JUDGE BILLY PRIEST...the only man who ever called Mallie Crump a Lady
With the election approaching, a judge in a Southern town at the turn of the 20th century is involved variously in revealing the real identity of a young woman, reliving his Civil War memories, and preventing the lynching of an African youth.
The Sun Shines Bright (1953) is a comedy and drama film directed by John Ford, released on May 2, 1953 with a runtime of 1h 42m. It stars Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, John Russell and Stepin Fetchit. Viewers rate it 6.6 out of 10 across 53 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Sun Shines Bright before you stream it.
Charles Winninger
as William Pittman Priest
Arleen Whelan
as Lucy Lee Lake
John Russell
as Ashby Corwin
Stepin Fetchit
as Jeff Poindexter
Russell Simpson
as Lewt Lake
Ludwig Stössel
as Herman Felsburg
Francis Ford
as Feeney
Paul Hurst
as Jimmy Bagby
Mitchell Lewis
as Andy Redcliffe
Grant Withers
as Buck Ramsey
Milburn Stone
as Horace K. Maydew
Dorothy Jordan
as Lucy Lee's Mother
Directed by John Ford, written by Laurence Stallings and Irvin S. Cobb, produced by Merian C. Cooper and John Ford.
Average viewer score of 6.6/10 from 53 ratings.
"Priest" (Charles Winninger) is a Kentucky judge who is coming up for re-election and it's going to be a tough challenge. The town is divided roughly along the lines of an old Civil war mentality, congenially enough amongst the white folks but still consigning the black population to their traditional societal sub-strata. The judge's chances of winning become distinctly precarious when he intervenes in one case…
Reviewed on January 5, 2025
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The Sun Shines Bright (1953) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Filmin and Amazon Prime Video with Ads. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Sun Shines Bright (1953) includes Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, John Russell, Stepin Fetchit and Russell Simpson. The film was directed by John Ford. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Sun Shines Bright was released on May 2, 1953 and runs for 1h 42m.
The Sun Shines Bright (1953) holds an average rating of 6.6 out of 10 from 53 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Sun Shines Bright trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
