Judge Steps Out, The

Boston judge Tom Bailey (Alexander Knox) has position, security and a lovely home on Beacon Hill. He also has a disagreeable wife, a selfish daughter and a nagging suspicion that somehow his life has gone terribly wrong. Then one day Bailey falls ill and gets a diagnosis from a no-nonsense doctor: he's suffering from "inflammation of the family." A few weeks later, the judge is serving up a plate of Adam and Eve on a raft at a California diner run by a warm-hearted blonde (Ann Sothern). He's lost position, security and that Beacon Hill home. He's found happiness. Can he keep it? Wry and romantic, The Judge Steps Out is a lovingly polished gem that speaks to anyone who's ever heard the siren call of a second chance.

• comedy
• crime