The Magnificent Yankee (1950) – Encore Review

“Most of the time, Freedom of Speech is like the jabbering of that parrot; nobody listens and nobody cares.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Number of Times Seen – Twice (28 Apr 2015 and 18 Feb 2021)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – Biopic of one of the greatest juror to have sat on the Supreme Court and how he became such a beloved figure.

My Take on it – Amazing biopic that allows us to really see what kind of man Oliver Wendell Homes was.

Louis Calhern plays this larger than life man and helps make this story so profound in so many ways.

The film is based on a play of the same name and the dialogue is quite poignant in showing the kind of life that this great man led.

The dialogue is witty and profound at the same time and gives us such an impression of this jurist who loved not just the law, but the land that he was privileged to serve.

The story unfolds over many years and we only get snippets of his life, but the friendships, relationships and law decisions that we get to see are done so well that the film leaves such a lasting impression on it all.

Calhern very deservingly was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role here even if he ended up losing to Jose Ferrer for his work in Cyrano de Bergerac (1950).

The film allows us to see the profound love that Holmes and his wife Fanny shared for so many years despite their inability to have children.

Ann Harding does a wonderful job as the role of Fanny.

Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia #1 – The play, “The Magnificent Yankee,” opened at the Royale Theater in New York on January 22, 1946, and ran for 159 performances, with Louis Calhern in the lead role. While other Hollywood actors were eligible to play Oliver Wendell Holmes, MGM decided to let Calhern reprise his Broadway role in the film, to thank him for his many years of service as a supporting player at their studio. (From IMDB)

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia #2 – This was Louis Calhern’s only lead role in a non-silent film. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)