Justice Holmes was a colorful man, and his writings had a granite power to them. "The Magnificent Yankee" is a string of anecdotes straining for the color. The punch lines of these anecdotes are generally pretty trite ("In any battle ... fight like hell.") This life of Holmes centers mostly on his paternal attitude towards the "bright young Harvard scamps" who were his secretaries, and on his walks through various parks in the spring. It misses the flavor of both Holmes the man and Holmes the jurist.
Louis Calhern and Ann Harding give good performances as the Justice and his wife. But there is little they can do to keep mawkishness from seeping into many of the scenes (Holmes paces slowly over old battleground, murmurs things about good men on both sides, while muted brasses play a retarded "Battle Hymn of the Republic.") "The Magnificent Yankee' is dilutely pleasant entertainment. A life of Holmes would lead one to expect more.
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