:
Spencer Tracy,
Florence Auer,
Florence Auer,
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:
Frank Capra,
Frank Capra
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Universal Studios
: Comedies, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Romance, Politics and Social Issues
: 123 min.
: English
: English
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Recently Rented By DLeonard
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Frank Capra's only MGM film, State of the Union was adapted by Anthony Veiller and Myles Connolly from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Spencer Tracy plays an aircraft tycoon who is coerced into seeking the Republican Presidential nomination by predatory newspaper mogul Angela Lansbury. Campaign manager Van Johnson suggests that, for appearance's sake, Tracy be reunited with his estranged wife Katharine Hepburn (replacing Claudette Colbert, who'd ankled the project after a pre-production donnybrook with director Capra). Realizing that Tracy and Lansbury are having an affair, Hepburn nonetheless agrees to grow through the devoted-wife charade because she believes that Tracy just might make a good President. Her faith is shattered when Tracy, corrupted by the Washington power brokers, publicly compromises his values in order to get votes. Only in the film's last moments does Tracy prove himself worthy of Hepburn's love and his own self-respect by admitting his dishonesty during a nationwide radio-TV broadcast. Much of the biting wit in the original Broadway production of State of the Union is sacrificed in favor of the director's patented "Capracorn," but the film is no less entertaining because of this. As usual, the supporting cast is impeccable, from featured players Adolphe Menjou (whose off-camera political arguments with Hepburn threatened to shut down production at times) and Margaret Hamilton, to bit actors like Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Tor (Plan 9 From Outer Space) Johnson. Because the television rights to State of the Union belonged to Capra's Liberty Films, the picture was released to TV by MCA rather than MGM's syndication division. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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| As Good a Look at the American Political Process as We've Ever Had
by talltale
September 6, 2006 - 1:34 PM PDT
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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Somebody strap Hillary Clinton--and, to be fair, a few hundred other politicians--into a chair in front of their TVs and play STATE OF THE UNION for them, again and again, until they can recite some of its trenchant, still-too-true dialog by heart. (My favorite bit for Hillary: "Must be bow-legged from straddling all the issues.") This nearly 60-year-old movie holds up like few I have seen. I guess that means politics, governance, power brokers and we the people have not changed much over the past half century. Surprise! Still, I WAS surprised at this Frank Capra film, which is much less feel-good and simple-minded than I'd been led to believe.
Its story--how a smart, decent businessman and possible Presidential candidate gets hoisted on the petard of his ambition and lust--seems as real today as it must have in 1948, and the opportunity to see Hepburn and Tracy, along with a cast that includes Angela Lansbury (rehearsing for her later "Manchurian Candidate" role), Adolph Menjou, Van Johnson, Margaret Hamilton and Maidel Turner--should be reason enough to queue up.
The heart here is the wonderful Lindsay/Crouse play and screenplay, which should make you laugh, identify and finally weep at all this plus ca change--including the politicians' use of the immigrant population (different immigrants, of course, but the same, sorry usage). Ms. Lansbury, by the way, was 23 years old when she played this right-wing Katharine Graham role: Such sophistication, intelligence and experience she appears to possess--at an age at which most actresses today are still trying to convince us they're in high school! |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 8.08)
12 Votes
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