''The Howards of Virginia'' is a 1940 American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a British-born American film director, actor, scriptwriter, and producer. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its preside ...

, released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, and based on the book ''The Tree of Liberty'' written by Elizabeth Page. The Howards of Virginia live through the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, with

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...

starring as Matt Howard, Martha Scott starring as his wife Jane Peyton Howard, and Alan Marshal and Sir Cedric Hardwicke starring as Jane's brothers Roger and Fleetwood Peyton. Fleetwood Peyton is Jane's elder brother, the patriarch of his family, and a member of the

Tidewater Tidewater may refer to: * Tidewater (region), a geographic area of southeast Virginia, southern Maryland, and northeast North Carolina. ** Tidewater accent, an accent of American English associated with the Tidewater region of Virginia * Tidewater ...

aristocracy. The film includes a look at the young Matt Howard, Thomas Jefferson, and Jane Peyton. Much of the film was shot at

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location ...

, much of which had only been recently restored or reconstructed at the time of the production. The Capitol,

Raleigh Tavern The Raleigh Tavern was a tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was one of the largest taverns in colonial Virginia. It gained some fame in the pre- American Revolutionary War Colony of Virginia as a gathering place for legislators after severa ...

, and Governor's Palace are prominently featured.

Plot

In 1755, the father of 12-year-old Matt Howard ( Dickie Jones) joins the Braddock Expedition against the French in the Ohio Country after being promised of land. Matt learns that his father died during the military expedition, and is consoled by his schoolmate and friend

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

(Buster Phelps). Matt (

), now an adult and accomplished backwoodsman, sells the family farm in order to settle in Ohio. When saying farewell to Jefferson (played as an adult by Richard Carlson), Matt is tricked into meeting several members of high society, including the snobbish, wealthy royalist Fleetwood Peyton ( Sir Cedric Hardwicke) and his beautiful sister, Jane ( Martha Scott). The Peytons snub him when they discover he's a common farmer and not a landed gentlemen (as Jefferson had implied). Matt falls in love with Jane. Fleetwood, certain Jane will turn Matt down, permits Howard to propose to her in order to humiliate the farmer. Matt buys a farm in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridg ...

and erects a home there. When Matt returns, Jane (thrilled by Matt's republicanism and colonial spirit) shocks her family by accepting his proposal of marriage. Fleetwood repairs his relationship with Jane by giving her the diamond-encrusted Peyton family necklace. Matt and Jane take up residence at Matt's new farm. Jane is shocked at the crude manners of the settlers, but Matt's vision of the future overcomes her worries. Jane and Matt work together, and the Howard's Albemarle Plantation takes shape. Their first child, Peyton, is born with a clubfoot (like his namesake uncle). Matt is ashamed of Peyton's disability. Jane has a daughter, Mary, and a second son, James. Despite her frontier spirit, Jane remains something of a snob. Jefferson visits Albemarle and shows Matt how unhappy Jane is living on the frontier. In order to justify returning to Williamsburg for several months without sacrificing his pride, Matt agrees to run for the Virginia

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been establishe ...

in 1765. He easily wins the election. Matt feuds with Fleetwood in the legislature, and is exposed to anti-British feeling and thought for the first time. Revolutionary fervor strikes the American colonies, and Matt spends more and more time away from Albemarle to join Jefferson in Williamsburg in resisting the British crown. Fearing Indian attack, Jane moves from Albemarle to Williamsburg to be near Matt. When Matt decides to go to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

to fight for independence, Jane demands that he stay in Virginia and confronts Matt regarding his rejection of Peyton. Matt leaves, causing a rupture in his marriage. Jane and her children move in with Fleetwood. The

breaks out, and Matt becomes a captain in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. Unable to pay his taxes with credit, Fleetwood is forced to sell much of his land. He turns to drink, and throws Peyton and James out of his house when they support their father and Jefferson. Peyton and James find their father near-starvation in winter camp, and join the army. Fleetwood embraces the royalist cause. His health declines and he becomes mentally ill. Matt discovers that James' allegiance to the revolutionary cause is weak, and realizes how much he has neglected Peyton. James wins leave and goes home to Williamsburg. Peyton remains with his father and the army. While acting as a courier for the army, Peyton is wounded. Matt and the Continental Army march to Williamsburg in order to surround Cornwallis at Yorktown. Matt learns Peyton was taken to Fleetwood's home to recuperate. He rushes to his son's side, reunites with his family, and reconciles with Jane after confessing how he mistreated Peyton.

Cast

as Matt Howard * Martha Scott as Jane Peyton Howard * Richard Carlson as

* Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Fleetwood Peyton * Alan Marshal as Roger Peyton * Phil Taylor as Peyton Howard at 18 * Rita Quigley as Mary Howard at age 17 * Tom Drake (as Richard Alden) as James Howard at 16 *

Irving Bacon Irving Bacon (born Irving Von Peters; September 6, 1893 – February 5, 1965) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 500 films. Early years Bacon was the son of entertainers Millar Bacon and Myrtle Vane. He was born in St. Jos ...

as Tom Norton * Libby Taylor as Dicey *

Richard Gaines Richard Houston Gaines (July 23, 1904 – July 20, 1975) was an American actor. He appeared in over 75 film and television productions between 1940 and 1962. Early years Gaines was born in Indian Territory and grew up in Texas, learning "to h ...

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...

* Paul Kelly as Captain Jabez Allen * George Houston as

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

Elisabeth Risdon Elisabeth Risdon (born Daisy Cartwright Risdon; 26 April 1887 – 20 December 1958) was an English film actress. She appeared in more than 140 films between 1913 and 1952. A beauty in her youth, she usually played in society parts. In later ...

as Aunt Clarissa * Dickie Jones as Matt Howard at 12 *

Buster Phelps Buster Phelps (November 5, 1926 – January 10, 1983) was an American actor. Phelps debuted on film when he was a child. When the mother of another child had booked two simultaneous film sessions for that youngster, she contacted Phelps' mothe ...

as Thomas Jefferson at 11 * Ralph Byrd as James Howard

Award nominations

Richard Hageman was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by t ...

, while

Jack Whitney Jack Whitney (February 21, 1905 – November 2, 1992) was an American sound engineer. He won two Academy Awards, one for Best Sound Recording and the other for Best Visual Effects. He was nominated six more times in the category Best Soun ...

was in contention for Best Sound Recording.

Notes

* ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'': February 15, 1939 * ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'': April 13, 1940 * ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'': September 4, 1940 * ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'': September 27, 1940

References

External links