Give Me Liberty

Give Me Liberty (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Oscar-winning short from Warner gets extra credit for featuring a great performance by John Litel as well as being shot in Technicolor. The movie has Litel playing Patrick Henry, the man who would eventually rise up before Virginia legislators and demand that they join the American Revolution by giving the classic "Give Me Liberty" speech. I must admit that I found the direction to be too laid back and at times my mind actually wondered away from what the story was actually about but with Litel's performance it's impossible not to at least be entertained. Litel would play this character in three short films with this being the first and he perfectly nails the character. The fiery energy he brings to the film will have you wanting to stand up and cheer and especially during the final speech. The other big benefit was that the film was shot in Technicolor and while the film doesn't look as good as future films it's still an early part of history.