The Great McGinty (1940)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges (writer)

Release Date:

23 August 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Dan McGinty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics. But endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty...

Plot Keywords:

Mayor | Political | Solitaire | Election | Dachshund

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Cast

Brian Donlevy	...	Daniel 'Dan' McGinty
Muriel Angelus	...	Catherine McGinty
Akim Tamiroff	...	The Boss
Allyn Joslyn	...	George
William Demarest	...	Skeeters - The Politician
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Tommy Thompson
Harry Rosenthal	...	Louie (bodyguard)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Mayor Wilfred T. Tillinghast
Libby Taylor	...	Bessy (maid)
Thurston Hall	...	Mr. Maxwell
Steffi Duna	...	The Dancing Girl
Esther Howard	...	Madame Juliette La Jolla
Frank Moran	...	The Boss' Chauffeur (as Frank C. Moran)
Jimmy Conlin	...	The Lookout
Dewey Robinson	...	Benny Felgman

Also Known As:

Biograhy of a Bum (USA) (working title)
Down Went McGinty (UK)

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:U (re-rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating)

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Sturges got the idea for this film from a Chicago area judge who shared stories with him about city elections.

Quotes:

The Politician: If it wasn't for graft, you'd get a very low type of people in politics, men without ambition, jellyfish!

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Louise

Satirical, yet true,

Preston Sturges' directing debut is a smash as he cleverly shows how even back in "the good old days," politics were as cruel and crooked as ever. The acting is pretty solid here, especially the leads, but the real point here is the story that Sturges has put together. Here, we see a simple man who does what he is told and almost immediately is made governor of the state. This shows that America is the land of opportunity as well as the land of corruption. What amazes me is how fluidly the film moves. It is only 82 minutes long, yet more happens here than in most Disney family movies. This shows the wonderful genius of Sturges and how he was able to enjoy a successful career throughout the 1940s. A very underrated and unknown film, this is a perfect gem about our not-so perfect government.