DramaWestern

Stars in My Crown

- "Take Your Choice...Either I Speak...Or My Pistols Do!"

Civil War veteran Josiah Grey comes to a small town to be a gospel minister. In time, he has a family and many friends but also finds friction with a few of his parishioners.

Release Date : 1950-05-11

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Josiah Doziah Gray

Original Name : Joel McCrea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harriet Gray

Original Name : Ellen Drew

Gender : Female

Character Name : John Kenyon

Original Name : Dean Stockwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jed Isbell

Original Name : Alan Hale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Daniel Kalbert Harris, Sr.

Original Name : Lewis Stone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Daniel Kalbert Harris, Jr.

Original Name : James Mitchell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Faith Radmore Samuels

Original Name : Amanda Blake

Gender : Female

Character Name : Uncle Famous Prill

Original Name : Juano Hernández

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prof. Sam Houston Jones

Original Name : Charles Kemper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sarah Isbell

Original Name : Connie Gilchrist

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lon Backett

Original Name : Ed Begley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Perry Lokey

Original Name : Jack Lambert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chloroform Wiggins

Original Name : Arthur Hunnicutt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narrator (adult John Kenyon) (voice)

Original Name : Marshall Thompson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rolfe Isbell (uncredited)

Original Name : James Arness

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Belsher (uncredited)

Original Name : Polly Bailey

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jed Isbell (uncredited)

Original Name : Chuck Courtney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Granny Gailbraith (uncredited)

Original Name : Adeline De Walt Reynolds

Gender : Female

Character Name : Clyde Chapman (uncredited)

Original Name : Edmund Glover

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bessie - Maid (uncredited)

Original Name : Jessica Grayson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ned (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Kilian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Chapman (uncredited)

Original Name : Patricia Miller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Backett (uncredited)

Original Name : Rhea Mitchell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Chase Isbell (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Ollestad

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman

Original Name : Carl Pitti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry 'Snub' Pollard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gene Caldwell (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Watson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Thad Carroll (uncredited)

Original Name : Wilson Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Eula Guy

Gender : Female

Character Name : Drunk in Saloon (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Mills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Annie (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Jessie Arnold

Gender : Female

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bain

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Margaret Bert

Gender : Female

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Helen Brown

Gender : Female

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Matilda Caldwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Cherry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cade Isbell (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Clauson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Datig Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Helen Eby-Rock

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tom Isbell (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Hodges

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jimmie Horan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Johnstone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Kunde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Baron James Lichter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Mathew McCue

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Philo McCullough

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bobby Sam Carroll (uncredited)

Original Name : Jimmy Moss

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Patsy O'Byrne

Gender : Female

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Pharr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : James Pierce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Pitti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Alice Richey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Buddy Roosevelt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Schumacher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Tex Terry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barfly (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Tornek

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Connie Van

Gender : Female

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Yellow backs in fancy dress. Stars in My Crown is directed by Jacques Tourneur and written by Joe David Brown and Margaret Fitts. It stars Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew, Dean Stockwell, Alan Hale, Lewis Stone, James Mitchell, Amanda Blake and Juano Hernandez. Music is by Adolph Deutsch and cinematography by Charles Schoenbaum. It's post the American Civil War and we are in the Southern town of Walsburg. Preacher Josiah Gray (McCrea) arrives in town and promptly settles down to become an important part of the community. Soon he will come face to face with two killer diseases, that of typhoid and racial hatred. First off it should be noted that some plot synopsis' and poster art are off base, McCrea's preacher is not a gun toting dude willing to use guns to further his causes, it's a brief scene flecked with humour. Also note that the Ku Klux Klan is not mentioned in this, the gang at the centre of the race hatred here are called The Night Riders (Nightriders perhaps?). A veer from what we know as the norm for a Tourneur movie, this only really suffers from being a little too precious and naturally dated in its depictions of small town church life and racial bigotry. But that said, it's such a warm involving picture that is performed and directed with skill, it's almost impossible not to feel good about things come the closure of the play. Story thrives on community strengths and weakness, delicately blending both to show optimism on offer in spite of human fallibilities. The battle between faith and medicine in nicely played, refusing to force feed one or the other, whilst the key scene as the racial hatred reached its vilest peak is potent and hits all the right notes. Cliches and stereotypes are within, perhaps unsurprisingly for the era of film making, while Hernandez's black character is written as far too passive to be utterly comfortable. It also would have been nice to have had more of Charles Kemper's ebullient medicine show host, but complaints are small here and Stars in My Crown is a worthy and comfort food kinda picture. 7/10