Hail (1973)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Fred Levinson

Writers:

Phil Dusenberry (writer)
Larry Spiegel (writer)

Release Date:

8 February 1974 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He was only President of the United States. But he planned to work his way up.

Plot:

A presidential advisor discovers that the President has assembled a secret army of vigilantes to suppress...

Plot Keywords:

Dictator | Political | U.S. President | Amazing Grace Hymn | Independent Film

Cast

Dan Resin	...	The President
Richard B. Shull	...	Secretary of Health
Dick O'Neill	...	Attorney General
Joseph Sirola	...	Rev. Jimmy Williams
Pat Ripley	...	First Lady (as Patricia Ripley)
Gary Sandy	...	Tom Goodman
Willard Waterman	...	Vice President
K Callan	...	Mrs. Burd
Constance Forslund	...	Sara Burd
Phil Foster	...	Michael Moloney
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Madison Arnold	...	Sgt. Mazzola
Candice Azzara		(as Candy Azzara)
Ronnie Carroll	...	The Professor
Ted Gewant	...	Chief Justice Yates
Robert King	...	Reporter
Brandon Maggart	...	National Guard Sergeant
Lee Meredith	...	Mrs. Maloney
James Murtaugh	...	Sgt. Johnson
Doyle Newberry	...	Speech Writer
Peggy Pope	...	Sister Veronica
Toni Reid	...	Woman Doctor
Douglas Rutherford	...	Victor Ellinson
Mary Louise Weller	...	Mrs. Ellinson

Also Known As:

Hail to the Chief
Washington, B.C.

Runtime:

85 min | USA:77 min (video release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:PG

Company:

Cine Globe

Soundtrack:

Amazing Grace

The most brilliant political satire you've never seen.

Hail is a scathing political satire about a presidential administration gone mad with power and paranoia. A Nixon-type president becomes involved in political assassinations and establishing detention camps for "subversives" for the good of the nation. Richard Shull is brilliant as the Secretary of HEW and the president's most confidential advisor. Many other familiar faces appear here: Dick O'Neill (Barney Miller), Phil Foster (Laverne & Shirley), and Gary Sandy (WKRP in Cincinnati). I've watched this film again as the US is preparing for war in Iraq (3/03). Amazing connections to real life appear in this film. For instance: blaming the "liberal media" for dissent and detaining "undesireables" without due process. Leaning close to heavy handed at times, Hail nonetheless makes its point in a hilarious and chilling way. Hunt this one down.