I've been looking out Hollywood political thrillers from the early 60's and so came to this one after recently seeing features like "The Manchurian Candidate", "Seven Days In May" and "Advise And Consent", all top movies in my view. I hadn't heard of this one at all for some reason but it compares very well with those mentioned above.
Like them, it's filmed in newsreel-crisp black and white and takes an extremely caustic view of domestic U.S. politics, perhaps even more so than those predecessors I listed. There is no single main character it seems, from the president on down, not prepared to get down and dirty to get into power. Cliff Robertson's young, thrusting, no-holds-barred Senator Joe Cantwell, quite prepared to trawl up and air in public the troubled medical history of his older, more principled rival, William Russell, played by Henry Fonda. But Fonda's own campaign team think they have mud to sling back at Cantwell, an alleged homosexual dalliance of his in the army, no doubt in the same platoon as Don Murray in Preminger's "Advise And Consent" and both they and the ailing incumbent president (like president Fredric March in "Seven Days In May") want him to use this dirt (again like president Franchot Tone in "Advise And Consent") to get high by going low to paraphrase a recent president.
Adapted by Washington-watcher Gore Vidal, of the four films mentioned, this is perhaps the most damning of the American election process. I was again surprised at the airing of all this personal dirty linen before the viewing public of the day as I didn't think such personal characteristics or traits as homosexuality or psychological health issues could be so damaging to a candidate's electability even back in the early 60's, but what do I know.
That said, I didn't appreciate the simpering whimpering characterisation of the stoolie army chum of Cantwell's prepared to expose his alleged gay past plus I was also surprised that at the party convention, the casting votes to nominate a candidate could be transferred as a block without even consulting their own electorate which for me made the admittedly tense conclusion (although again using the same dramatic plot device as "Advise And Consent" as the catalyst for the climax) seem incredible and unlikely in these here democratic United States. Better and more realistic I thought was the backstabbing double-dealing perpetrated by the country's chosen representatives, best exemplified by Robertson's character rhyming off all the sleaze he has on swing-senators to arm-twist their support for him.
Fonda, as in "Advise And Consent" is excellent as the closest thing to a principled character in the movie, as is Robertson as the Nixon / McCarthy hybrid Cantwell (with a little, leavening slice of Bobby Kennedy thrown in for good measure). Lee Tracy, who'd played the part of the knowingly unscrupulous old president on Broadway is excellent in his Oscar-nominated role. Women don't get major parts in the film, but Margaret Leighton and Eddie Adams do well as the non-adoring and adoring wives of the candidates while Anne Sothern steals more than a few scenes as the would-be powerbroking matriarch of the women's vote. Director Franklin Schaffner certainly captures the bustle and tension of a close fought electoral fight.
I personally can't get enough of this type of movie and will seek out others from the same era for further comparison. Even if I didn't find this one quite as thrilling as "Manchurian", as engrossing as "Seven Days" or as provoking as "Advise" it still bears comparison with its illustrious contemporaries.
Like them, it's filmed in newsreel-crisp black and white and takes an extremely caustic view of domestic U.S. politics, perhaps even more so than those predecessors I listed. There is no single main character it seems, from the president on down, not prepared to get down and dirty to get into power. Cliff Robertson's young, thrusting, no-holds-barred Senator Joe Cantwell, quite prepared to trawl up and air in public the troubled medical history of his older, more principled rival, William Russell, played by Henry Fonda. But Fonda's own campaign team think they have mud to sling back at Cantwell, an alleged homosexual dalliance of his in the army, no doubt in the same platoon as Don Murray in Preminger's "Advise And Consent" and both they and the ailing incumbent president (like president Fredric March in "Seven Days In May") want him to use this dirt (again like president Franchot Tone in "Advise And Consent") to get high by going low to paraphrase a recent president.
Adapted by Washington-watcher Gore Vidal, of the four films mentioned, this is perhaps the most damning of the American election process. I was again surprised at the airing of all this personal dirty linen before the viewing public of the day as I didn't think such personal characteristics or traits as homosexuality or psychological health issues could be so damaging to a candidate's electability even back in the early 60's, but what do I know.
That said, I didn't appreciate the simpering whimpering characterisation of the stoolie army chum of Cantwell's prepared to expose his alleged gay past plus I was also surprised that at the party convention, the casting votes to nominate a candidate could be transferred as a block without even consulting their own electorate which for me made the admittedly tense conclusion (although again using the same dramatic plot device as "Advise And Consent" as the catalyst for the climax) seem incredible and unlikely in these here democratic United States. Better and more realistic I thought was the backstabbing double-dealing perpetrated by the country's chosen representatives, best exemplified by Robertson's character rhyming off all the sleaze he has on swing-senators to arm-twist their support for him.
Fonda, as in "Advise And Consent" is excellent as the closest thing to a principled character in the movie, as is Robertson as the Nixon / McCarthy hybrid Cantwell (with a little, leavening slice of Bobby Kennedy thrown in for good measure). Lee Tracy, who'd played the part of the knowingly unscrupulous old president on Broadway is excellent in his Oscar-nominated role. Women don't get major parts in the film, but Margaret Leighton and Eddie Adams do well as the non-adoring and adoring wives of the candidates while Anne Sothern steals more than a few scenes as the would-be powerbroking matriarch of the women's vote. Director Franklin Schaffner certainly captures the bustle and tension of a close fought electoral fight.
I personally can't get enough of this type of movie and will seek out others from the same era for further comparison. Even if I didn't find this one quite as thrilling as "Manchurian", as engrossing as "Seven Days" or as provoking as "Advise" it still bears comparison with its illustrious contemporaries.