All the King's Men (1949)

The rise and fall of a corrupt politician, who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Robert Penn Warren (Pulitzer Prize novel "All the King's Men"), Robert Rossen (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Joanne Dru

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Broderick Crawford	...	Willie Stark
John Ireland	...	Jack Burden
Joanne Dru	...	Anne Stanton
John Derek	...	Tom Stark
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Sadie Burke
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Adam Stanton
Ralph Dumke	...	Tiny Duffy
Anne Seymour	...	Mrs. Lucy Stark
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Burden (as Katharine Warren)
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Judge Monte Stanton
Walter Burke	...	Sugar Boy
Will Wright	...	Dolph Pillsbury
Grandon Rhodes	...	Floyd McEvoy

Storyline

Jack Burden is a newspaper reporter who first hears of Willie Stark when his editor sends him to Kanoma County to cover the man. What's special about this nobody running for county treasurer? He's supposedly an honest man. Burden discovers this to be true when he sees Stark delivering a speech and having his son pass out handbills, while the local politicians do their best to intimidate him. Willie Stark is honest and brave. He's also a know-nothing hick whose schoolteacher wife has given him what little education he has. Stark loses the race for treasurer, but later makes his way through law school, becoming an idealistic attorney who fights for what is good. Someone in the governor's employ remembers Stark when the governor needs a patsy to run against him and split the vote of his rival. The fat cats underestimate Stark; but Jack Burden, Stark's biggest supporter, overestimates the man's idealism. To get where he wants to go, Willie Stark is willing to crack a few eggs - which ...

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Plot Keywords:

politician | governor | speech | rise and fall | hick | 

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Taglines:

He Might Have Been A Pretty Good Guy . . . If Too Much Power . . . And Women . . . Hadn't Gone To his Head !

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Decepción

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 110 min (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Rossen filmed in an unusual manner. Nobody in the cast had a script. Rossen let them read it once and took it away from them. According to Broderick Crawford, "We really had to stay on our toes."

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Goofs

The drunk driving scene shows US 58 as the Willie Stark Highway. US 58 runs only through Virginia to the Tennessee border, but the state capitol in the movie shows palm trees; there are no palm trees native to Richmond.

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Quotes

Sadie Burke: Be smart. Play square with him. You're gonna need people like us around.
Willie Stark: Are you sure?

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Connections

Referenced in The Contender: The Making of a Political Thriller (2001)

User Reviews

A Great Film with Two Spectacular Performances

Every dog has his day. Broderick Crawford (sometimes remembered for the TV series "Highway Patrol") hit the zenith of his career with an Oscar winning performance. As Willie Stark he reeks of the abuse of power we have seen in the year's since. Never again does Crawford turn himself loose in a role that was really written for him. (In Highway Patrol all the chases were shot on private land - Crawford's driving license was revoked for numerous DUI infractions). You can't leave out Mercedes McCambridge. She is the perfect second lead. Her performance is filled with depth. Mercedes is the role model for today's woman. Tough yet filled with compassion. She and Crawford provide sensation entertainment without one frame of CGI. If you haven't seen this film, rent it, buy it or go to a retrospective. Your film going life is incomplete without a viewing.