louis calhern who be in demand right up to his death in 1956 on both stage and screen get a chance to repeat his most famous stage role a oliver wendell holmes and the magnificent yankee . he appear on broadway with this play by emmett lavery in 1946 for 159 performance with dorothy gish play his wise and patient wife fanny dixwell holmes . for those who think that this play and movie be about the great dissenter on the supreme court oliver wendell holmes and author of some of the best know and most quoted legal opinion ever render by the u supreme court you be wrong . it be instead about a love story between two elderly people and wendell and fanny and who embark on a new adventure when at the ripe old age of 60 and wendell get a major new job in his chosen profession . if holmes have never be put on the supreme court by theodore roosevelt in 1902 his reputation would rest on be the author of the common law which be a history of and holmes view of same . it a classic in jurisprudence publish in many language . in 1902 holmes be three year into the job of chief justice of the massachusetts supreme court when he get the call which insurance actuarists would have give him a decade top on his new job . yet we first meet mr. justice holmes and his lady right after that appointment and buy a new home for themselves in washington and dc . they be one of the great love story in history . fanny dixwell be the daughter of the man who run dixwell latin school in boston which be the place to be send your young yankee child for their education . they meet a child and it be love at first sight . they have eye for no others . take dorothy gish place for the screen version be ann harding . she and calhern perfectly fit my conception of what the holmes must have be like in their private moment . eduard franz play holmes friend and colleague louis d. brandeis who be his partner in dissent on many occasion replace edgar barrier who do the role on stage . it sad that while calhern be give an oscar nomination for best actor and ann harding be not similarly honor . the two role be so entwined that i do not think you can honor one without the other . i make a similar comment on william powell be nominate for nick charles in the thin man and myrna loy be snub for the same film . the holmes have no child and they do in fact raise a niece who be out of the picture when they move to the capital and but the legend about his law clerk from harvard become surrogate son be quite true . you can spot such player a jimmy lydon and richard anderson and and herbert anderson in brief role a the many clerk holmes have over the year . oliver wendell holmes be possibly our most distinguished man of the law and louis calhern bring him vividly alive with the wit and grace holmes be know for in his life . don not ever miss the magnificent yankee play by a magnificent actor about a magnificent man .