Strangely the film isn't covered in Bogdanovich's film-by-film interview with John Ford - perhaps they both forgot about it, which is a shame, as it's rather good. It's loosely based on the true story of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth and was found guilty of being connected to the assassination plot and sentenced to imprisonment on Dry Tortugas.
Nunnally Johnson wrote it and it was made at Fox. With Warner Baxter (42nd Street), Gloria Stuart (The Invisible Man, and the old lady in Titanic), Claude Gillingwater, Arthur Byron, O.P. Heggie, Harry Carey, Francis Ford, Ernest Whitman, John Carradine, Etta McDaniel. Photographed by Bert Glennon.
Has some lovely touches, such as the soldier at the hangings who says to the wife (not realising) "You've got the best view".
Whether Mudd was as innocent as portrayed here is a moot point. The film is exciting and there is a positive and sympathetic black supporting character, which is great.
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