Beacon Theatres, Inc., v. Westover, U.S. District Judge, et al.

Decided May 25, 1959. Hugo Lafayette Black delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 45 · 359 U.S. 500 (1959) · Cited 1,664 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• American Life Insurance v. Stewart · 300 U.S. 203 (1937)
• City of Morgantown v. Royal Insurance · 337 U.S. 254 (1949)
• Conley v. Gibson · 355 U.S. 41 (1957)
• Galloway v. United States · 319 U.S. 372 (1943)
• Enelow v. New York Life Insurance · 293 U.S. 379 (1935)
• Truax v. Raich · 239 U.S. 33 (1915)
• International News Service v. Associated Press · 248 U.S. 215 (1919)
• Smyth v. Ames · 169 U.S. 466 (1898)
• Dimick v. Schiedt · 293 U.S. 474 (1935)
• United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. · 334 U.S. 131 (1948)
• La Buy v. Howes Leather Co. · 352 U.S. 249 (1957)
• Parsons v. Bedford, Breedlove, & Robeson · 28 U.S. 433 (1830)
• Ex Parte Peterson · 253 U.S. 300 (1920)
• Matthews v. Rodgers · 284 U.S. 521 (1932)
• United States v. Yellow Cab Co. · 340 U.S. 543 (1951)
• The Propeller Genesee Chief v. Fitzhugh · 53 U.S. 443 (1852)
• Scott v. Neely · 140 U.S. 106 (1891)
• Ettelson v. Metropolitan Life Insurance · 317 U.S. 188 (1943)
• State of Penn. v. THE WHEELING &C. BRIDGE CO. · 54 U.S. 518 (1852)
• Insurance Co. v. Bailey · 80 U.S. 616 (1871)
• Detroit v. Detroit Citizens' Street Railway Co. · 184 U.S. 368 (1902)
• Kessler v. Eldred · 206 U.S. 285 (1907)
• American Mills Co. v. American Surety Co. · 260 U.S. 360 (1922)
• Stainback v. Mo Hock Ke Lok Po · 336 U.S. 368 (1949)
• Fleitmann Ex Rel. Stockholders of the Consolidated Street Lighting Co. v. Welsbach Street Lighting Co. · 240 U.S. 27 (1916)
• Clark v. Wooster · 119 U.S. 322 (1886)
• Parker v. Winnipiseogee Lake Cotton & Woollen Co. · 67 U.S. 545 (1863)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Perttu v. Richards · 605 U.S. 460 (2025)
• Parklane Hosiery Co. v. Shore · 439 U.S. 322 (1979)
• Chauffeurs, Teamsters & Helpers Local No. 391 v. Terry · 494 U.S. 558 (1990)
• Will v. Calvert Fire Insurance · 437 U.S. 655 (1978)
• Katchen v. Landy · 382 U.S. 323 (1966)
• Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood · 369 U.S. 469 (1962)
• Ross v. Bernhard · 396 U.S. 531 (1970)
• Medtronic, Inc. v. Mirowski Family Ventures, LLC. · 571 U.S. 191 (2014)
• Lytle v. Household Manufacturing, Inc. · 494 U.S. 545 (1990)
• Brown Shoe Co. v. United States · 370 U.S. 294 (1962)
• Sampson v. Murray · 415 U.S. 61 (1974)
• Weinberger v. Romero-Barcelo · 456 U.S. 305 (1982)
• Granfinanciera, S.A. v. Nordberg · 492 U.S. 33 (1989)
• Curtis v. Loether · 415 U.S. 189 (1974)
• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. v. Mayacamas Corp. · 485 U.S. 271 (1988)
• Pulliam v. Allen · 466 U.S. 522 (1984)
• Simler v. Conner · 372 U.S. 221 (1963)
• Rondeau v. Mosinee Paper Corp. · 422 U.S. 49 (1975)
• Alexander v. \Americans United\" Inc." · 416 U.S. 752 (1974)
• United States v. Barnett · 376 U.S. 681 (1964)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).