The Magnificent Yankee
1950 · Movie · NR · 89 min · ★ 5.9
When 61-year-old Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. arrives in Washington DC in 1902 to take his seat on the Supreme Court, he worries that he may be to old to achieve much. But his wife Fanny will hear no such nonsense: "It's never too late for those who love a good fight, for those who keep on looking ahead!" Fanny is right. Holmes will remain on the Court for 30 years, helping bring about momentous changes in the law of free speech, labor relations and other vital issues. But one thing would never change - the bedrock devotion Holmes and Fanny shared. Louis Calhern reprises his famed Broadway role (earning a 1950 Best Actor Oscar nomination) as the Great Dissenter in this moving, lively and often humorous biography of The Magnificent Yankee.
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Details
- Years
- 1950
- Release date
- 1950-12-20
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 89 min
- TMDB rating
- 5.9/10 (8 votes)
Themes
- biography
- historical figure
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Actor · 1951 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design, Black-and-White · 1951 · nominated
Cast & crew
Louis Calhern
as Oliver Wendell Holmes
Ann Harding
as Fanny Bowditch Holmes
Eduard Franz
as Louis Brandeis
Philip Ober
as Owen Wister / Narrator (voice)
Ian Wolfe
as Adams
Edith Evanson
as Annie Gough
Herbert Anderson
as Baxter
Richard Anderson
as Reynolds
Jimmy Lydon
as Clinton
- DA
David Alpert
as Secretary (uncredited)
Directed by John Sturges