The LuLac Edition #161, Feb. 25, 2007

PICTURE INDEX: THE OSCAR.


OSCAR EDITION

In honor of tonight's Oscars, I've decided to give you an insight into my top 5 political movies of all time. There were many to pick from but these are my favorites in terms of content, accuracy, plot and staying power. Staying power means that I will drop what I'm doing if any of these films pops up on the TV or I'll seek it out of my rather meager DVD/video collection and take time to watch it again. In no particular order, here are my political film gems of all time.


THE BEST MAN

The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.
Intellectual William Russell and down-to-earth Joe Cantwell are front runners for a party nomination that will almost certainly mean the Presidency. Cantwell is prepared to use anything to achieve his goal while Russell sees himself as a man of principle - though his philandering means he is relieved his wife is prepared to appear alongside him. Both men crucially need the support of the ailing President, and as the stakes become higher each team has to decide how dirty they are prepared to get.
Gore Vidal wrote the play for this. Political similarities are Russell: Adlai Stevenson, Cantwell: one of the Kennedy brothers, Claypool: Lyndon Johnson. Vidal with his well known antagonism toward the Kennedy’s scored big with this 1964 hit.


THE CAST:

Henry Fonda
William Russell

Cliff Robertson
Joe Cantwell

Edie Adams
Mabel Cantwell

Margaret Leighton
Alice Russell

Shelley Berman
Sheldon Bascomb

Lee Tracy
President Art Hockstader

Ann Sothern
Sue Ellen Gamadge

Gene Raymond
Don Cantwell

Kevin McCarthy
Dick Jensen

Mahalia Jackson
Herself, Mahalia Jackson

Howard K. Smith
Himself, Howard K. Smith

John Henry Faulk
Gov. T.T. Claypoole

Richard Arlen
Sen. Oscar Anderson

Penny Singleton
Mrs. Claypoole (scenes deleted)


1776

Although 1776 tells the story of what happened at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1776 leading up to the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence and it accurately portrays the serious personal and political issues at stake – frequently in the characters' own words, written by them at the time – it remains a musical comedy. The play has often been criticized for straining too hard for historical accuracy instead of exercising literary license that would help move forward the plot or presentation.
Historical accuracy
While there is much poetic license taken, including invented scenes and conversations, 1776's historical accuracy is remarkable, particularly given that it makes no pretense of being a documentary. In particular, Caesar Rodney' cancer, and his weakness (he was also asthmatic), and his 80-mile ride (through a thunderstorm) to break a deadlock in the Delaware delegation at the final vote are all very closely based on historic facts. The most notable departures from historic fact:
The polling of Pennsylvania's delegation in the final scene (In actuality, the Pennsylvania delegation numbered ten, not three, and Dickinson abstained until he finally left Congress to join the army. Wilson refused to vote until he could obtain more feedback from his constituents. He did eventually vote for independence.)
The signing (It actually took place weeks, not minutes, after the final vote.) The viewing of this movie is almost mandatory in our household every fourth of July. It is as commonplace as fireworks, hot dogs on the grill and Tab on ice.

THE CAST

William Daniels
John Adams(MA)

Howard Da Silva
Dr.Benjamin Franklin (PA)

Ken Howard
Thomas Jefferson (VA)

Donald Madden
John Dickinson (PA)

John Cullum
Edward Rutledge (SC)

Roy Poole
Stephen Hopkins (RI)

David Ford
John Hancock(MA)President of the Continental Congress

Ron Holgate
Richard Henry Lee (VA)

Ray Middleton
Col. Thomas McKean (DE)

William Hansen
Caesar Rodney (DE)

Blythe Danner
Martha Jefferson

Virginia Vestoff
Abigail Adams

Emory Bass
Judge James Wilson (PA)

Ralston Hill
Charles Thomson Secretary to the Continental Congress

Howard Caine
Lewis Morris (NY)

Daniel Keyes
Dr. Josiah BartletttNH)

Leo Leyden
George Read (DE)

Stephen Nathan
Courier

Jonathan Moore (actor)
Dr. Lyman Hall(GA)

ALL THE KING’S MEN


All The King's Men is the story of the rise of politician Willie Stark from a rural county seat to the spotlight. Along the way, he loses his initial innocence, and becomes just as corrupt as those who he assaulted before for this characteristic. Also included is the romance between one of his "right hand women" and the up-and-coming journalist who brings Stark to prominence.
I first saw this movie in high school and thought it was an incredible political drama. Some say it was loosely based on the life of Senator Huey Long of Louisiana. The movie also gave me a greater appreciation for actor Broderick Crawford who up until that time I only knew as the guy on “Highway Patrol”.

