''The Walls of Jericho'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by

John M. Stahl John Malcolm Stahl (January 21, 1886 – January 12, 1950) was an American film director and producer. Life and work He was born Jacob Morris Strelitsky in Baku (Azerbaijan) to a Russian Jewish family. When he was a child, his family le ...

, written by Lamar Trotti, and starring

Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...

Linda Darnell Linda Darnell (born Monetta Eloyse Darnell; October 16, 1923 – April 10, 1965) was an American actress. Darnell progressed from modeling as a child to acting in theater and film. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in ...

Anne Baxter Anne Baxter (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 1985) was an American actress, star of Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television series. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Emmy. A granddaughter of Fra ...

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

Ann Dvorak Ann Dvorak (born Anna McKim; August 2, 1911 – December 10, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. Asked how to pronounce her adopted surname, she told ''The Literary Digest'' in 1936: "My fake name is properly pronounced ''vor'shack ...

Colleen Townsend Colleen Townsend, Mrs. Louis Evans (born December 21, 1928) is an American actress, author and humanitarian. Early years Townsend was born in Glendale, California. She attended Brigham Young University, leaving during her sophomore year to pu ...

and

Marjorie Rambeau Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...

. It was released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

on August 4, 1948.

Plot

County attorney Dave Connors is stuck in an unhappy marriage to his wife Belle. He invites his friends, newly married Tucker and Algeria Wedge, to come and visit. Algeria is secretly attracted to Dave and is frustrated that he doesn't return her feelings. When Dave decides to run for senator, Algeria encourages Tucker to run as well in an effort to make Tucker more like Dave. Dave is reunited with an old friend, Julia Norman. She has been in love with Dave since childhood, and as they spend more time together, Dave begins to fall in love with her as well. They begin an affair, but they feel guilty over Dave's marriage to Belle. Julia decides to leave Jericho. Marjorie Ransom, a mutual friend of Dave and Julia, runs away from home one night and accidentally kills a man who was harassing her. She goes to Julia for help, and she and Dave agree to help her. Algeria has learned of Julia and Dave's affair and uses this information to spoil the trial and ruin Dave's chances of being elected as senator. Algeria tells Belle of Dave's infidelity. Belle shoots Dave, leaving Julia to defend Marjorie in court. Julia uses the opportunity to defend herself and Dave's relationship as well as publicly question Algeria's own obsession with Dave. Marjorie is found not guilty. The film ends with Julia going to visit Dave in the hospital.

Cast

as Dave Connors *

as Algeria Wedge *

as Julia Norman *

as Tucker Wedge *

as Belle Connors *

as Mrs. Dunham *

Henry Hull Henry Watterson Hull (October 3, 1890 – March 8, 1977) was an American character actor perhaps best known for playing the lead in Universal Pictures's ''Werewolf of London'' (1935). For most of his career, he was a lead actor on stage and a ch ...

as Jefferson Norman *

as Marjorie Ransome *

Barton MacLane Barton MacLane (December 25, 1902 – January 1, 1969) was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, including his role as General Martin Peterson on the 1960s NBC ...

as Gotch McCurdy *

Griff Barnett Griff Barnett (born Manley Griffith, November 12, 1884 – January 12, 1958) was an American actor.(17 January 1958) ''The New York Times'' Barnett was born in Blue Ridge, Texas in 1884. In the early 20th century, Barnett was a member of the ...

as Judge Hutto *

William Tracy William Tracy (December 1, 1917 – June 18, 1967) was an American character actor. Early life and career Tracy was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is perhaps best known for the role of Pepi Katona, the delivery boy, in ''The Shop ...

as Cully Caxton * Art Baker as Peddigrew *

Gene Nelson Gene Nelson (born Leander Eugene Berg; March 24, 1920 – September 16, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, screenwriter, and director. Biography Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he and his family moved to Seattle when he wa ...

as Assistant Prosecutor, uncredited

References

External links

* * 1948 films 1948 drama films American legal drama films American political drama films Films directed by John M. Stahl 20th Century Fox films Films based on American novels Adultery in films Films set in the 1900s Films set in Kansas Films scored by Cyril J. Mockridge 1940s legal films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-drama-film-stub