The Man (1972)

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.

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

Irving Wallace (novel), Rod Serling (screenplay)

Stars:

James Earl Jones, Martin Balsam, Burgess Meredith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Earl Jones	...	Douglass Dilman
Martin Balsam	...	Jim Talley
Burgess Meredith	...	Senator Watson
Lew Ayres	...	Noah Calvin
William Windom	...	Arthur Eaton
Barbara Rush	...	Kay Eaton
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Robert Wheeler
Janet MacLachlan	...	Wanda
Martin E. Brooks	...	Wheeler's Lawyer
Simon Scott	...	Hugh Gaynor
Patric Knowles	...	South African Consul
Robert DoQui	...	Webson
Anne Seymour	...	Ma Blore
Edward Faulkner	...	Secret Service Man
Gilbert Green	...	Congressman Hand

Storyline

When the President and Speaker of the House are killed in a building collapse, and the Vice-President declines the office due to age and ill-health, Senate President pro tempore Douglas Dilman (James Earl Jones) suddenly becomes the first black man to occupy the Oval Office. The events from that day to the next election when he must decide if he will actually run challenge his skills as a politician and leader.

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Plot Keywords:

president | vice president | u.s. vice president | political candidate | american president | 

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Taglines:

The First Black President of the United States. First They Swore Him In. Then They Swore to Get Him.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 July 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

La loi de succession

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Circle Films,Lorimar Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally made for television, but released theatrically instead. A "Publisher's Weekly" article from 1972 claimed that the decision was due to the quality of the film, but contemporary sources claimed that the controversial elements scared off potential sponsors.

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Quotes

Douglass Dilman: When you justify murder in the name of morality, you've done nothing but murder your morality.

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Connections

Referenced in Isn't It Shocking? (1973)

User Reviews

Very Well Made TV-Movie

First off, the last reviewer doesn't know what he's talking about when he says the Constitutional fluke that makes James Earl Jones president is "fictional." It is indeed true that when the President, Vice-President and Speaker Of The House are all dead and/or incapacitated the President Pro Tempore of the Senate becomes President. The only stretch is that the job usually goes to the most senior member of the majority Party of the Senate, and not to someone as young as Jones' senator is.

Also, there is no assassination plot against the President in the movie.

As for the movie itself, despite the fact that it is penned by Rod Serling (from Irving Wallace's novel), it is remarkably less free of the kind of pretentious liberalism that marred his script for "Seven Days In May." In fact, what is remarkable for the film is how it falls much closer to the center of the spectrum politically in comparison to what Hollywood churns out today like "West Wing".

Jerry Goldsmith's score is the best work he ever did for a TV-movie and hopefully some day it will find its way to CD as many other obscure TV scores of his have.