अपनी भाषा में प्लॉट जोड़ेंIn 1923, Gregory Vance, a widower with two children, is a former scholar who has turned from book-to-bottle. He works, slightly, as a night-watchman and his children, who know him for what h... सभी पढ़ेंIn 1923, Gregory Vance, a widower with two children, is a former scholar who has turned from book-to-bottle. He works, slightly, as a night-watchman and his children, who know him for what he is and what he isn't, are his only admirers. Then, it is discovered that he is the only ... सभी पढ़ेंIn 1923, Gregory Vance, a widower with two children, is a former scholar who has turned from book-to-bottle. He works, slightly, as a night-watchman and his children, who know him for what he is and what he isn't, are his only admirers. Then, it is discovered that he is the only registered voter in a key precinct and the politicians, from both parties, arrive in drove... सभी पढ़ें
- निर्देशक
- लेखक
- स्टार
- पुरस्कार
- कुल 2 जीत
- Davy McCarthy
- (as Bennie Bartlett)
- Tri-County Distribution Truck Driver
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
- Davy's Friend
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
- 'Brad' Bradley
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
- Children's Society Report Writer
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
- Ms. Markham
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
फ़ीचर्ड समीक्षाएं
1939 is his last year for appearing in first rate films or to even have a lead. THE GREAT MAN VOTES is his last lead role of value. As Gregory Vance he is a former college professor of national reputation who has drunk away that reputation. But he lives for the sake of his children (Peter Holden and Virginia Weidler). They are all he has left since the death of their mother (the event that sent him into his alcoholic haze).
By sheer chance his voting district is the key one in a Mayoralty election. However, William Demerest (gearing up for his politico in the following year's THE GREAT MCGINTY) informs the party regulars that the nation is following this city's election closely (it is an off-year otherwise), and the winning party may well determine the voter's views nationwide the next year. Demerest wants them to make sure their party wins.
It seems that Vance's son has recently been bullied by a boy who is the son of the local district leader (Donald McBride). McBride is feared more than loved (at one point his son has to be pulled out of some cement, and a cop who has watched this looks at the impression of the boy's bottom in the wet cement, and says, "The spitting image of his old man!"). McBride spends the movie doing cartwheels to keep Barrymore sober and ready to vote for the party's candidate for Mayor. It seems that Vance's vote (which is neutral) will decide the district's direction, and so Vance has to be kept on the bandwagon. With such a weight on his shoulders we have to watch if Barrymore/Vance will vote or not. What is important, his public feelings or public duty?
The cast is game and lively, including Barrymore up to the sardonic concluding line of the film. It was a good performance for the great actor to conclude his leading role career. Shortly after he also appeared in an important leading role in Mitchell Leisin's MIDNIGHT (supporting Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche). There too he was in top form.
But by then he needed to have cue cards outside the range of the cameras with his dialog on them. He refused to learn the lines by heart (he claimed he would only do that with Shakespeare or great poetry). In fact, he probably could barely remember scripted dialog any longer. After 1939 his great days in movies was actually over. He soon was appearing in films like THE INVISIBLE WOMAN. He would turn to radio, appearing as himself (and as a cartoon version of a drunken ham actor at that) on Rudy Vallee's show. He did go back to Broadway with a play MY DEAR FAMILY, which was a comedy about him as an alcoholic ham actor again. He died in 1942, but artistically he'd been dead for years.
I wanted to see it because of the legendary John Barrymore, who here gives one of his most honest and satisfying performances as Gregory Vance, an eccentric, once-famous Harvard professor who turned to alcohol after the death of his wife. Vance lives with his two charming kids (Peter Holden and Virginia Wiedler). One day, he has been chosen to cast the deciding vote in the city's mayoral election.
Though it is at first a portrait of community in an idealistic American city set sometime in the 1920s, "Great Man Votes" is mostly a character study. Barrymore excels in his incarnation of Vance. And he does it well while being drunk most of the time. He is at once funny yet sad, innocent yet scrupulous, sardonic yet charming.
