town law corruption: the crooked game inspector who angles for a bribe before turning him in to the town's heartless judge, the sticky-fingered mayor who's happy to have business continue as usual, and even the town barber who chisels extra quarters out of unsuspecting newcomers looking for a shave. It seems like the only honest man in town is idealistic young lawyer Bill Adams (Richard Carlson), who's fighting a Sisyphusian campaign to become the new mayor. Judge Grant takes him under his tutelage, and they fight to bring some honor to the town. In real life, screenwriter Isobel Lennart was less principled than the characters she created for the screen - a member of the Communist party in the 1930s, she later turned "friendly witness" for HUAC and pointed fingers at 21 other screenwriters, thus securing her own career in Hollywood during the Blacklist era.
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were Supreme Court Justice and Mr. Justice Goes Hunting. Although onscreen credits include a copyright statement, the title was not listed in the Copyright Catalog. According to Hollywood Reporter, Marsha Hunt was first set to star in the film, and Sol Kaplan was to score it. In late October 1943, James Bell was announced as a cast member, but his appearance in the completed film has not been confirmed. John Hodiak made his screen debut in the picture. Modern sources include Myron Healey in the cast as a dance extra.
