''The Judge Steps Out'' is a 1948 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Boris Ingster and written by Ingster and

Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film '' Wilson'' (1944). ...

. The film stars Knox and

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

, along with

George Tobias George Tobias (July 14, 1901 – February 27, 1980) was an American theater, film and television actor. He had character parts and supporting roles in several major films of Hollywood's Golden Age. He is also known for his role as Abner K ...

Sharyn Moffett Patricia Sharyn Moffett (September 12, 1936 – December 23, 2021) was an American child actress who appeared in films during the 1940s. Life and career Moffett was born in Alameda, California on September 12, 1936, to a show business family. He ...

Florence Bates Florence Bates ( Rabe; April 15, 1888 - January 31, 1954), was an American film and stage character actress who often played grande dame characters in supporting roles. Life and career Bates was the second child born to Jewish immigrant pare ...

Frieda Inescort Frieda Inescort (born Frieda Wrightman, 29 June 1901 – 26 February 1976) was a Scottish-born actress best known for creating the role of Sorel Bliss in Noël Coward's play ''Hay Fever'' on Broadway. She also played the shingled lady in Joh ...

and

Myrna Dell Myrna Dell (born Marilyn Adele Dunlap; March 5, 1924 – February 11, 2011) was an American actress, model, and writer who appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs over four decades. A Hollywood glamour girl in the early pa ...

. The film was completed in March 1947, but its American release was held up until June 2, 1949, by

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

. The film was retitled ''Indian Summer'' in Great Britain and the Commonwealth.08 Mar 1949 -p.2 ''Geraldton Guardian'' - 8 March 1949

Plot

Thomas Bailey is bored with his job as a probate judge in Boston and appears to be just going through the motions as he decides against a mother in a custody case in favor of the child’s more conservative grandfather. At home, he’s a milquetoast to his self-centered and domineering wife Evelyn, who appears to despise her husband for his lack of ambition. She tries to get him a position as a Washington lobbyist for a large industrial company. Tom agrees to go to Washington to check things out. While on the train he develops what appears to be an ulcer and stops at a small town where the local doctor prescribes a break from everything, both family and business. Tom takes some time out to go fishing, forgetting to send a telegram to his wife. Feeling guilty about this short respite, he returns home to overhear his wife speaking disparagingly about him to her friends. He slips out of the house unnoticed and, after weeks of travelling across the country, finds a job as a short-order cook at a roadside cafe in California run by a woman called Peggy (Ann Sothern). Tom is happy in his new life, and he and Peggy fall in love. However Peggy is trying to adopt a girl, Nan, and is struggling with the legal process. Tom tries to help with adoption papers, but Peggy is rejected. Tom realizes that the courts are prejudiced against Peggy, partly because she is unmarried and has a man living in her restaurant/residence. Moreover, he realizes that he himself was prejudiced in his decision against the woman at the beginning of the movie. He perfunctorily handed over the woman’s child to her grandfather simply because he was rich and had gone to Harvard. Tom returns to Boston to resolve this miscarriage of justice, and succeeds with both. While appealing the case to the Appellate court he is offered a seat on the bench. He declines this as he wishes to return to California, Peggy and Nan. Planning to end things with Evelyn, he finds she has changed. She is now less self-centred; more empathetic and almost loving towards Tom. Despite Evelyn's sadness, Tom prepares to return to California. He arrives at the train station but realizes that he loves the law, and that running off to California is only a childish dream. Unexpectedly, Peggy shows up at the station and, in a brief exchange, they explain how they have each found happiness; Peggy with Nan, and Tom in Boston. Tom gives his ticket to Peggy for her to return to California, and they part affectionately. Tom watches the train leave, and returns to his home.

Cast

as Judge Thomas Bailey *

as Peggy *

as Mike *

as Nan *

as Chita *

as Evelyn Bailey *

as Mrs. Joan Winthrop *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as ...

as Hector Brown *

H. B. Warner Henry Byron Warner (born Henry Byron Lickfold, 26 October 1876 – 21 December 1958) was an English film and theatre actor. He was popular during the silent era and played Jesus Christ in '' The King of Kings''. In later years, he successfu ...

as Chief Justice Hayes *

Martha Hyer Martha Hyer (August 10, 1924 – May 31, 2014) was an American actress who played Gwen French in ''Some Came Running'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her autobiography, ''Finding My Way ...

as Catherine Bailey Struthers III * James Warren as John Struthers III *

Whitford Kane Whitford Kane (born Thomas Wheeler Kane, January 30, 1881 – December 17, 1956) was a noted Irish-born American stage and screen character actor remembered for playing the First Gravedigger in numerous productions of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' and ...

as Dr. Charles P. Boyd *

Harry Hayden Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

as Judge Davis *

Anita Sharp-Bolster Anita Sharp-Bolster (28 August 1895 – 1 June 1985) was an Irish-born American actress who appeared in 88 films and 12 TV series from 1928 to 1978. She was sometimes billed as Anita Bolster. Early life She was born 28 August 1895 in Glen ...

as Martha, the Maid

Reception

The film recorded a loss of $650,000.Richard B. Jewell, ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures'', Uni of California, 2016

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Judge Steps Out, The 1948 films American black-and-white films RKO Pictures films American comedy films 1948 comedy films Films scored by Leigh Harline 1949 comedy films 1949 films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films