United Artists
Not part of a collection.
The Best Man
Does The Best Man Always Get To The White House?
The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.
- Original title
- The Best Man
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US
- Budget
- —
- Revenue
- —
CinemaSerf
Apr 4, 2022 · via TMDB
As the presidential nomination process comes to it's chaotic climax, the two leading candidates are deadlocked. The more principled "Russell" (Henry Fonda) and the more savvy "Cantwell" (Cliff Robertson) are trying to get the approval of the former president "Hockstader" (Lee Tracy) whilst the former tries to avoid the whole process becoming mired in personal issues (and back-stabbing). Like so many films that depict American political process, it presents a scenario in which it's rarely the best man who wins and the so-called "Land of the Free" proves anything but! Neither of these candidates really merit the job, it all just boils down to which is going to be prepared to scrape the bottom of the barrel and ruin the reputation of the other. Both Fonda and Robertson are on good form, but pale by comparison with the rather manipulative and scheming Tracy whom you could actually believe held high office once. The pace is good, there is plenty of intrigue and as the denouement looms, I was still never quite sure who was going to come out on top. I liked the ending, though I did feel it was just a little bit of a cop out. Almost as if Gore Vidal didn't really want to make a choice either! Nobody is all bad, nobody is all good - but is compromise always the best answer? It's good, this.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Henry Fonda
William Russell
Cliff Robertson
Joe Cantwell
Edie Adams
Mabel Cantwell
Margaret Leighton
Alice Russell
Shelley Berman
Sheldon Bascomb
Lee Tracy
President Art Hockstader
Ann Sothern
Sue Ellen Gamadge
Gene Raymond
Don Cantwell
Kevin McCarthy
Dick Jensen
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Howard K. Smith
Howard K. Smith
Richard Arlen
Sen. Oscar Anderson
Penny Singleton
Mrs. Claypoole (scenes deleted)
George Furth
Tom
Mary Lawrence
Mrs. Merwin
Marie Blake
Cleaning Woman
Tyler McVey
Chairman
Sherwood Keith
Doctor
Leoda Richards
Cantwell Supporter (uncredited)
Gore Vidal
Delegate (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich
Delegate (uncredited)
Billy Beck
Party Guest (uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissell
Man at Pool (uncredited)
Rupert Crosse
Reporter (uncredited)
Joi Lansing
Girl At Pool (uncredited)
William Henry
Reporter (uncredited)
Shep Houghton
Reporter (uncredited)
Eugene Jackson
Delegate (uncredited)
James Jeter
Mayor (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Reporter (uncredited)
Colin Kenny
Man at Pool (uncredited)
Mathew McCue
Man at Delegation (uncredited)
Byron Morrow
Master of Ceremonies at Banquet (uncredited)
Monty O'Grady
Man at Pool (uncredited)
Kenneth Patterson
Delegate (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper
Delegate (uncredited)
Gene Roth
Pennsylvania Delegate (uncredited)
Mark Russell
Campaign Worker (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo
Banquet Guest (uncredited)
Stephen Soldi
Delegate (uncredited)
Ted Stanhope
Governor (uncredited)
Sara Taft
Mrs. Cantwell, Joe's Mother (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Cantwell Supporter (uncredited)
Howard Wright
New York Delegate (uncredited)
Richard Mansfield
Set Decoration
Haskell Wexler
Director of Photography
Dorothy Jeakins
Costume Supervisor
Lawrence Turman
Presenter
Franklin J. Schaffner
Director
Hal Ashby
Editorial Consultant
Lynn Stalmaster
Casting Director
Lawrence Turman
Producer
Tom Mankiewicz
Production Executive
Mort Lindsey
Original Music Composer
Gore Vidal
Screenplay
Gore Vidal
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