Friendly Persuasion (1956)

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  • FRIENDLY PERSUASION


    PRODUCED & DIRECTED BY WILLIAM WYLER
    MUSIC BY DIMITRI TIOMKIN
    B-M PRODUCTIONS
    ALLIED ARTISTS PICTURES CORPORATION (William Wyler's Production)


    Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas


    Information from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    The story of a family of Quakers in Indiana in 1862.
    Their religous sect is strongly opposed to violence and war.
    It's not easy for them to meet the rules of their religion in everyday life
    but when Southern troops pass the area they are in real trouble.
    Should they fight, despite their peaceful attitide?
    Written by Olaf Mertens


    Full Cast
    Gary Cooper ... Jess Birdwell
    Dorothy McGuire ... Eliza Birdwell
    Anthony Perkins ... Josh Birdwell
    Richard Eyer ... Little Jess Birdwell
    Robert Middleton ... Sam Jordan
    Phyllis Love ... Mattie Birdwell
    Peter Mark Richman ... Gard Jordan (as Mark Richman)
    Walter Catlett ... Professor Quigley
    Richard Hale ... Purdy
    Joel Fluellen ... Enoch
    Theodore Newton ... Major Harvey
    John Smith ... Caleb Cope
    Edna Skinner ... Opal Hudspeth
    Marjorie Durant ... Pearl Hudspeth
    Frances Farwell ... Ruby Hudspeth
    Samantha the Goose ... Herself
    Marjorie Main ... The Widow Hudspeth
    James Anderson ... Poor Loser Dunked by Jess (uncredited)
    Edward Andrews ... Soldier (uncredited)
    Irvin Ashkenazy ... Farmer (uncredited)
    Nick Borgani ... Wrestling Match Spectator (uncredited)
    Mary Carr ... Emma - Quaker Woman (uncredited)
    Noble 'Kid' Chissel ... Barker (uncredited)
    Edmund Cobb ... Operator (uncredited)
    John Compton ... Rebel Lieutenant (uncredited)
    Chuck Courtney ... Reb Courier (uncredited)
    John Craven ... Band Leader (uncredited)
    Billy Curtis ... Midget at County Fair (uncredited)
    Charles Delaney ... Drinker (uncredited)
    John Dierkes ... Farmer (uncredited)
    James Dobson ... Rebel Soldier (uncredited)
    Billy Engle ... Small Role (uncredited)
    Duke Fishman ... Wrestling Match Spectator (uncredited)
    Robert Fuller ... Youthful Soldier at Shooting Gallery (uncredited)
    Ralph Gamble ... Medicine Man (uncredited)
    Richard Garland ... Rebel Bushwhacker Grabbed by Jess (uncredited)
    Everett Glass ... Brother Amos - Elder (uncredited)
    James Goodwin ... Coward (uncredited)
    Frank Hagney ... Lemonade Vendor (uncredited)
    Charles Halton ... Brother Cope - Elder (uncredited)
    Ron Hargrave ... Farmer (uncredited)
    Harry Hines ... County Fair Barker (uncredited)
    Earle Hodgins ... Shooting Gallery Operator (uncredited)
    Jean Inness ... Mrs. Purdy (uncredited)
    Tom Irish ... Young Rebel (uncredited)
    Mary Jackson ... Country Woman (uncredited)
    Frank Jenks ... Shell Game Man (uncredited)
    Diane Jergens ... Elizabeth - Quaker Girl (uncredited)
    Leroy Johnson ... Forager (uncredited)
    King Karlo ... Fire Eater (uncredited)
    Don Kennedy ... Buster - Whacked by Eliza (uncredited)
    Donald Kerr ... Billy Goat's Manager (uncredited)
    Wright King ... Forager (uncredited)
    Helen Kleeb ... Old Lady (uncredited)
    Norman Leavitt ... Clem - Looter (uncredited)
    Nelson Leigh ... Methodist Minister (uncredited)
    Tom London ... Farmer on Front Line with Gard (uncredited)
    Jack Macy ... Small Role (uncredited)
    Doug McClure ... Soldier (uncredited)
    Jack McClure ... Union Soldier (uncredited)
    Tyler McVey ... Farmer (uncredited)
    Dennis Moore ... Farmer (uncredited)
    Charles Morton ... Farmer (uncredited)
    James O'Hara ... Forager (uncredited)
    Murray Parker ... Sword Swallower (uncredited)
    Jack Perrin ... Wrestling Match Spectator (uncredited)
    John Pickard ... Ex-Sergeant on Front Line with Josh (uncredited)
    Ivan Rasputin ... Billy Goat - Wrestling Challenger (uncredited)
    Gene Roth ... Farmer (uncredited)
    Henry Rowland ... O'Hara (uncredited)
    Ralph Sanford ... Businessman (uncredited)
    William Schallert ... Young Husband (uncredited)
    James Seay ... Rebel Captain (uncredited)
    Russell Simpson ... Brother Griffith - Elder (uncredited)
    Jack Sterling ... Rebel (uncredited)
    Frank Sully ... Rebel Looter (uncredited)
    William Tannen ... Supply Sergeant (uncredited)
    Joe Turkel ... Poor Loser (uncredited)
    William Vedder ... Farmer (uncredited)
    Sailor Vincent ... Wrestling Match Spectator (uncredited)
    Steve Warren ... Haskell (uncredited)
    Hart Wayne ... Farmer (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Michael Wilson (screenplay) originally uncredited
    Jessamyn West (book) contributing writer (uncredited)


