The Great Man Votes

I have nothing objective to add to Theowinthrop's commentary on THE GREAT MAN VOTES here at IMDb, but I want to add my own observations concerning and reactions to the film. It had been only a few months since I'd seen John Barrymore, with Delores Costello in WHEN A MAN LOVES (1927), and I liked this role better than that of a man in love fighting the powers that be for the love of a girl and that girl's honor. Simple stuff.

In this one, Barrymore plays Gregory Vance, a "Great Man" under the thumb of the bottle since the death of the love of his life. He loves his two children, who are part of her, and they believe that he is still a "Great Man." The kids at school label him a drunk, and that's what he is to them.

Hearing Vance speak, learning his history, you know he was a Great Man, and you yearn for him to be one again, for his sake and for that of his children. He has that opportunity, and his children are happy for it. (They kids handle the negotiation. It's splendid.) But does he have to sell his soul, in a manner of speaking, to attain it? There's a heavy streak of partisan politics, though the party name is never specified, and you have a ward boss called Iron Hat who doesn't seem so bad as his awful son.

This movie worked. Since this was Barrymore's last important leading role, he goes out on a wonderful note. And, yes, he played a good drunk.

THE GREAT MAN VOTES (RKO Radio, 1939) stars "The Great Profile" John Barrymore, as the "Great Man" named Gregory Vance, in possibly his last good screen performance in a leading role. He stars as a drunken (no acting here) philosopher and widowed father of two pre-teen children (Peter Holden and Virginia Weidler) reduced to working as a night watchman. It so happens that he is the last registered voter in a factory district. When the local party machine pins its hopes on the way this district goes, his vote becomes important, and so does Vance. Vance allows himself to be exploited with the aid of a schoolteacher, Agnes Billow (Katherine Alexander), and thus, starts life anew as a commissioner of education.

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. (****)

Former Harvard professor John Barrymore (as Gregory Vance) lives in a typical 1923 American city, where he works as a lowly night watchman. Unfortunately, Mr. Barrymore has become an alcoholic. Also a widower, Barrymore may lose his two children due to perpetual drunkenness. Pre-teens Virginia Weidler (as Joan) and Peter Holden (as Donald) adore their dad and try to help regulate his alcohol intake. An upcoming election focuses on Barrymore as he is the only registered voter in his precinct. This may have something to do with the precinct's tradition of always voting unanimously. Having his vote count 100% brings Barrymore much attention. He learns how to lay off the sauce, presumably, and gets close to attractive schoolteacher Katharine Alexander (as Agnes Billow)...

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

Increasing alcoholism and aging in general ended a remarkable acting career. John Barrymore was a stage star at the time of the San Francisco Earthquake (which he survived), and it peaked on stage with his HAMLET on Broadway in 1922. By that time he had become the most notable stage star in America to turn towards the movies, with films like DR. JECKYLL AND MR. HYDE and BELOVED ROGUE. He was strong enough to retain leading man status until 1932/33. I would say his last leading men A-features are ARSENE LUPIN, SVENGALI, and GRAND HOTEL. But after that year, while he is still a star and still appearing in grade-A features it is in supporting roles. He does do TWENTIETH CENTURY in the lead, but nothing else followed. Some of these are still first rate films (SPAWN OF THE NORTH, DINNER AT EIGHT, TRUE CONFESSIONS, MAYTIME), but he is becoming more and more of a joke in the industry.

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.

Great Man Votes, The (1939)

*** (out of 4)

Tender RKO drama about a former Harvard professor (John Barrymore) who has lost everything due to being an alcoholic but when there's a threat of him losing his children (Peter Holden, Virginia Weidler) fate steps in and he gets a shot at proving he's a great man. THE GREAT MAN VOTES is a nice little gem that certainly has its heart in the right place but what really carries the picture is the wonderful performance by Barrymore who really gets to shine in one of his last major roles. It's a well-known part of Hollywood history now that Barrymore was an alcoholic and it's fascinating seeing how Hollywood added this into the majority of roles he did in the later stages of his career. The way it's used in this film is certainly a lot more respectable and better handled than in such stuff like PLAYMATES and THE GREAT PROFILE but it's still interesting because you can't imagine a major star of today's times suffering from alcoholism and it being used in roles. With that said, Barrymore is simply divine here because he bounces off each and every wall within the frame of the picture and in the end you really can't help but love the character. Barrymore was known for going over-the-top at times and he certainly does that here but at the same time when the script calls for something more dramatic he pulls it off like no other could. The final speech he gives really comes out of no where and the drama and passion Barrymore puts into it is certainly something special. The supporting players add fine work and I was really impressed with Holden and Weilder who played the children. I was somewhat shocked to see that Holden didn't appear in any movies before or after this one, which is too bad because he's quite charming here. Katharine Alexander does a nice job as a school teacher and Donald MacBride is very good as the dirty politician. The entire story is a bit too far-fetched at times and especially how quickly Barrymore's character goes from a push-over to a "great man" but the film has a good message to deliver and with the actors great performance you can't help but want to bring attention to the film.