Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 6 November 1936 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. New York release at the Rialto, 12 May 1937. U.S. release: 24 April 1937. 10 reels. 83 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Patricide - obviously suggested by the Edith Maxwell case.COMMENT: This engrossingly dramatic Warner Bros social documentary has been produced on an extremely lavish scale. Director Curtiz is in his element with the huge crowd scenes and has creatively and imaginatively handled the stunning courtroom sequences as well as the film's other tense moments. Unfortunately, despite Curtiz's forceful efforts - aided by wonderfully skilful photography by Ernest Haller - the powerfully suspenseful atmosphere is a little undermined not only by some trite dialogue and stereotyped characterizations, but by some misguided efforts at comedy relief. Scriptwriters Norman Reilly Raine of Tugboat Annie fame and Luci Ward of innumerable "B" westerns are solely to blame.In the Edith Maxwell part, Josephine Hutchinson plays with spirit yet dignity. A difficult role, but she handles it with perfect assurance and ease. Barrat is equally right as her brutal father. In a more conventional role, Brent comes across with reasonable force. Heading a great Warner Bros support cast, Marcia Mae Jones deserves a special mention as the heroine's understandably rebellious child-bride sister, whose flight is the catalyst for "murder".

Michael_Elliott Mountain Justice (1937)** (out of 4) Michael Curtiz directed this rather disappointing film from Warner about mountain girl Ruth Harkins (Josephine Hutchinson) who wants to help a local doctor (Guy Kibbee) build various hospitals so that the poor can have good health. Her abusive father finds out about all of this and her relationship with a New York lawyer (George Brent) so he puts a major beating on her. In self defense the daughter ends up killing her father and the trash locals want her dead too. MOUNTAIN JUSTICE has quite a bit of stuff going on in it but sadly very little of it works. Warner made all sorts of "message" pictures that often dealt with injustice as well as revenge. This film features that stuff but the entire plot is just so paper thin that it was hard to take any of it serious. The biggest problem is that this father is so mean that it's hard to believe that even these trash locals would buy into supporting him. Even if you do believe that they would, the courtroom sequence at the end is just so obvious because you know there would be so many ways for the lawyer to get the woman off these murder charges even if the trash jury convicted her. I'm not going to ruin the final act but it too really feels rushed and thrown together. The performances are another mixed bag but it seems like Brent wants nothing to do with this material. Even in some bad movies he still manages to deliver good performances but that's not the case here as he just comes across bored and wishing he was somewhere else. Hutchinson delivers a fine performance but it's not strong enough to carry the picture. Kibbee, Robert Barrat and Margaret Hamilton are all good but the screenplay really doesn't do much with their characters. There are a few effective moments including the way Curtiz uses shadows for the beating and murder. There's also an effective sequence towards the end when the rednecks decide to put masks on to kidnap the girl from jail. Still, these scenes just aren't enough to overcome all the weaker moments.

vincentlynch-moonoi This is a remarkable film, especially for 1937! Think of it -- the physical and sexual abuse of minors and young women and mothers, fratricide, and lynching. Wow!The title tells it all -- legal and moral views of hillbillies coming into the 20th century. Of course, there's also a love story here -- that between George Brent and Josephine Hutchinson. The story is of an abusive hillbilly father that clearly thinks he owns his wife and two daughters -- one in her early 20s, the other approximately pubescent. After several beatings, the older daughters leaves for NYC where she becomes a nurse, and then returns to her hometown to help a local doctor open a clinic. Meanwhile, the father is forcing the young daughter to marry a low-life hillbilly. The older daughter kills her father as she is being beaten with a whip, and goes to jail to be tried for murder. George Brent to the rescue, as a NY city lawyer already hated in the town for previously winning a conviction (and short jail term) against the father when he committed murder. The ending may seem implausible in today's legal climate, but was possible back in those days...albeit just a tad to happy. There are some wonderful performances here. George Brent is fine as the NYC lawyer. Josephine Hutchinson is absolutely wonderful as the older daughter, and every time I see her in an old movie I wonder why she didn't become a major star; she is a fine actress. Guy Kibbee plays the old doctor, and is good in the role, although most of his screen time in in the first half of the film. You'll hate Robert Barrat as the father, but it's an excellent portrayal. The judge is played by Joe King...and is named Joe King in the film; interesting, and a character actor you may recognize. Margaret Hamilton has a charming role as the spinster out to wed the doctor...and she succeeds; unfortunately, her screen time fades as the movie progresses. Unfortunately, Fuzzy Knight plays a likable hillbilly here; for a change I found him tolerable. Elisabeth Risdon plays the mother; another character actor you'll recognize, and this was typical of the roles she often played. Marcia Mae Jones plays the younger daughter well, and you'll recognize here as well (you may remember her as the semi-invalid daughter in Shirley Temple's "Heidi").I rarely give "8"'s, but I am here. This is a forgotten gem!

grafxman The movie is entertaining but bears absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to hillbillies I grew up with. Behaving the way he does, the father character would have been shot dead in his teenage years where I come from in West Virginia. A brutal thug like him would never have fathered any children if he did survive because no woman would ever have married him.In the hillbilly culture where I come from, the family group is typically one of matriarchy. As for the father selecting his daughter's husband, that is totally and completely ludicrous. In the hillbilly culture I grew up in, father's will typically object strenuously to their daughter's selection of a mate but that's only because he doesn't want her to leave the house.As for the doctoring there, most people don't go to doctors or dentists. The hillbilly medical practice goes like this: you ignore the pain until it either goes away or gets so bad you can't stand it and you have to go see a doctor. If it goes away, which it usually does, then you didn't need a doctor anyway. If it gets so bad you can't stand it then maybe it's something serious or maybe it's something you can live with. Dental practice goes like this: you never do anything to your teeth until the cavities get so bad you can't stand the pain. Then you go to the dentist, get them pulled and get false teeth.Personally speaking, I never brushed my teeth until I joined the Navy in 1963! I never took a shower either! Needless to say, those bad practices and habits were quickly altered in boot camp.