Plot
Rural Mississippi in the 1940s: Lucas Beauchamp, a local black man with a reputation of not kowtowing to whites, is found standing over the body of a dead white man, holding a pistol that has recently been fired. Quickly arrested for murder and jailed, Beauchamp insists he's innocent and asks the town's most prominent lawyer, Gavin Stevens, to defend him, but Stevens refuses. When a local boy whom Beauchamp has helped in the past and who believes him to be innocent hears talk of a mob taking Beauchamp out of jail and lynching him, he pleads with Stevens to defend Beauchamp at trial and prove his innocence.
Trailer
Cast
David Brian
John Gavin Stevens
Claude Jarman Jr.
Chick Mallison
Juano Hernández
Lucas Beauchamp
Porter Hall
Nub Gowrie
Elizabeth Patterson
Miss Eunice Habersham
Charles Kemper
Crawford Gowrie
Will Geer
Sheriff Hampton
David Clarke
Vinson Gowrie
Elzie Emanuel
Aleck
Lela Bliss
Mrs. Mallison
Harry Hayden
Mr. Mallison
Harry Antrim
Mr. Tubbs
Homer Arnold
Minor Role (uncredited)
John E. Avent
Minor Role (uncredited)
Joyce Ann Baron
Child with Yo-Yo (uncredited)
Tommy Bond
Minor Role (uncredited)
Jack Bronfield
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Allison Busby
Customer (uncredited)
Alberta Dishmon
Paralee (uncredited)
Harold Gean
Patron (uncredited)
W.P. Haley
Customer (uncredited)
Ann Hartsfield
Girl (uncredited)
George T. Hemphill
Crowd Member (voice) (uncredited)
Ben Hilbun
Attendant (uncredited)
Noel Hodge
Crowd Member (voice) (uncredited)
E.L. Hooker
Minor Role (uncredited)
Eylla Jacobs
Woman (uncredited)
John M. Keel
Patron (uncredited)
W.G. Kimmons
Deputy (uncredited)
James Kirkwood
Convict (uncredited)
Will Lewis
Minor Role (uncredited)
Ephraim Lowe
Gowrie Twin (uncredited)
Julia S. Marshbanks
Molly Beauchamp (uncredited)
Dewey McCoy
Crowd Member (voice) (uncredited)
John Morgan
Convict (uncredited)
Jack Odom
Truck Driver (uncredited)
Freddie B. Patton
Barber (uncredited)
Mike Riva
Crowd Member (uncredited)
Eugene Roper
Fraser's Son (uncredited)
C.E. Slough
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Guy Turnbow Sr.
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Dan White
Will Legate (uncredited)
R.X. Williams
Mr. Lilley (uncredited)
E.H. Windham
Minor Role (uncredited)
Howard Winters
Minor Role (uncredited)
Robert Lee Young
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Edmund Lowe
Gowrie Twin (uncredited)
