"A Stranger in Town", 1943

By Rich Kozlovich 

Editor's Note:  Some articles are timeless.  This is one of them.  I linked this June, 8, 2021 article in my August 31st P&D and The Week That Was, and it's being hit.  Truth be told, given what's going on I decided to republished it.  And I think I will more often. As I said, it's timeless, the patterns of life repeat over and over again,  people will always be people, corruption is the offspring of power, and if that power goes unchecked, then the true child of power emerges, tyranny!   RK 

One of the nice things about all these internet movie channels is (in spite of the crap there) there are so many of the great movies of the past, and even "B", or "Second Tier" movies were often profound.  I find that's true of a 1943 film I just re-watched called "A stranger in Town", with Frank Morgan of "The Wizard of Oz" fame, who was a talented actor, with the ability to deliver great dialogue.  Such was the case in this movie.

America was in the throes of a two front war in 1943, and for a while America was on its back foot.  The turning point in the Pacific was in June of 1942 with the Battle of Midway, but what followed was an ugly slug fest none the less, and D-Day was yet to come in June of 1944.  This film appeared at the midway point to victory, and most weren't sure how it was going to end.  

This film was considered a "second tier" film and was released to the theaters with  Power of the Press, as the second feature, both of which:

"emphasized patriotism and the commitment of the population to the war effort. These films present situations in which some individuals are acting contrary to the interests of the country and use these transgressions to preach to the audience about their responsibilities as citizens."  

Quite common at that time, and a far cry from what Hollywood produces now, and most assuredly a far cry from what we see coming out of the mouths of celebrities in entertainment, sports, academia, the media and the politicians. 

Morgan plays a Supreme Court Justice on vacation, and incognito, who gets involved in a small town's politics because of the corruption, hence the theme of this movie is the need to fight those in power who are "acting contrary to the interests of the country".  

At the end of the movie the corrupt mayor demands to know who this stranger is that comes to his town causing trouble.  After John Josephus Grant (Morgan), an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court identifies himself, to the chagrin of his detractors, he then answers:

It's only right that you should know why I, a stranger, have become involved in your affairs. Believe me, it's not because I am a Justice of the Supreme Court. It's because, like all of you here, I am a citizen of this country. That is no little honor. 

Men have fought revolutions, have died, to be called "citizen". And as citizens, we carry a burning responsibility. It means that when we elect men to public office, we, we cannot do it as lightly as we flip a coin. It means that after we've elected them we can't sit back and say: "Our job is done. What they do now doesn't concern us." That philosophy of indifference is what the enemies of decent government want. If we allow them to have their way to grow strong and vicious, then the heroic struggle which welded thousands of lovely towns like this into a great nation means nothing. Then we're not citizens, we're traitors. 

The great liberties by which we live have been bought with blood. The kind of government we get is the kind of government we want. Government of the people, by the people and for the people can mean any kind of government. It's our duty to make it mean only one kind - uncorrupted, free, united.

I believe Mayor Connison, that I’ve answered your question. 

What I believe is the America is in crisis.  We've allowed those who hate the American identity, the American culture, the American economic system, and the Constitution to assume power at all levels of government, education, the media, and a judiciary filled with political hacks such as Judge Austin Harkley in this movie.  A judiciary that's completely lost any sense of balance or understanding, and in so many cases is stunningly corrupt, and I include the Supreme Court of the United States.  

We have failed to call to task the elected officials who are clearly enemies of America, enemies who claim conservatives are destroying "our" democracy.   What democracy are they talking about?  The one like the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea?  Because that's "their" Democracy, but that isn't American Democracy, and it isn't "our" democracy, hence the line:

"Government of the people, by the people, and for the people can mean any kind of government." 
"It’s our duty to make it mean only one kind uncorrupted, free, united."

Let's try and get this right, at least once.  Their "Democracy" destroys our "Republic"!

We no longer know or understand history.  We substitute real history with leftist propaganda and call it history.  No one reads books any longer, especially history books.  We are an entire population that's been beguiled by the main stream media too lazy to find out the truth, yet because of the internet we have access to more information from more sources than any population in history.  Through a "philosophy of indifference" we've foolishly allowed these enemy citizens of America "to have their way [and] to grow strong and vicious"!  

And we wonder:  How did it all go wrong?