Editing The Magnificent Yankee (1950 film)

{{Short description|1950 film by John Sturges}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Magnificent Yankee
| image          = The Magnificent Yankee (1950 film).jpg
| director       = [[John Sturges]]
| producer       = [[Armand Deutsch]]
| writer         = [[Emmet Lavery]] (play)<br>[[Francis Biddle]]
| starring       = [[Louis Calhern]]<br>[[Ann Harding]]<br>[[Eduard Franz]]<br>[[Philip Ober]]
| music          = [[David Raksin]]
| cinematography = [[Joseph Ruttenberg]]
| editing        = [[Ferris Webster]]
| distributor    = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| released       = {{Film date|1950}}
| runtime        = 89 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $639,000<ref name="Mannix">{{cite book|title=The Eddie Mannix Ledger|journal=Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television|volume=12|issue=2|pages=127–144|isbn=978-1-4391-0791-1|publisher=[[Margaret Herrick Library]], [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|location=[[Los Angeles]]|doi=10.1080/01439689200260081|year=1992|last1=Glancy|first1=H. Mark}}.</ref><ref name="sturges">{{cite book|first=Glenn|last=Lovell|title=Escape Artist: The Life and Films of John Sturges|publisher=[[University of Wisconsin Press]]|year=2008|page=64|isbn=978-0299228347}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Magnificent Yankee''''' is a 1950 American biographical film adapted by [[Emmet Lavery]] from his 1946 play of the same title, which was in turn adapted from the 1942 book ''Mr. Justice Holmes'' by [[Francis Biddle]]. The story examines the life of [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] Justice [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.]]

The film was directed by [[John Sturges]], with stars [[Louis Calhern]], [[Ann Harding]], [[Eduard Franz]], and [[Philip Ober]]. Calhern created the role of Oliver Wendell Holmes in the original [[Broadway theatres|Broadway]] production. Calhern began as a leading man in silent films but became  primarily a character actor with the arrival of the sound era. His portrayal of Holmes was his only true starring role in a sound film. A grateful [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] purchased the film rights to the play specifically for Calhern in appreciation for his consistently fine work in many supporting roles during his years with the studio.

The film was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor in a Leading Role]] (Louis Calhern) and [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design, Black-and-White]].

A ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'' television [[The Magnificent Yankee (1965 film)|production of the same title]] was broadcast in 1965 starring [[Alfred Lunt]] and [[Lynn Fontanne]].

==Plot==
{{no plot|Mdate=December 2023|date=February 2024}}
[[Supreme Court Justice]] [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.|Oliver Wendell]] Holmes spends his leisure time at his home, where he entertains guests with the assistance of his loving wife, Fanny. His most trusted friend is Judge [[Louis Brandeis]], with whom he spends hours debating the law. When Fanny dies, Holmes is heartbroken and aimless, but he finds direction again by dedicating himself to his court duties and teaching the Harvard law clerks who come to work for him.

==Cast==
* [[Louis Calhern]] as Justice [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.]]
* [[Ann Harding]] as Fanny Bowditch Holmes
* [[Philip Ober]] as [[Owen Wister]]
* [[Eduard Franz]] as Justice [[Louis Brandeis]]
* [[Ian Wolfe]] as [[Henry Adams]]
* [[Edith Evanson]] as Annie Gough
* [[Jimmy Lydon]] as Clinton
* [[Richard Anderson]] as Reynolds
* [[Herbert Anderson]] as Baxter
* [[Hayden Rorke]] as Graham (uncredited)
* [[Dan Tobin]] as Dixon (uncredited)

==Release==
The film was well received by critics. While produced on a relatively modest budget, the movie initially earned just $487,000 in the US and Canada and $76,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss to MGM of $471,000.<ref name="Mannix"/>

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[23rd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
| [[Louis Calhern]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1951 |title=The 23rd Academy Awards (1951) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093818/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/23rd-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design – Black-and-White]]
| [[Walter Plunkett]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[8th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Louis Calhern
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://goldenglobes.com/film/the-magnificent-yankee/ |title=The Magnificent Yankee |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=November 30, 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Music==
For his score for this film, [[David Raksin]] incorporated the songs "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", "Auld Lang Syne," and a portion of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square." Raksin also conducted the score.<ref>{{cite journal|title=David Raksin at MGM (1950-1957)|others=David Raksin|year=2009|url=http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/notes/magnificent_yankee.html|last=Bettencourt|first=Scott|type=CD online notes|journal=[[Film Score Monthly]]|volume=12|issue=2|language=en}}</ref>

The complete score was issued on CD in 2009, on [[Film Score Monthly]] records.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0042702}}

{{John Sturges}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnificent Yankee (1950 film), The}}
[[Category:1950 films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American courtroom films]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Sturges]]
[[Category:Films scored by David Raksin]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:American films based on plays]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.]]
[[Category:Films based on adaptations]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1900s]]
[[Category:American historical films]]
[[Category:1950s historical films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:English-language historical films]]


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