Themes: Political Corruption, Cons and Scams, On the Campaign Trail
Main Cast: Brian Donlevy, Muriel Angelus, Akim Tamiroff, Allyn Joslyn, William Demarest
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 82 minutes
Plot
The moral of Preston Sturges' first directorial effort The Great McGinty seems to be: If you're a crook, stay a crook, because honesty will get ya every time. Brian Donlevy plays Dan McGinty, a Chicago hobo who is hired by local political bosses as a "professional voter", casting ballots under a variety of assumed names in various districts. McGinty chalks up $74 worth of votes, and when local ward heeler William Demarest can't pony up, McGinty takes direct action by trying to beat up The Boss (Akim Tamiroff). Though the two men can't get through an entire day without trying to kill each other, McGinty and the Boss are impressed by each other's raw abilities and become political partners. Through the Boss' patronage, McGinty works his way up to the mayor's office, with his politically expedient bride (Muriel Angelus) at his side. Though he never goes so far as to fall in love with his "arranged" wife, Donlevy is fond of both her and her children by a previous marriage, and for their sake he begins to reform--much to the dismay of the Boss. With the Governor's mansion within his grasp, McGinty makes the fatal error of fessing up to a graft-ridden bridge contract. It is this impulsive moment of honesty, rather than any of his past crimes, that gets McGinty thrown in the slammer, sharing a cell with the blood-in-his-eye Boss. Demarest separates the two combative men long enough to arrange an escape to South America, but not before McGinty has assured the financial security of his wife and family. The story is told in flashback form in a seedy South American dive, where McGinty works as a bartender and the Boss is the manager. The film ends with the two friendly enemies duking it out over a minor infraction, while bouncer Demarest looks on in disgust. Sick to death of watching other directors mangle his screenplays, Preston Sturges sold this rollicking political satire to Paramount only on the condition that he be allowed to direct (for the princely sum of $10). Paramount hedged its bets by giving Sturges a slim budget and inexpensive stars; as a result, the film made back its cost several times over, and Preston Sturges' directorial career was off and running. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Great McGinty was Preston Sturges's opportunity to hinder studio interference by directing one of his own screenplays. When this low-budget effort became a box-office success, Sturges suddenly found himself with the clout to make projects that were even more unusual. Brian Donlevy, not always a likable actor, shines in the title role, and his relationship with Akim Tamiroff's character, The Boss, gives the film its core. The Oscar-winning screenplay is clever and inventive, and, while Sturges was seldom a technically inspired director, neither does his visual style intrude on the story. That Sturges would go on to make greater films in no way lessens the quality of this one. And, unlike many studio comedies from the early 1940s, it's still funny. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
Hans Dreier - Art Director, Earl Hedrick - Art Director, Paul Jones - Associate Producer, Edith Head - Costume Designer, George Templeton - First Assistant Director, Preston Sturges - Director, Hugh Bennett - Editor, Frederick Hollander - Composer (Music Score), Wally Westmore - Makeup, William C. Mellor - Cinematographer, A.E. Freudeman - Set Designer, Earl S. Hayman - Sound/Sound Designer, Walter Oberst - Sound/Sound Designer, Preston Sturges - Screenwriter
Dan McGinty (Brian Donlevy) is a bartender in a banana republic who recounts his rise and fall to two American customers. McGinty's career begins when he was a tramp who, cajoled into voting under a false name in order to get $2, he impresses a local political boss (Akim Tamiroff) by voting thirty-seven times in a rigged mayoral election. McGinty becomes one of the boss's enforcers, then his political protégé, makes a marriage of convenience, wins the mayor's job as a "reform" candidate, then goes on to the governor's mansion before a change of heart compels him to take public service seriously after he and his wife finally fall in love.
His past catches up with him though: he is imprisoned in the next cell to his former mentor. The two men escape and go into exile together, but are still given to violent disagreements.
This was the third film written by Preston Sturges that William Demarest appeared in, after Diamond Jim (1935) and Easy Living (1937), and he would go on to do seven others (see note).[1]
Jo Ann Sayers was originally scheduled to play "Catherine McGinty", and was borrowed from MGM, but she was not found to be satisfactory and was replaced.[2]
The Great McGinty had numerous working titles: "The Story of a Man", "The Vagrant", "The Mantle of Dignity", "The Biography of a Bum", and "Down Went McGinty", (which was used for the film's release in the U.K). Sturges had written the original story, "The Story of a Man", in 1933 with Spencer Tracy in mind.[2] According to film historian Kevin Brownlow, Sturges was inspired by the career of William Sulzer, who was impeached and removed from office as governor of New York.
After trying to sell the story to Universal in 1935, and the Saturday Evening Post in 1938 under the title Biography of a Bum, Sturges finally sold it to Paramount on August 19 1939 for $10 on the condition that he be allowed to direct it.[2] Sturges at that time was the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood,[3] so it's not surprising that Paramount agreed, but they also covered themselves by giving Sturges a modest budget of $350,000, a three-week shooting schedule,[3] and inexpensive stars to work with.[4]
Production on the film was delayed to allow Akim Tamiroff to do The Way of All Flesh, but it began on December 15 1939. Sturges contracted pneumonia during filming, and required a nurse to attend to him on the set. Production stopped on January 25 1940 with one day's shooting left to do, which was accomplished on April 15, after the first cut of the film had already been made.[2]
The Great McGinty premiered in New York City on 15 August 1940, and was generally released on 23 August.[5] It was released on video in the U.S. on April 7 1988, and re-released on June 30 1993.[2]
Adaptations
Brian Donlevy appeared in a Philip Morris Playhouse radio adaptation in 1942 on the CBS radio network, the August 27, 1945 episode of The Screen Guild Theater and in the April 20, 1946 episode of Academy Award Theater. It was also adapted to the October 12, 1947 episode of the Ford Theatre and a May 11, 1952 Screen Guild Theater starring Broderick Crawford. Donlevy also appeared in a television adaptation on Lux Video Theeatre, broadcast on 28 April1955, with Thomas Gomez and Jesse White. The director was Earl Eby and Preston Sturges' screenplay was adapted by S.H. Barnett.[6]
Paramount considered a remake of the film starring Bing Crosby in 1950, and in 1954 with Bob Hope, but decided against both.[2]
Awards and honors
Prestin Sturges won the 1940Academy Award for "Best Original Screenplay" for The Great McGinty, which was named as one of the "10 Best Films of 1940" by both the New York Times and Film Daily.[2][7]