    Produced
    Robert Wyler .... associate producer
    William Wyler .... producer
    Harry F. Hogan .... assistant producer (uncredited)
    Walter Mirisch .... executive producer (uncredited)


    Original Music
    Dimitri Tiomkin


    Cinematography
    Ellsworth Fredericks


    Trivia
    Originally released without screenwriting credit due to blacklisting of Michael Wilson;
    credits restored in 1996.


    The official name of the Quaker religion is Society of Friends. Members of the faith
    are called Friends and nicknamed Quakers.
    The book is called "The Friendly Persuasion", meaning the faith.
    The film is simply called "Friendly Persuasion,"
    which more specifically refers to the Quakers' way of communicating.


    Final film of Charles Halton.


    Gary Cooper initially turned the film down because he didn't believe the American public
    would accept him as a devout Quaker father.


    This was President Ronald Reagan's favorite film.
    In May 1988 he presented Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev with a VHS copy.


    The role of Jess Birdwell was originally intended for Bing Crosby,
    who turned it down and recommended his close friend Gary Cooper for the part.


    Katharine Hepburn turned down the role of Eliza Birdwell.


    Gary Cooper wanted Ingrid Bergman to play Eliza Birdwell, but she turned the part down.


    Gary Cooper hated the way he appeared in the film
    so much that he never even watched it after seeing the rushes.


    Jean Arthur was considered to play the mother.


    Gary Cooper originally did not want to play a father of grown up children.
    This was despite the fact that he was 55 in real life.


    The battle depicted in the film, against the Confederate raiders
    led by General John Hunt Morgan, is based on an actual battle.
    On July 9, 1863, 450 members of the Indiana Home Guard met
    John Hunt Morgan's raiders in battle south of the town of Corydon, Indiana
    (although not, as depicted in the film, at a creek crossing).
    The Home Guard held off the raiders for a half-hour,
    but the raiders numbered 11,000, and the Home Guard was eventually forced to retreat.
    The Morgan raiders occupied the town of Corydon for a single afternoon,
    during which time they looted stores in the town and forced
    several mill owners to pay cash ransoms in return for not burning their mills.
    At 5 o'clock, the raiders moved on. During the battle, the Morgan raiders suffered
    11 men killed and 33 wounded, while the Indiana Home Guard lost only 5 men.


    Before Gary Cooper became involved Montgomery Clift
    was offered the film but turned it down.


    Goofs
    Anachronisms
    The Minneapolis steam engine at the fair is too new for a Civil War movie.


    Character error
    When Jess Birdwell sends the children upstairs after mother Eliza
    retires to the barn, he says, "up stairs to bed, all of thee!"
    In Quaker dialect, the pronoun thee is used as the objective case of thou,
    and is used only when addressing an individual.
    He should have said, "up stairs to bed, all of you!".


    Continuity
    When Jess is grazed by a Rebel bullet, the cut runs across his forehead.
    In the next scene, the cut runs up and down.


    Crew or equipment visible
    When the two Rebel scouts come upon the creek, and one of them rides into the water,
    the light from a reflector panel becomes clearly visible across his face.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Locations
    Bidwell Park - Manzanita Avenue, Chico, California, USA
    Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Chico, California, USA
    Los Angeles, California, USA
    M & T Ranch, California, USA
    North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    Rowland V. Lee Ranch - Fallbrook Avenue, Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
    The Mabel Normand Sound Stage, Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood,
    Los Angeles, California, USA (county fair exteriors)

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited once, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Friendly Persuasion is a 1956 Civil War film
    starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer,
    Robert Middleton and Phyllis Love.


    The screenplay was adapted by Michael Wilson from the 1945 novel
    The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West, and was directed by William Wyler.


    The film tells the story of a pacifist Quaker family in southern Indiana
    during the American Civil War.
    The father of the family is gradually converted to supporting the war.


    The film was originally released with no screenwriting credit
    because Wilson was on the Hollywood blacklist.
    His credit was restored in 1996.


    A great score by Dimitri Tiomkin
    and of course that memorable theme song,
    performed by Pat Boone



    User Review

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().