The Magnificent Yankee

A quiet, excellent rendering of Lavery's long-running Broadway play (which also starred Calhern), THE MAGNIFICENT YANKEE is the story of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and his rise to the acme of American jurisprudence. In following his career, the movie charts contemporary history, but without neglecting Holmes's personal life, particularly his touching relationship with his wife Fanny (Harding, in one of the few good roles she enjoyed at this stage of her career). Also portrayed are Louis Brandeis (Franz) and Holmes's close friend, author Owen Wister (Ober), whose literate narration never intrudes upon the drama. MGM producers were not surprised at the film's critica...