Plot
Adapted from the best-selling novel by Jessamyn West, Friendly Persuasion is set in Southern Indiana in the early days of the Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Jess Birdwell, patriarch of a Quaker family which does not believe in warfare. Birdwell's son Josh (Anthony Perkins) wishes to adhere to his family's pacifism, but is afraid that if he doesn't sign up for military service, he'll prove to be a coward. Josh joins the Home Guard, which disturbs his mother Eliza (Dorothy McGuire). But Jess Birdwell realizes that his son must follow the dictates of his own conscience. Josh proves his courage to himself when he is wounded during a Rebel raid, while the elder Birdwell is able to stay faithful to his religious calling by not killing a Southern soldier when given both a chance and a good reason to do so. Allegedly, writer Jessamyn West nearly scotched her deal with producer/director William Wyler and distributor Allied Artists when Gary Cooper, taking his fans into consideration, insisted upon including a scene in which he forsakes his pacifism and takes arms against the Rebels. If true, then wiser heads prevailed, since no such scene exists in the final release print. Though uncredited due to his status as a blacklistee, Michael Wilson wrote the screenplay for Friendly Persuasion--and even won an Oscar nomination. Also nominated was the film's chart-busting theme song, "Thee I Love" (by Dmitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster). The story was remade as a 2-hour TV pilot film in 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
Friendly Persuasion is a charming, sensitive tale of a family of Quakers that attempts to maintain their pacifist ideals amid the turmoil of the U.S. Civil War. Best-known for playing quiet, understated characters who use violence when pushed too far, Gary Cooper gets the opportunity to explore a more peaceful resolution -- though the film occasionally suggests that no person can be completely pacifistic. The tech credits are solid, as should be expected for a film directed by William Wyler; of particular note are Dimitri Tiomkin's score and Dorothy Jeakins's costume design. Though the film tends to exaggerate Quaker speech, the performances are convincing, and the screenplay (by blacklisted Michael Wilson) does a good job of transferring Jessamyn West's story to the screen. The film received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, though it did not win in any category. ~ Richard Gilliam, RoviCast
- Gary Cooper - Jess Birdwell
- Dorothy McGuire - Eliza Birdwell
- Anthony Perkins - Josh Birdwell
- Marjorie Main - Widow Hudspeth
- Robert Middleton - Sam Jordan
- Richard Eyer - Little Jess
Credit
Edward S. Haworth - Art Director, Robert Wyler - Associate Producer, Jessamyn West - Consultant/advisor, Bert Henrikson - Costume Designer, Dorothy Jeakins - Costume Designer, Austen Jewell - First Assistant Director, William Wyler - Director, Robert Belcher - Editor, Robert Swink - Editor, Edward A. Biery - Editor, Dimitri Tiomkin - Composer (Music Score), Paul Francis Webster - Songwriter, Emile LaVigne - Makeup, Ellsworth Fredericks - Cinematographer, William Wyler - Producer, Joe Kish - Set Designer, Augie Lohman - Special Effects, Gordon R. Glennan - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael Wilson - Screenwriter, Irene Caine - Costumes Supervisor, Jessamyn West - Book Author| Friendly Neighbors (1940 Film), Friendly Movie (2006 Film) | |
| Friendly Persuasion (1975 Film), Friendly Persuasion: Iranian Cinema After The Revolution (2000 Film) |
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