It's no secret that Hollywood has a fondness for political themes. And once it was demonstrated that actors could be elected to high office, Hollywood has been even more of a hotbed of politics. The focus of this article is movies that deal with the American political process. I think it's fair to say that not only has Hollywood done a pretty good job of muckraking over the years, but they've probably had an influence on the process, at least since the 60s.
Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) is probably the film most people think of when you ask them to name a favorite "political" film. Jimmy Stewart is in top form as the naive, incorruptible Jefferson Smith, with Edward Arnold and Claude Rains as great villains, and Jean Arthur as Stewart's reluctant love interest.
Meet John Doe (1941) is another Capra film that's a personal favorite of mine, and has a great deal to say about a number of political issues, including to what extent the electorate can be manipulated by cynical power brokers.
One of the ultimate politico-bashers is Advise and Consent (1962), featuring a great cast in an engrossing drama about Washington power struggles.
Being There (1979), while not strictly about politics as such, is a fascinating investigation of the nature of political and social reality in the country as a whole and Washington in particular.
I asked visitors to the Classic Movies Forum to tell me about their favorites. According to Shempington H. Caldwell III (clearly an assumed name), The Candidate (1972), starring Robert Redford, Peter Boyle and Melvyn Douglas, "was the film that firmly convinced me that I had no future in politics.
"Idealistic young lawyer Redford is talked into running as a Democratic candidate for California Senator against the popular Republican incumbent (Don Porter). Boyle is the party strategist who tells Redford he can say anything he wants because the Democratic Party doesn't think he can win. But the public likes Redford's good looks, and before long, it's clear he has a chance to win. Redford discovers that he has to compromise many of his long-held principles in order to appeal to voters. Says Shemp, "I remember the first time I watched this movie, and when it was over, I realized that I was not cut out for politics... The ironic part of this movie is that former Vice President Dan Quayle once remarked that this film is what convinced him to go into politics. In fact, a friend of mine once remarked, 'This movie convinced you NOT to choose politics as a career, but it convinced Quayle to seek out the political arena as his vocation; this is a film I have to see.'"
It's no secret that Tralfaz is a big fan of The President's Analyst (1967). This broad satire, really more of a spy spoof than a political film, stars James Coburn in the title role, and was written and directed by Theodore J. Flicker, who was otherwise known primarily for directing TV shows such as I Dream of Jeannie and Barney Miller. (But Tral recommends it highly, and that should be good enough for you, if you know what's good for you.)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is also as much an espionage film as a political film, but it manages to strike several targets at the same time, as a Forum post from Gittes points out: "...it was released at the height of the cold war. Imagine -- Communism, McCarthyism, and oppressive mothers are all linked in one big conspiracy. Must have been a shocking revelation. Richard Condon, who wrote the original novel, deserves the lion's share of the credit for that ingenious plot line, but it's also executed in a way that anticipates the political upheavals to come later in the decade." Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, and Angela Lansbury star. The re-make wasn't bad, but didn't make a lot of sense.
Of course, Citizen Kane (1941) is always mentioned as one of the choices for greatest American film of all time, and it is about politics, among other things.
Susycat says, "State of the Union (1948) is my favorite, and the bonus is that it's a Tracy-Hepburn vehicle with the added venom of Angela Lansbury as an influence broker." I might add that its message is still fresh today. And that's two nasty roles in a row for Angela.
On the whole, though, the stars of the best political films have tended to be men. In fact, the words "men" and "man" appear in quite a few of the titles.
For example, Komrade says his favorite political film is All The King's Men (1949), starring Broderick Crawford. "It's a great film and Crawford gives an awesome performance. I'm sure he never matched this performance again. [Highway Patrol fans might disagree.] The movie has a great message about the corruptive influence of the political process - even on the people who go into it for the right reasons."
Dave1136 casts his vote for All the President's Men (1976). "This showed all the workings of politics and the newspaper business. Top performances all the way around for this 1976 blockbuster."
Then there's The Best Man (1964), nominated by Jerryzak. "I really felt the inside battles for the nomination of the party. Of course, Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson did a great job as the two main candidates."
And I'll just mention one more along those lines: The Man (1972), starring James Earl Jones as the first Black President. Based on the novel of the same name by Irving Wallace, with screenplay by Rod Serling. Unfortunately out of print.
Other favorites mentioned include:
Here's a block of political films that Turner Classic Movies showed during a past political season:
- 8:00 PM: Sunrise At Campobello (1960) After a bout with polio, future president Franklin Roosevelt fights to save his political career. Greer Garson, Ralph Bellamy, Hume Cronyn. D: Vincent J. Donehue. C 144m.
- 10:30 PM: Abe Lincoln In Illinois (1940) An exploration into the domestic and political life of this past president. Raymond Massey, Ruth Gordon, Gene Lockhart. D: John Cromwell. BW 110m.
- 12:30 AM: Tennessee Johnson (1942) Biography of Andrew Johnson, who followed Abraham Lincoln into office and became the first U.S. president ever to be impeached. Van Heflin, Ruth Hussey, Lionel Barrymore. D: William Dieterle. BW 103m. (Be sure to catch this one, because it's out of print.)
- 2:30 AM: The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) President Andrew Jackson's friendship with an innkeeper's daughter spells trouble for them both. Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore. D: Clarence Brown. BW 103m.
- 4:30 AM: Alexander Hamilton (1931) The American patriot's political career is threatened when he falls in love with a married woman. George Arliss, Doris Kenyon, Montagu Love. D: Joseph Adolfi. BW 70m. (This one's out of print, too.)
Finally, for a couple of interesting essays on the subject, take a look at The Limits of Hollywood Populism,
by Robert Kuttner, from The American Prospect Online, and the introduction to The Pattern American, by Brian W. Fairbanks.
