Intruder in the Dust - Warner Archive Collection

Hollywood produced a lot of fluffy escapism during its storied Golden Age, but every once in a while a studio would go out on a limb and explore unsavory, controversial, and disturbing social issues, often with an incisive and insightful viewpoint. Intruder in the Dust is one of those post-World War II films that attacks a thorny and shameful topic with honesty, fierceness, and grace. That topic is racial prejudice, but this stirring adaptation of William Faulkner's 1948 novel also deftly explores such themes as mob violence, coming of age, and the pursuit of justice in a close-minded and bigoted Southern community. It's a finely crafted, moving, and resonant movie that still wields power and remains all-too-relevant today.

Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949, the same year Intruder in the Dust was released. Reportedly, director Clarence Brown (National Velvet) approached MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer about making the film shortly after the novel was published to great acclaim, but the mogul harbored reservations about the subject matter. Lucky for Brown, MGM's new #2, Dore Schary, who had recently come over from RKO, championed socially conscious movies and finally convinced Mayer to green-light the project. Brown insisted on shooting the film in Faulkner's hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, an inspired decision that lends the tale essential authenticity. He also tapped Ben Maddow, who would earn an Oscar nomination the following year for his blistering adaptation of The Asphalt Jungle, to write the screenplay, which faithfully follows Faulkner's book.

As the film opens, Lucas Beauchamp (Juano Hernandez), a stoic, proud black man who refuses to be pushed around by the arrogant white establishment, has been arrested for shooting a white man in the back and killing him. Among the throng that's gathered to witness his incarceration is Chick Mallison (Claude Jarman, Jr.), a teen boy who forged a tenuous friendship with Lucas after Lucas rescued him months earlier from a freezing pond. Lucas wants Chick's uncle, John Gavin Stevens (David Brian), a respected attorney, to defend him, but with the political temperature in the small Southern town running hot, that's a tall order. The men in the community want blood, and John Gavin worries an angry mob will storm the jail and lynch Lucas before the case goes to trial.

Lucas believes he's been viciously targeted because of his race and professes his innocence, but strangely refuses to provide key details about the incident to his attorney. He does, however, confide in Chick, telling the boy that if he digs up the victim's body in the graveyard and retrieves the deadly bullet embedded in it, the authorities will determine the slug came from another gun. Chick, against the advice of John Gavin, leaps into action, joining forces with his black friend Aleck (Elzie Emanuel) and Eunice Habersham (Elizabeth Patterson), an elderly spinster and passionate advocate for Lucas. Together, this unlikely trio begins cracking the case, and though they hope their efforts will vindicate Lucas, they can't guarantee his safety in a prejudiced, bloodthirsty town.

Intruder in the Dust pulls few punches in its brutal depiction of Southern racism. I can't recall many Golden Age movies that use the "n" word, but Maddow's screenplay doesn't shrink from freely bandying it about to reflect the disdain some of the town's reprehensible residents feel toward their black neighbors. The rampant bullying can be uncomfortable to watch, but it's the vehicle that drives home the movie's message of tolerance and respect for all people. Brown's passion for the project oozes from almost every frame as he masterfully mixes realism with a poetic elegance that honors the original novel. Faulkner himself approved of the film, saying in a 1962 New York Times interview, "I'm not much of a moviegoer, but I did see that one. I thought it was a fine job." 

As I watched Intruder in the Dust, I couldn't help drawing narrative and thematic parallels between it and such later classic films as To Kill a Mockingbird and Stand by Me. Chick and Aleck trying to exhume a dead body brings to mind Gordy, Chris, Teddy, and Vern trying to go see a dead body in Stand by Me, while John Gavin's quiet, forthright defense of Lucas in a racially divided Southern community strongly resembles Atticus Finch's equally noble and inspiring defense of his wrongly accused black client Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, which takes place in an almost identical setting. How the events change and strengthen the adolescent boys links Intruder in the Dust to Stand by Me, and the thoughtful, non-preachy statements about racial equality and harmony complement the views expressed with equal eloquence in To Kill a Mockingbird. Did Intruder in the Dust influence either of those works? Only Harper Lee and Stephen King would know.

The superior cast delivers finely etched portrayals, with Hernandez leading the list as the persecuted Lucas. An actor of astounding talent and magnetism, Hernandez often gets overshadowed by Sidney Poitier in discussions of Golden Age black performers. Hernandez came first, but Poitier quickly eclipsed him. Nevertheless, Hernandez enhances every movie in which he appears (his work in 1950's The Breaking Point will break your heart) and he brings soul, anger, and - above all - dignity to Intruder in the Dust, which would be a far lesser movie without his participation.

