The Best Man

What a pleasure to see Lee Tracy in his later years! He plays a President who is terminally ill-- not that Conservative, mudslinging candidate Cliff Robertson cares about his health.

The movie has some weird, faux cinema verite angles. It may not be great art as a movie. But what a screenplay, courtesy of Gore Vidal! Rarely are audiences treated to such literate dialogue and politic insight and wisdom.

Henry Fonda is very good as the upright candidate in a primary. Margaret Leighton, whom I love, is charming as his wife, though it's odd that a senator would have a British-accented wife.

Robertson, not a particular favorite generally, is superb as his rival. His tactics make the flesh crawl.

Kevin McCarthy as Fonda's aid is very good. Edie Adams as a political hostess is a scream -- and she seems just right.

And Tracy. He is both funny and touching. What a splendid actor that man was! In so many early movies, he delivered long, elegant bits of dialogue in what seemed to be a single take. That guy was load with talent. What a shame he self-destructed. But here he was, back again.

This is one of a kind and most definitely worth a visit.

The Best Man in a sense was dated before it ended its Broadway run of 520 performances in the 1960-1961 season. John F. Kennedy with his string of primary victories had the nomination almost decided before the Democrats met in Los Angeles that year to nominate him. After that, money raised and spent wisely in primaries decided nominations in both parties long before the conventions met. The last convention where there was a semblance of a contest was the 1976 Republican convention where it was not certain until the balloting that Gerald R. Ford would be the GOP candidate.

This film takes us back to the era of the smoke filled room although candidate Cliff Robertson pointedly tells former president Lee Tracy that he does not smoke. We've got two candidates at this fictional Democratic convention circa the sixties. One is Henry Fonda former Secretary of State, an intellectual in politics modeled on Adlai E. Stevenson and Cliff Robertson a no nonsense street fighter of a U.S. Senator that Joe McCarthy was the prototype.

By the way back in those days Joe McCarthy could easily have been a Democrat. Note that Robertson has the support of the lily white south in the era before the civil rights revolution. Minor candidate John Henry Faulk, a southern governor, is most concerned about mandated integration of his state's public schools. Back then the Dixie part of this country had a big influence in the Democratic party, the Republicans were almost moribund in many southern states. But they were a growing force.

Neither Fonda or Robertson really understands the motivations of the other. They're both courting the support of Lee Tracy a former Truman like president. In actual fact, Truman counted for very little once he was out of the White House. He anointed no successor in 1952 and in 1956 and 1960 his candidates were W. Averill Harriman and Stuart Symington respectively and both came up very short.

Fonda and Robertson both have dirt of varying degrees on the other. Fonda's dirt is supplied by former army buddy of Robertson's Shelley Berman who says that Robertson was gay. As it turns out Robertson ratted out a bunch of gay men in the service and got smeared in retaliation with the label. That sad to say has not changed even with don't ask don't tell in the Defense Department.

Fonda and Robertson's roles on Broadway were played by Melvyn Douglas and Frank Lovejoy. Lee Tracy who was the only carry over from Broadway, won a Tony Award and was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Peter Ustinov for Topkapi. Tracy's is a finely etched portrayal of a bitter old man now out of real power and seeing his power to control events slipping by. Made even more bitter by the fact that he reads the characters of Fonda and Robertson very well, but can't influence either.

Gore Vidal aided in the transition of his play to the screen and it survived the journey from Broadway none the worse for wear. It's a fascinating look at a bygone era of politics when the national conventions meant something as opposed to being the media shows they are today.

In which we hope then as now that The Best Man will win out.

Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson are neck and neck for the Presidential nomination in "The Best Man," a 1964 film based on the play by Gore Vidal, who also wrote the screenplay. The film sports an outstanding cast including Margaret Leighton, Kevin McCarthy, Edie Adams, Lee Tracy, Edie Adams, Ann Sothern, Shelley Berman, Gene Raymond and Howard K. Smith.

Fonda is William Russell, a wealthy man of principle, though he cheats on his wife; Robertson is Joe Cantwell, who chases Communists, is a "man of the people," and plays dirty. At one point, each candidate has something on the other that could lose them the nomination. Nowadays, of course, these items would have come out long, long before the convention. "One word from me and Joe Cantwell is out of politics," Russell muses to his wife (Leighton). But can he say the word? This is a fascinating look at the machinations of getting a President nominated, and asks the question, can a man retain his integrity and still be a politician? Vidal's answer comes as not much of a surprise.

Fonda played presidents and politicians throughout his career. As Russell, he has reserve and dignity. He keeps you guessing. Robertson does a great job as a disloyal sleaze. Lee Tracy, who started in silents, is fantastic as the current, ill President, repeating the role he played on Broadway. The rest of the cast is uniformly good.

So much of what is stated in "The Best Man" remains true today. I doubt these races are handled much differently now. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Especially in politics.

60's flick about political mudslinging between two candidates who are vying for their party's nomination for president. The action takes place at the convention as both Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson dig up the dirt about each other. Compared to today's politics this 64 film actually seems tame. Fun to watch especially during a presidential election year.

Gore Vidal was a TV fixture during the Vietnam War era using his wild wit to lay low conservatives such as William F. Buckley Jr. Vidal was also one of the most gifted and talented political playwrights of the period. "The Best Man" is one of his best works. Obviously Henry Fonda as Presidential hopeful William Russell represents the "egghead" Adlai Stevenson. Fonda even physically resembles Stevenson. Cliff Robertson as Presidential hopeful Joe Cantwell is a dead ringer for Richard Milhous Nixon. Ironically Robertson would use Hollywood politics to snatch the Oscar a few years later for "Charly."

There are several outstanding performances in this film. Fonda and Robertson have already been mentioned. Lee Tracy was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance as former President Art Hockstader who controls the nomination process at the party's national convention until cancer brings him down. This picture represented somewhat of a comeback for Tracy. While filming "Viva Villa!" in Mexico a drunk Tracy urinated from a balcony onto the heads of Mexican soldiers parading below leading to an international incident. It gave a whole new meaning to raining on someone's parade. Tracy, a truly distinguished actor, himself died of cancer a few years after "The Best Man" was released.

A few of the cast members noted for their comic talents give splendid dramatic readings. Shelley Berman plays a confused ex-soldier who accuses Joe Cantwell of having done a degenerate act while serving with him in the Aleutian Islands. Ann Sothern has the role of a busy body who thinks she's a king maker. Sexy Edie Adams (Ernie Kovac's widow) appears as Joe's wife hoping to be the future First Lady. And the great John Henry Faulk who was blacklisted in the 50's because of persons like Joe, fought and won, plays a corn pone Southern politician.

Don't miss the heavenly Mahalia Jackson, perhaps the best gospel singer of the 20th century, belting out an old spiritual at the opening of the convention. Her time on the screen is much too brief. Howard K. Smith doesn't have an acting problem since he plays himself but his appearance makes the convention seem more realistic. The entire cast makes a good showing. However, Kevin McCarthy is virtually wasted in the thankless role of Russell's campaign manager.

Gore Vidal writes with much wit and wisdom. There are subtle hints of humor from time to time that require the viewer's devout concentration. This is definitely not escapist type fare. The film analyzes American politics not just from the standpoint of 1960/64 but from the Republic's 200 plus year history. The revelations presented in "The Best Man" are just as true in the year 2006 and will be rerun to some extent during the Presidential conventions in the summer of 2008.

The ex-President Art Hockstader refers to the results of the convention as putting a king in the castle, a far cry from George Washington's views that being President was a civic duty. When asked if he should be called King, Washington replied, "No, Mr. President will do." We haven't had a Washington in the President's house since.