A Stranger in Town *** (1943, Frank Morgan, Richard Carlson, Jean Rogers.Porter Hall, Robert Barrat, Donald MacBride) – Classic Movie Review 13,493

Frank Morgan, Richard Carlson, and Jean Rogers in A Stranger in Town (1943).

MGM’s 1943 political comedy drama film A Stranger in Town stars Frank Morgan, Richard Carlson, Jean Rogers and Porter Hall.

Director Roy Rowland’s 1943 MGM political comedy drama film A Stranger in Town stars Frank Morgan, Richard Carlson, Jean Rogers, Porter Hall, Robert Barrat, and Donald MacBride.

Frank Morgan plays a gone-duck-hunting, gone-fishing, holidaying US Supreme Court judge, John Josephus (Joe) Grant, who uncovers corruption in a small town’s high places, as an honest crusading lawyer, Bill Adams (Richard Carlson), enters the local mayoral election against the corrupt mayor, Connison (Robert Barrat). Joe helps Bill and then helps Lucy Gilbert (Jean Rogers) after she is denied a room at the local hotel.

Cult director Rowland’s first step into feature-length film-making is perhaps only a standard B-movie affair. But it is enriched with a good original script by Isobel Lennart and William Kozlenko, and enlivened by a fine performance by talented character actor Morgan playing the lead, while Robert Barrat gives a useful display of villainy as the corrupt mayor, and Jean Rogers is appealing as Lucy.

Jean Rogers was rewarded by being dropped by MGM in 1943.

The cast

The cast are Frank Morgan as John Josephus Grant, Richard Carlson as Bill Adams, Jean Rogers as Lucy Gilbert, Porter Hall as Judge Austin Harkley, Robert Barrat as Mayor Connison, Donald MacBride as Vinnie Z Blaxton, Walter Baldwin as Tom Cooney, Andrew Tombes as Roscoe Swade, Olin Howland as Homer Todds, Chill Wills as Charles Craig, Irving Bacon as Orrin Todds, Eddie Dunn as Henry, Gladys Blake as Birdie, John Hodiak as Hart Ridges, Edward Keane as Blaxton’s Lawyer, Robert Homans as Sergeant, Joe Yule, Pierre Watkin, Eddy Waller, Philip van Zandt, Minerva Urecal, Leon Tyler, Ben Taggert, Henry Sylvester, Edwin Stanley, Charles Sherlock, Cyril Ring, Pat O’Malley, Frank Connor, Roger Moore, Arthur Lofft, William Lally, Richard Kipling, Gladden James, Holmes Herbert, Myron Healey, Kenneth Harlan, Creighton Hale, Bud Geary, Sam Finn, Fern Emmett, Lester Dorr, Eddy Chandler, Margaret Bert, Hooper Aitchley, and Erville Alderson.

A Stranger in Town is directed by Roy Rowland, runs 67 minutes, is made by MGM, is released by Loew’s Inc, is written by Isobel Lennart and William Kozlenko, is shot in black and white by Sidney Wagner, is produced by Robert Sisk, is scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof and Nathaniel Shilkret, and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

Release date: April 1943.

Jean Rogers.

Jean Rogers (born Eleanor Dorothy Lovegren; March 25, 1916 – February 24, 1991)

Jean Rogers was never a major star, acting mainly in serials and low-budget films. She played Dale Arden in the serials Flash Gordon (1936) and Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars (1938).

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,493

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