State of the Union (1948)

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

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

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:

Compromise | Politician | Industrialist | Father Daughter Relationship | Eavesdropping

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	...	Leith - Radio Announcer
Pierre Watkin	...	Senator Lauterback
Florence Auer	...	Grace Orval Draper
Irving Bacon	...	Buck Swenson
Charles Lane	...	Blink Moran
Patti Brady	...	Joyce Matthews
Georgie Nokes	...	Grant Matthews Jr.
Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer	...	Bellboy (as Carl Switzer)
Tom Fadden	...	Waiter
Tom Pedi	...	Barber
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Anderson	...	Television Technician (uncredited)
Harry Anderson	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews	...	Senator (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Editor (uncredited)
Frank Austin	...	Crackpot (uncredited)
David Bair	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
George Barton	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Brandon Beach	...	Editor (uncredited)
Anne Beck	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Lennie Bluett	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Jack Boyle	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Norma Brown	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Douglas Carter	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Maurice Cass	...	Little Man at White House Gate (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Newspaper Editor Crump (uncredited)
David Clarke	...	Rusty Miller (uncredited)
Frank L. Clarke	...	Joe Crandall (uncredited)
Gene Coogan	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Edwin Cooper	...	Bradbury (uncredited)
Fred Datig Jr.	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Bert Davidson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Boyd Davis	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Lew Davis	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Drew Demorest	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock	...	Business Woman (uncredited)
Thornton Edwards	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Congressman (uncredited)
Sam Finn	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sig Frohlich	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert	...	Newsreel Cameraman (uncredited)
Herschel Graham	...	Assistant Cameraman (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Jesse - Butler (uncredited)
Mahlon Hamilton	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Phil Harron	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Timmy Hawkins	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Dell Henderson	...	Broder (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Television Technician (uncredited)
Art Howard	...	City Official (uncredited)
Tor Johnson	...	Wrestler (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Television Prompter (uncredited)
Jimmy Lennon Sr.	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Marion Martin	...	Blonde Girl (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	City Official (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Meakin	...	Editor (uncredited)
Russell Meeker	...	Politician (uncredited)
Fred Miller	...	Labor Leader (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Rhea Mitchell	...	Jenny (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Politician (uncredited)
Arthur O'Connell	...	First Reporter (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Brooklynite (uncredited)
Netta Packer	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Frank Pharr	...	Editor (uncredited)
Eddie Phillips	...	Television Technician (uncredited)
Francis Pierlot	...	Newspaper Editor Josephs (uncredited)
Stanley Price	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Ed Randolph	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Barry Regan	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ellen Ross	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Henry Russell	...	Labor Leader (uncredited)
Marshall Ruth	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jerry Schumacher	...	Newsreel Cameraman (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Robert Skelton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Lew Smith	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Robert Spencer	...	Guard (uncredited)
Ted Stanhope	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Television Sound Technician (uncredited)
Henry Sylvester	...	Butler (uncredited)
Frank Whitbeck	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Eve Whitney	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	...	Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Capra

Writing credits
Howard Lindsay		(play) and
Russel Crouse		(play)
Anthony Veiller		(screenplay) and
Myles Connolly		(screenplay)

Produced by
Frank Capra	....	producer
Anthony Veiller	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(director of photography) (as George J. Falsey)

Film Editing by
William Hornbeck

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Urie McCleary

Set Decoration by
Emile Kuri
Edwin B. Willis		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Irene

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup creator
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles designer

Production Management
Arthur S. Black Jr.	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur S. Black Jr.	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Conrad Kahn	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Mervin Bradner	....	grip (uncredited)
Robert J. Bronner	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Jerome Hester	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Leland Hayward	....	stage producer
Eylla Jacobs	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Liberty Films (II)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Emka (1986) (USA) (all media)
• HanseSound (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• MCA Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Frank Capra's State of the Union" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Liberty Films (II)

Trivia:

Although rarely listed as an aviation movie, there is a terrific flying sequence using a Lockheed 12 twin and AT6/SNJ. The aircraft are appropriate and the maneuvers within their capabilities.

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:You politicians have stayed professionals only because the voters have remained amateurs.

Movie Connections:

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

My favorite Tracy-Hepburn film

This is my favorite Tracy-Hepburn film and one of my favorite Frank Capra films. I recommend reading Capra's out-of-print biography, "The Name Above the Title" for the interesting story of the reaction to this film by official Washington in 1948.

Quite reminiscent of "Meet John Doe," the story tests the character of a man against the political power-brokers who want to use him for their own purposes. Ideals battle pragmatism in ways that still ring true 50+ years later.

Angela Landsbury is a wicked woman (can we call her a fem fa tale?) in an amazing performance foreshadowing her role in 1962's "Manchurian Candidate." Adolphe Menjou's sleazy political boss is about a greasy as they come.

All in all there is nothing like a Capra film to make me what to stick to my principles and listen to the people who really love me. Add to Capra's theme of the inherent wisdom of the people this first rate group of actors and you have two hours of time well spent.