State of the Union (1948)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Howard Lindsay (play) and
Russel Crouse (play) ...

Release Date:

30 April 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

How's the State of the Union? It's GREAT!

Plot:

An industrialist is urged to run for President, but this requires uncomfortable compromises on both political and marital levels.

Plot Keywords:

Industrialist | Compromise | Politician | Marriage | Hotel

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Grant Matthews
Katharine Hepburn	...	Mary Matthews (as Katherine Hepburn)
Van Johnson	...	'Spike' McManus
Angela Lansbury	...	Kay Thorndyke
Adolphe Menjou	...	Jim Conover (as Adolph Menjou)
Lewis Stone	...	Sam Thorndyke
Howard Smith	...	Sam I. Parrish
Charles Dingle	...	Bill Nolard Hardy
Maidel Turner	...	Lulubelle Alexander
Raymond Walburn	...	Judge Alexander
Margaret Hamilton	...	Norah
Art Baker	...	Radio Announcer
Pierre Watkin	...	Sen. Lauterback
Florence Auer	...	Grace Orval Draper
Irving Bacon	...	Buck Swanson

Also Known As:

The World and His Wife (UK)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved | USA:Passed | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Liberty Films (II)

Trivia:

Gary Cooper was originally chosen for the role of Grant Matthews.

Goofs:

Continuity: A newspaper, meant to be for the current date in the movie, is shown with the date Monday, April 5, 1948. Later, another newspaper, also meant to be for what is now the current date, is shown, and the date is Friday, March 26, 1948.

Quotes:

Mary Matthews: It's a small request, but I'd give anything for a good smack on the south end.

Movie Connections:

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

Dated, but profound

Lindsay and Crouse wrote this very topical play for 1946 involving the upcoming race for President. Harry Truman was thought to be a dead duck, but he crossed everyone up in 1948. The story involves the race for the Republican nomination and the current political names like Dewey, Taft, Vandenberg, Stassen, etc. are dotted throughout the film. You have to have some knowledge of American history to appreciate some of the lines and issues that are being talked about.

Spencer Tracy plays Grant Matthews, a character based loosely on Wendell Wilkie, the Republican dark horse candidate from 1940 and Katherine Hepburn his estranged wife who reconciles with him for the sake of his White House run which is being quarterbacked by Adolphe Menjou, a Republican political operative and Angela Lansbury a powerful newspaper publisher who is Tracy's mistress.

Frank Capra said that the one thing about this film that stood out was that MGM gave him a lavish budget and spared no expense. It shows and I think Capra spent it on the cast which has some very familiar movie faces and there isn't a sour note in the group.

Dated though the story is, there is one scene in it that is probably my favorite Spencer Tracy scene. It's where he's sitting down to a hamburger with Adolphe Menjou and explaining the kind of speech he wants to make that night. The speech is the views he holds and the things he wants done as President. It's pure Tracy, simple, direct, profound and it should be both required viewing for aspiring actors and politicians both. I only wish that someone with Grant Matthews ideals does run for President from some party. Ironically what he talks about are issues that are as relevant today as in 1946. That part of the film is timeless.