STARS IN MY CROWN

US, 1950, 85 minutes, Black and white.
Joel Mc Rea, Ellen Drew, Dean Stockwell, James Mitchell, Alan Hale, Connie Gilchrist, Juano Fernandez, Ed Begley.
Directed by Jacques Tourneur.

Stars in my Crown is what might be called a peaceful western, with religious overtones. It is the story of a peaceful town, the story of the parson, his wife and his wife’s nephew, With the star turn by Joel Mc Rea, actor in so many genres specialising in Westerns. By this time, Dean Stockwell had established himself as one of the best child actors in Hollywood. The film has several character actors in support, especially Alan Hale and ed Begley in a typical bullying role, and James Mitchell as the local doctor, son of Lewis Stone. The film was directed by Jacques Tourneur, who had began his career with the number of horror films for Val Lewton.

The title is the name of a very popular religious hymn in the 19th century.

1. The title? Evocation? United States? Religious? Old time religion?

2. MGM production values, black-and-white photography, the old American town, after the Civil War? The church, the store, the parsonage, farms?

3. The narrative, the older John, his tone, confiding in the audience?

4. The parson, arriving, going to the saloon, the guns, preaching, everyone’s reaction, preaching everywhere in homes at other places, his popularity, Harriet admiring him, marrying her, the parsonage, John as Harriet nephew, the building of the church?

5. The people of the town, Jed and his working with the parson during the Civil Walk, his range of sons, not going to church, his wife cooking? The old doctor and his popularity in the town? His son arriving, the teacher, the children, classes? Backett, Uncle Famous, the mining men, the ladies of the church?

6. The church, the services, the preaching, the singing of the hymns, the parson
disputing his wife’s choices of the hymns?

7. The doctor, chatting with the parson, smoking his pipe, dying? His son, non-religious, hard in his attitude, trading comments with the parson, his meeting with Faith, courting, the day out, returning at his father’s dying? Sadness, the funeral? His proposal to Faith, wanting her to leave everything and leave with him? The typhoid, John as victim, his collapse after the magic show, getting better, the many getting sick in town, the deaths, Faith and her illness, people not trusting the doctor, the woman and her injured wrist and saying it would be all right? The parson coming to pray for Faith? recovery? The mellowing of the doctor?

8. John, his age, energy, at home in the parsonage, imitating the parson, fishing with Uncle Famous, going fishing, his friendship with Jed’s boy, Professor Jones coming to town, the magic, trying to sell the parson, everyone coming, John chosen for the tricks, drinking from the well, the typhoid, the long illness, recovery, the truth about the well, settling down?

9. Backett, the land, the store, the mine? Offers to Uncle Famous,, the refusal, the next offer, Famous not wanting to be rich, owning the land, the destruction of crops, the freedom for the African-Americans? The visit of the Ku Klux Klan? The parson, his challenging the men at the store, going to the house, the Klan, the rope, the parson’s speech and nominating all that the men had received from Uncle Famous, his will? The men leaving? John and his being present, the blank pages?

10. Themes of racism after the Civil War?

11. Life going back to normal in the town, the church? Pleasing story, and a different west?