THE CAST

Broderick Crawford
Willie Stark

John Ireland
Jack Burden

Joanne Dru
Anne Stanton

John Derek
Tom Stark

Mercedes McCambridge
Sadie Burke

Shepperd Strudwick
Adam Stanton

Ralph Dumke
Tiny Duffy

Anne Seymour
Lucy Stark

Katherine Warren
Mrs. Burden (as Katharine Warren)

Raymond Greenleaf
Judge Monte Stanton

Walter Burke
Sugar Boy

Will Wright
Dolph Pillsbury

Grandon Rhodes
Floyd McEvoy

There was a remake of this movie with Sean Penn and Patricia Clarkson. Have yet to see it.

SEVEN DAYS IN MAY


An unpopular U.S. President manages to get a nuclear disarmament treaty through the Senate, but finds that the nation is turning against him. Jiggs Casey, a Marine Colonel, finds evidence that General Scott, the wildly popular head of the Joint Chiefs and certain Presidential Candidate in 2 years is not planning to wait. Casey goes to the president with the information and a web of intrigue begins with each side unsure of who can be trusted.
Cold War mania at its best. Loved the mystery and intrigue of this movie. Great performance by Fredric March in his waning days as an actor.

THE CAST

Burt Lancaster
Gen. James Mattoon Scott

Kirk Douglas
Col. Martin 'Jiggs' Casey

Fredric March
President Jordan Lyman

Ava Gardner
Eleanor 'Ellie' Holbrook

Edmond O'Brien
Sen. Raymond Clark

Martin Balsam
Paul Girard

Andrew Duggan
Col. William 'Mutt' Henderson

Hugh Marlowe
Harold McPherson

Whit Bissell
Sen. Frederick Prentice

Helen Kleeb
Esther Townsend

George Macready
Christopher Todd

Richard Anderson
Col. Murdock


PRIMARY COLORS

This work is the barely fictionalized account of candidate Bill Clinton in 1992 via the character Southern Governor Jack Stanton. Joe Klein joined Newsweek as a political reporter and columnist during the 1992 US Presidential race, and followed then candidate Bill Clinton on the road. As such, Klein dutifully conveys the youthful exuberance for a new candiate, along with the sense of awe at his determination, drive, and intelligence. All along, he also displays the shocking lack of personal morals of a "natural" candidate for the office. Further, he shows the inner deal-making that everyone connected with the campaign makes to achieve the vision they started with, no matter how ugly the cheating, talented candidate gets on his road to the election. Klein tells the story from the 1st person perspective of a sophomorish campaign manager, Henry Burton, that just happens to be a grandson of a black civil rights leader. They join the Southern Governor at a talk given on adult education, in which Gov. Stanton cries as he tells the students how they were braver than his uncle--a World War II veteran that earned the Medal of Honor, but went home and never took a job because he was too embarassed to tell anyone he was illiterate. We next find out this story is not true! Despite this, Burton decides to join the campaign, and works many of the standard issues--such as fighting off scurrilous attacks by opposing candidates, and captured and doctored cell phone conversations, etc. Burton walks into the campaign headquarters (a hotel suite) to find the Governor coming out of a bedroom not completely dressed, and a disheveled librarian they had just met at a school they had attended. Of course, Susan Stanton, the Governor's wife, is nowhere to be found. The team flies to another destination to meet up with Mrs. Stanton, as she has been campaigning for her husband among their party elite in that state. Burton is eventually introduced to Libby Holden (Kathy Bates), whose job is to defend the President by combating the attacks from all comers. She does so with ruthless abandon, but also with a strict moral code: There apparently is something noble about stopping the attacks of others, but it is almost reprehensible about digging up the dirt on others -- essentially attacking them first. We come to know that Gov. Stanton is a philanderer of extraordinary magnitude, but an inspired genious at politics. Unfortunately, this extends to sleeping with a 17-year-old babysitter, the librarian they just recently met, a long-term affair with another woman, and the list goes on.
This movie was a type of introduction, a transition if you will into the Monica scandal. It is my belief that since this was out there and was based on Clinton, the fallout from the affair was not as bad as it could’ve been. The movie cast the Stantons as power hungry but with good intentions. I liked the way the characters were portrayed in dealing with the peaks and valleys of political stardom.

THE CAST

John Travolta
Governor Jack Stanton

Emma Thompson
Susan Stanton

Billy Bob Thornton
Richard Jemmons

Kathy Bates
Libby Holden

Adrian Lester
Henry Burton

Maura Tierney
Daisy Green

Larry Hagman
Gov. Fred Picker

Diane Ladd
Mamma Stanton

Paul Guilfoyle
Howard Ferguson


Tommy Hollis
William McCullison (Fat Willie)

Rob Reiner
Izzy Rosenblatt

Ben Jones
Arlen Sporken

J.C. Quinn
Uncle Charlie

Allison Janney
Miss Walsh

Robert Klein
Norman Asher

Mykelti Williamson
Dewayne Smith

James Denton
Mitch (as Jamie Denton)

Leontine Guilliard
Ruby

Monique Ridge
Tawana Carter (as Monique L. Ridge)

Himself
Charlie Rose
Himself

Larry King
Hmself

Bill Maher
Himself

James Earl Jones
CNN Voiceover (voice)