La Loi du Seigneur (Friendly Persuasion) is an American film realized by William Wyler, release in 1956.

Personal comments : Louis de Funès is not marked in the credits, he does not appears of the film but, he doubles the voice of a character of the big fair.

- a 35 minutes and 12 seconds at 35 minutes and 56 seconds
- a 37 minutes and 20 seconds at 37 minutes and 25 seconds
- a 37 minutes and 57 seconds at 38 minutes and 17 seconds

♦ Synopsis :

The Birdwell family lives in the Indiana in 1862, while the American Civil War rages. Jess, his wife Eliza and their three children, are Quakers. They love their fellow man and make punishment all the time. At the fair of the city, Jess converses with a musician, whereas her daughter Mattie dances with the Gard. As for their son Josh, he is provoked by teenagers but refuses to fight. Very attractive, Josh has a lot of success with three girls of the widow Hudspeth. When the arrival of the Confederates is announced, the Gard has to leave fighting but promises to Mattie to marry him in his return. Josh decides too to leave in spite of the pleas of his parents. When his(her,its) horse returns only to the farm, Jess takes weapons in his turn to fight against the enemy. Nevertheless on the battlefield, he will save a Confederate who fired him above, then will find his alive son and will return him to the farm. The life can start again normally.

♦ Specification sheet :

Title : La loi du seigneur
Title American : Friendly Persuasion
Realization : William Wyler
Production assistant : Austin Jewell
Scenario : Michael Wilson of later a novel of Jessamyn West
Music : Dimitri Tiomkin
Director of photography : Ellsworth Frederick
Decorations : Joseph Kish
Editing : Robert Belcher, Edward A. Biery, Robert Swink
Suits : Dorothy Jeakins
Special effects : Augie Lohman
Song of the credits : " Thee I love " interpreted by Pat Boone
Producer : Robert Wyler, William Wyler
Production company : Allied Artists Picture Corporation
Country of origin : The United States
Format : Colors by Deluxe — 1.75:1 — Monophonic sound (Westrex Recording System) — 35 mm
Genre : Western
Duration : 137 minutes
Date exit :
- In November 25 th, 1956 in United States
- In June 6 th, 1957 in France

♦ Distribution :

Louis de Funès : A character of the big fair
Gary Cooper (VF : Jean Davy) : Jess Birdwell (Jean)
Dorothy McGuire (VF : Nadine Alari) : Eliza Birdwell
Anthony Perkins : Josh Birdwell (Jacques)
Richard Eyer : Little Jess (Nicolas)
Robert Middleton : Sam Jordan
Phyllis Love : Martha Birdwell (Mathilde)
Peter Mark (VF : Jean-Louis Jemma) : Gard Jordan (Charles)
Walter Catlett (VF : Camille Guerini) : Prof. Waldo Quigley
Richard Hale (VF : Louis Arbessier) : Purdy
Joel Fluellen (VF : Georges Aminel) : Enoch
Theodore Newton (VF : Jacques Beauchey) : Maj. Harvey
John Smith : Caleb Cope (Jérôme)
Marjorie Main (VF : Germaine Kerjean) : The widow Hudspeth
Edna Skinner : Opal Hudspeth
Marjorie Durant : Pearl Hudspeth
Frances Farwell : Ruby Hudspeth
Russell Simpson (VF : Richard Francoeur) : Brother Griffith
Charles Halton (VF : Fernand Fabre) : Brother Cope
Earle Hodgins (VF : Fernand Rauzena) : The person in charge of the shooting gallery
Ivan Rasputin (VF : Paul Bonifas) : Billy Goat, the fighter

♦ Around the film :

Ronald Reagan showed a video of the movie to Mikhaïl Gorbatchev during a summit meeting marking the thaw of the diplomatic relations between Soviet Union and the United States.
The book "La loi du seigneur" was edited, in 1957, in Frenchman, by the editions Stock.

♦ Distinction :

1957 (France) : Golden Palm in the Cannes film festival.