Eleanor, First Lady of the World

The title of the review is the epitaph Eleanor Roosevelt was given by her friend Adlai Stevenson. As true a one as ever given a human being who was a relentless optimist and saw only the good in people. She was the role model for an activist first lady who traveled the country and became the eyes and ears of her crippled husband. She was also the conduit for many who had no official voice in making policy.

Speaking for the voiceless was a mission of her's and this film Eleanor, First Lady Of The World and she's given a sinecure by her husband's successor Harry Truman when she's made part of the American delegation to the newly formed United Nations.

The post may have been window dressing, but she decided that she'd use it to further her own cause and give the United Nations a creed about universal human rights. It was her baby and despite a lot of opposition and some submarining by foes it passed. It certainly has been buffeted over the years and not always followed, but it remains a standard of universal decent behavior toward others.

It might surprise some to learn that this country has never ratified Eleanor Roosevelt's work. Some southern Senators who figured this might give civil rights advocates some ammunition managed to never let it see the light of day in a vote. Now I daresay a lot of rightwing yahoos would say it never was meant to include LGBTQ people. I think Eleanor Roosevelt would weep, but she would never lose her optimism.

Jean Stapleton is just wonderful as Eleanor Roosevelt. You will not see a hint of Edith Bunker in her performance. She really channeled Eleanor into her performance.

Others of note in the cast are Richard McKenzie as Harry Truman, Joyce Van Patten as her aide 'Tommy' Thompson, Gail Strickland as her daughter Anna, Jeffrey Marcus as her grandson Curtis who as an adult narrates the story, and E.G. Marshall as crusty John Foster Dulles who had to wait four more years to become Secretary Of State.

A wonderful biographical tribute to our greatest first lady in her widowed years.

In response to the poster above, the movie is available on DVD through Amazon. I just got my copy the other day. I was barely in high school when I first saw this movie on TV and I remember being mesmerized by Stapleton's portrayal of the former First Lady. It's a movie that must have impacted me greatly as later in life I felt myself constantly drawn to Mrs Roosevelt and her prodigious work on behalf of human rights and the improvement of people's lives everywhere. Though the movie feels a bit dated by our standards, the performances by Stapleton and the rest are spot on and compelling. This is really a movie that must be savored in conjunction with any of the excellent documentaries done on Eleanor Roosevelt's life by the History Channel and American Experience

This complete study of Eleanor Roosevelt and her appointment to the United States Delegation to the United Nations concentrates on the capabilities of the Eleanor Roosevelt that the entire world remembers. The shyness and spunk of the Woman who brought Marian Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial as a National protest to the Daughters of the American Revolution, is portrayed incredibly by Jean Stapleton. She seems to have the ability to morph herself into the part. I have only my BETA copy made from the original broadcast, but I love her asides to E. G. Marshall, who handles the imperious John Foster Dulles role like no other. The dialogue nuances can be savored, such as when the "Queen" is rolling in the transatlantic Eleanor observes Dulles entering the dining room and says, "Oh, Mr. Dulles, you must have the croissants, they are just oozing with butter" This treasure must be brought back in DVD format, or at least shown on National television. Perhaps for the 55th anniversary of her historic achievement: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is the prime subject of this film.