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IMDbPro

The Man

  • 19721972
  • GG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
385
YOUR RATING
James Earl Jones in The Man (1972)
Drama
An African-American senator becomes the designated survivor of a tragic accident that kills the President of the United States. Now the first black President, he attempts to end the bigotry ... Read allAn African-American senator becomes the designated survivor of a tragic accident that kills the President of the United States. Now the first black President, he attempts to end the bigotry and divide standing in his way.An African-American senator becomes the designated survivor of a tragic accident that kills the President of the United States. Now the first black President, he attempts to end the bigotry and divide standing in his way.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
385
YOUR RATING
    • Joseph Sargent
    • Irving Wallace(novel)
    • Rod Serling(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • James Earl Jones
    • Martin Balsam
    • Burgess Meredith
    • Joseph Sargent
    • Irving Wallace(novel)
    • Rod Serling(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • James Earl Jones
    • Martin Balsam
    • Burgess Meredith
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos22

    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)
    The Man (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • Douglass Dilman
    Martin Balsam
    Martin Balsam
    • Jim Talley
    Burgess Meredith
    Burgess Meredith
    • Senator Watson
    Lew Ayres
    Lew Ayres
    • Noah Calvin
    William Windom
    William Windom
    • Arthur Eaton
    Barbara Rush
    Barbara Rush
    • Kay Eaton
    Georg Stanford Brown
    Georg Stanford Brown
    • Robert Wheeler
    Janet MacLachlan
    Janet MacLachlan
    • Wanda
    Martin E. Brooks
    Martin E. Brooks
    • Wheeler's Lawyer
    • (as Martin Brooks)
    Simon Scott
    Simon Scott
    • Hugh Gaynor
    Patric Knowles
    Patric Knowles
    • South African Consul
    Robert DoQui
    Robert DoQui
    • Webson
    Anne Seymour
    Anne Seymour
    • Ma Blore
    Edward Faulkner
    Edward Faulkner
    • Secret Service Man
    Gilbert Green
    Gilbert Green
    • Congressman Hand
    Lew Brown
    Lew Brown
    • Gilbert
    Philip Bourneuf
    Philip Bourneuf
    • Chief Justice Williams
    Reginald Fenderson
    Reginald Fenderson
    • Reverend Otis Waldren
      • Joseph Sargent
      • Irving Wallace(novel)
      • Rod Serling(screenplay) (story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      James Earl Jones was interviewed about portraying a fictional black U.S. president a few days before Barack Obama was sworn in as President. Jones said that he had misgivings about the film, mostly because they were blindsided when the project (which was planned and budgeted as a TV movie) was released in theaters, and he wished that they'd had more time and resources to make a stronger final film.
    • Quotes

      Wanda: How are you, Dad?

      Douglass Dilman: Numb! Numbness being a, er, defence mechanism.

      Wanda: Against what?

      Douglass Dilman: Against... against breaking into small pieces. They flew you here? From Ohio?

      Wanda: On an Air Force jet, no less. Two Secret Servicemen came right into my dorm and got me.

      Douglass Dilman: What's known as the long arm of Government!... It's nice to have you in the nation's capital for something other than a protest march.

      Wanda: Well, I guess I'll have to cool that sort of thing for a while.

      Douglass Dilman: I think maybe so. You are now a member of the nation's First Family, small though it may be. So the next time you throw rocks at the Establishment, keep in mind that the father you hit may be your own.

      [beat]

      Douglass Dilman: Perhaps by tomorrow morning, I can get my hands to stop shaking. I'm the wrong one, Wanda.

      Wanda: Why?

      Douglass Dilman: They were expecting a black Messiah. You can tell them what they got, eh?

      Wanda: What they got is a black President. That's more than they've ever gotten.

      Douglass Dilman: May I remind you, not by election. And the rest of the country is going to want an Uncle Tom. Well, I can't be what everybody wants me to be. And I'm a little afraid that I'm going to cause this country more chaos then it really deserves.

      Wanda: Well, I don't give a damn about the rest of this country, their sensitivities, their racial hang-ups. Do me a favour, will you, please? Stop being the pedantic professor with an aversion to causes. Stop being "Senator Ineffectual". There are fifteen million people out there, tied to you by the colour of your skin. And if you go under, they drown with you. They don't want you humble. They don't want you apologetic. They just want you President.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Dick Cavett Show: Episode dated 19 July 1972 (1972)

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Are you tired of only wondering about this?.....
    .....then by all means let me know directly at the above e-mail address so that I may arrange for a copy for you. An outstanding undiscovered classic originally made for TV, but whose controversial content resulted in a theatrical release at the 11th hour. James Earl Jones has never been better, nor has Rod Serling's writing, proving he was just as much a genius working outside of the fantasy milieu (as though he hadn't already demonstrated that with "Requiem for a Heavyweight," etc.). Burgess Meredith excels as a white supremacist trying to stymie the new prez at every turn, and Janet MacLachlan is very good as the concerned daughter whose natural opposition to the Oval Office has her torn over her dad's new presence there.
    helpful•4
    1
    • purrboxmmauctions
    • Aug 19, 2006

    Details

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    • Release date
      • July 19, 1972 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • ABC Circle Films
      • Lorimar Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 33 minutes
      • Mono

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