JohnHowardReid Producer: Frank Lloyd. Copyright 14 September 1940 by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening at Radio City Music Hall, 26 September, 1940. U.S. release: 19 September 1940. Australian release: 10 April 1941. 13 reels. 10,416 feet. 115½ minutes.Australian release title: The TREE OF LIBERTY.SYNOPSIS: Backwoods surveyor marries an aristocratic Virginian.COMMENT: How my grandfather would have enjoyed this film! Unfortunately, he never saw it, not realizing that the Australian title masked a fairly faithful account of the American Howards. Admittedly, Cary Grant is atrociously miscast and feels he is obliged to render every line as loudly as possible in a curious mixture of Irish and Cockney accents. His co-star Martha Scott is also not wholly enjoyable, being both too stiff and too dull for the albeit conventional role of vivacious, lively heiress.Some of the support players are equally maladroit, particularly Richard Carlson's Tom Jefferson, and Irving Bacon, almost unrecognizably miscast as an Olin Howland-type backwoodsman.Nonetheless, ranged on the credit side of the acting ledger, Sir Cedric Hardwicke gives an unforgettably powerful performance as the embittered Fleetwood, one of his most memorable studies in well-rounded heavies. He's a malevolent character in many respects, but you can't help feeling sorry for him. That's real acting. Probably Hardwicke's best role ever, eclipsing even his hard-hearted Ralph Nickleby. He certainly wipes out the rest of the cast - with the exception of Alan Marshal who makes an excellent foil as the tippling Roger.If (Sir Cedric aside), the acting is largely second-rate, part of the fault can be attributed to the hokey script by Sidney Buchman of all people (Mr Smith Goes To Washing¬ton, The Talk of the Town, A Song To Remember). Its drama is forced, its humor unfunny, its dialogue often embarrass¬ingly amateurish. Hard to believe it's the same writer who did such a witty, polishing job on The Talk of the Town.As a director, Frank Lloyd is not always skilful with players. Action and spectacle are his forte. Fortunately, The Howards of Virginia has its share of such scenes. Moreover, Lloyd is joined by Hollywood's most inventive montage expert, Slavko Vorkapich, in creating some thrilling pre-Revolutionary episodes of dispatch-riders galloping furiously to the assembly. The sets and locations are often breathtaking.Best of all, is the music. Richard Hageman has constructed a wonderfully stirring score. The opening, credits in which the title card flashes on the screen orchestrated by the Liberty Bell, is one of the great moments of forties' cinema.

whpratt1 Never realized that Cary Grant appeared in a film which concerned the American Revolution or that he even was willing to give his talents to this type of film. I later found out that Cary Grant did not like this role he was playing in the film and made it a point to never appear in such a film. Many people felt that Cary Grant was not suited for his role in this film and felt he should have turned down this role. There are great supporting actors in this film which are Martha Scott, (Jane Peyton Howard) and Cary Grant, ( Matt Howard) and also Cedric Hardwicke,(Fleetwood Peyton). This film deals with the Boston Tea Party which means that the British were enacting a tax on the people of Boston and the people of Boston were very rebellious against such legislation and made the statement, "No Representation with out Taxitation." You must agree this is not really a Cary Grant film, he was placed in a film which he should never had appear in.

John White The only reason I watched this film was to see my Grandfather. He is the guy who hands Cary the bottle of booze in the house, then is shown again when Martha Scott comes out of her room and sits at the table. He is standing just to the left of her (screen left). But back to the flick. Cary was too hyper in this film. Everything he did was at 100 miles per hour! And that hair was the worst! Oh well. All of Cary's other movies more than make-up for this one. By the way, my grandfather's name is Dan White (I) (imdb.com)

Calysta Such a thing as outright disastrous Cary Grant exists in the form of the emotionally unstirring catastrophic period piece which engages top talent for all the wrong reasons.The screenplay remains the biggest fault of the movie, due to mindless indulgence of the writer about Virginian high society and love that comes in the most rigid form of unconvincing passion. Frank Llyold's idiotic and alarmingly dated direction doesn't help ailing elements any further. Cary Grant would have been better off fronting his appearance under a different name. He looks ridiculous in a long haired wig, and with an unconvincing accent, seems an embarrassment amongst the most elegant folk in Virginia.After a succession of brilliant Cary Grant projects at Columbia, the dated ill fate and dull proceeding of this movie makes one wonder at the film's very existence.The best movie of *1927*. The pioneers of sound could have made more interesting short work of this as a cinematic experiment. Maybe it would have been more successful.Rating: 4/10