Intruder in the Dust
1949 · Movie · NR · 87 min · ★ 7.4 · 88% critics
In 1940s Mississippi, a proud Black landowner is arrested after being found at a white man's death scene. As a lynch mob threatens to form, a local boy pushes a reluctant lawyer to look closer, turning the case into a tense fight over truth, justice, and racial hatred.
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Details
- Years
- 1949
- Release date
- 1949-11-22
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (50 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a serious, old-school courtroom-adjacent mystery about racism and wrongful accusation, especially if The Wrong Man or The Defiant Ones worked for you; Not for you if you dislike heavy moral speeches or dated storytelling.
Pros: tense social drama; strong lead performance; compelling mystery | Cons: preachy dialogue; uneven acting; implausible turns
Themes
- small town
- based on novel or book
- mississippi river
- falsely accused
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Cast & crew
David Brian
as John Gavin Stevens
Claude Jarman Jr.
as Chick Mallison
Juano Hernández
as Lucas Beauchamp
Porter Hall
as Nub Gowrie
Elizabeth Patterson
as Miss Eunice Habersham
Charles Kemper
as Crawford Gowrie
Will Geer
as Sheriff Hampton
David Clarke
as Vinson Gowrie
Elzie Emanuel
as Aleck
Lela Bliss
as Mrs. Mallison
Directed by Clarence Brown