Brown discovered Jarman, Jr. and guided him to a juvenile Oscar for his debut film, The Yearling. Intruder in the Dust would prove to be Jarman, Jr.'s only other really good movie (he was unable to successfully transition into adult roles) and he brings texture and thoughtfulness to the idealistic and impressionable Chick. Brian, who's perhaps best known for co-starring with Joan Crawford in such tough film noirs as Flamingo Road and The Damned Don't Cry, files a strong yet sensitive portrayal in what would turn out to be his best film role. Will Geer (more than two decades before he made a splash as Grandpa on The Waltons) plays the tricky part of the beleaguered town sheriff with aplomb, and Porter Hall, perhaps best known as the neurotic store psychologist in Miracle on 34th Street, is scary and spectacular as the viciously racist backwoods father of the murder victim.

All the performances are stellar, but no discussion of Intruder in the Dust would be complete without acknowledging the fantastic contribution of the surprisingly spry 75-year-old Patterson as the steel-spined, feisty, heart-of-gold Miss Habersham (not to be confused with the flighty, deranged spinster Miss Haversham from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations). Patterson didn't make her film debut until the ripe old age of 51, but made up for lost time, appearing in well over 100 films and TV shows between 1926 and 1961. Though perhaps best remembered as the kindly, maternal babysitter of Little Ricky on I Love Lucy, Patterson impressed me with her nuanced turn as Patricia Neal's materialistic aunt in Bright Leaf, which was also recently released on Blu-ray by Warner Archive. As the only substantial female character in Intruder in the Dust, she grounds the film and provides its moral center whenever Hernandez is off screen. Her spunk and spirit and eagerness to break the rules and get into what the late U.S. Representative John Lewis called "good trouble" buoy the film and instill admiration for both the character and the actress.

Intruder in the Dust was a groundbreaking film at the time of its release and retains its impact and sobering message. It was awarded a spot on both the New York Times and National Board of Review 10-Best Lists in 1949, nabbed nominations for Best Film, Director, and Actor (Hernandez) from the New York FIlm Critics Circle, garnered Golden Globe nods for Brian (Best Supporting Actor) and Hernandez (Most Promising Newcomer - Male), and earned Maddow two Writers Guild of America nominations for Best Written American Drama (Screen) and the distinguished Robert Meltzer Award for "the screenplay dealing most ably with problems of the American scene." Though it didn't win any of these honors, this important, expertly crafted picture won the hearts and minds of the American public and still possesses the power to move, inspire, and teach. It's a cliché to call a movie 'timeless" these days, but until we stamp out racism and bigotry and learn to live in harmony with people of all races and creeds, that's just what Intruder in the Dust is.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Intruder in the Dust arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A brand new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements yields a lovely 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that faithfully honors the naturalistic cinematography of Robert Surtees. The movie’s grain structure remains intact and produces a film-like image that features excellent clarity and contrast. Picture quality fluctuates here and there due to the multiple sources employed, with some scenes exhibiting a bit more softness and texture than others. Several sequences take place at night, and the nocturnal and day-for-night photography is exceptional, thanks to dense blacks and top-notch shadow delineation. Whites are bright and stable, a healthy grayscale helps define details and enhance depth, and sharp close-ups showcase wrinkles, facial hair, stubble, glistening sweat, and freckles. No digital anomalies could be detected and any age-related nicks, marks, or scratches have been erased. Though the transfer isn’t perfect, this is surely the best Intruder in the Dust has ever looked on home video.

Intruder in the Dust boasts a rich soundscape, and the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track maximizes its impact. The well-balanced, resonant audio boasts a wide dynamic scale that handles all the highs and lows of the music score by Adolph Deutsch with ease. Sonic accents like church bells, sirens, barking dogs, a slamming prison door, and revving car engines are crisp, while subtle atmospherics like crickets and rustling leaves nicely shade the action. Solid bass frequencies provide galloping horse hooves with a palpable rumble, and all the dialogue is well prioritized and easy to comprehend. Though some faint surface noise plagues the track occasionally, more annoying defects like pops and crackle are absent.

Just a couple of vintage extras are included on the disc.

• Vintage Short: Playlands of Michigan (SD, 9 minutes) - This Technicolor one-reeler, part of the long-running James A. FitzPatrick TravelTalks series, takes us to bucolic Michigan and spotlights various rural recreational activities.
• Vintage Cartoon: The Counterfeit Cat (HD, 7 minutes) - In this amusing cartoon, a hungry cat masquerades as a dog in an effort to outsmart a canine and grab a bird from its cage. Mayhem, of course, ensues.
• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes) - The film’s original preview promises "No side-stepping!" and "No double-talk!" in the presentation of this hot-button story.

Intruder in the Dust is a powerful, timeless tale that sadly remains highly relevant in our current day and age. Expert direction, a literate script, and top-notch performances distinguish this well-crafted and important film. A solid transfer struck from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements and robust audio add impact and luster to this well-crafted and compelling motion picture. Highly Recommended.