This was one of Barrymore's last memorable performances as a leading man and another reminder of what an extraordinary actor he was.
A "B" comedy-drama with a lack of big star names (except for Barrymore, whose career by this time was at a decline), the movie plays fast during its 73 minutes running time. During one of its frequent showings on American Movie Classics in 1999, former host John Burke mentioned that Barrymore disliked working with children because they become scene stealers. Indeed the children are here, and are believable in their roles, especially Virginia Weidler, but they don't take away from that Barrymore magic. And director Garson Kanin successfully mixes the plot with sentiment and comedy without making it appear too "hokey." The supporting cast includes William Demarest as Charlie Dale; Donald MacBride as "Iron Hat" McCarlty, and Bennie Bartlett as his bully son, Davie McCarlty. And whatever became of that boy actor named Peter Holden, who makes his one and only screen appearance as Barrymore's intellectual son?
THE GREAT MAN VOTES, which presently shows on Turner Classic Movies, is the sort of movie that would be best shown on Election Day. (****)
Off screen, Barrymore had lost control of his own drinking, but he could still deliver large, succulent slices of acting ham for director Garson Kanin and RKO Radio Pictures. Later roles helped by having Barrymore play an alcoholic. It wasn't all smooth sailing during this film, however. This is the one where Barrymore allegedly threw Miss Weidler across the set. The little scene-stealer was playing with Barrymore's tie while the acclaimed actor was speaking. Notably, Weidler plays practically the entire movie with a black eye. Weidler did not work with Barrymore again, and young Holden never made another film. Making a great impression, the bully who calls Barrymore a "drunk old bummer" is future "Bowery Boys" series regular Bennie Bartlett (as David "Davy" McCarthy).
******The Great Man Votes (1/13/39) Garson Kanin ~ John Barrymore, Virginia Weidler, Peter Holden, Bennie Bartlett
क्या आपको पता है
- ट्रिवियाGarson Kanin wrote that he insisted that everyone working on the film call John Barrymore "Mr. Barrymore" in a attempt to perk up the actor's sagging self-image, including people who had known Barrymore for years. Several members of the crew quit the film instead of following Kanin's edict.
- गूफ़When Davy pushes the new kid in the school yard, shadows of the camera and the boom microphone can clearly be seen on the ground behind them. The shadow of the camera then moves as it follows Davy afterwords.
- भाव
Gregory Vance: Gregory Vance, magnified briefly, by a kindly destiny, in a kindly land where... where greatness is within a people, not within a man; and where any man who calls himself great, is only looking at his shadow, from the shoulders of those who have lifted him up. Today, his own feet must carry him. Side by side we walk today, the big and the little, and, those we sometimes call: the down and out. A voter, by the name of Mr. Whittier, once spoke of that. Today, of all the weary year, a king of men am I. Today alike are great and small, the nameless and the known. My palace is the people's hall, the ballot box, my throne. Tomorrow, I will be quite forgotten - a bit of shadow glory, who, like the rest of you, left his mark only in a ballot box. But I will be no less a part of that total greatness because being even the least in a land where strength is so generous, is greatness in itself.
- क्रेज़ी क्रेडिटThe opening credits are presented on four-sided campaign-like signs mounted on poles and carried around as if in a parade.
- साउंडट्रैक(Hail, Hail,) The Gang's All Here
(1904) (uncredited)
Music by Theodore Morse and Arthur Sullivan (uncredited)
Lyrics by Dolly Morse
Played during the opening credits
Reprised by the marching band at the parade
टॉप पसंद
विवरण
बॉक्स ऑफ़िस
- बजट
- $2,65,000(अनुमानित)
- चलने की अवधि1 घंटा 12 मिनट
- रंग
- पक्ष अनुपात
- 1.37 : 1