Review – Judge Priest

Thank goodness for the religious whacko channels in the upper reaches of the dish listings. If it wasn’t for such right-wing nutjob outlets, who would ever have the temerity to show racist garbage like this? Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever seen a movie with Stepin Fetchit in it before. Hattie McDaniel also puts in an appearance, suffering typical Hollywood humiliations such as singing a song in which she refers to herself as a “darkie.” And I honestly don’t even know what to say about Will Rogers’ appearance in such a spectacle. There’s a moment or two here and there, such as when Mr. Fetchit is asked to play “Dixie” on the harmonica and he offers to play “Marching Through Georgia” instead (after which Rogers threatens to lynch him). But for the most part this is a mixture of 30s-era romantic candy corn coated with a completely unpalatable slime of love for the glorious Confederacy. Wherever director John Ford is now, I hope he’s been brought to a state of contrition. Wish I’d skipped it