The Sun Shines Bright
Screening on Film
Directed by John Ford .
With Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, Stepin Fetchit.
US, 1953, 35mm, color, 90 min.
With Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, Stepin Fetchit.
US, 1953, 35mm, color, 90 min.
This was often cited by Ford as the favorite of his films, which is, frankly, an odd choice. It’s a remake of Judge Priest, with Charles Winninger replacing the late Will Rogers but with Stepin Fetchit still doing his slow-motion black man. More than most, The Sun Shines Bright divides Ford afficionados, between those who find it deliriously personal (and therefore good) and those who see the film as unhappily retro in its racial politics.
