In this hyper-political year, I was recently reminded of a movie about the world of presidential politics in a long ago time, namely the late 1940s. The movie stars the man who in my opinion was the greatest film actor ever, Spencer Tracy. It was directed by one of the most skilled men at telling the American story on the big screen, Frank Capra of “It’s a Wonder Life,” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” fame.

The movie is Capra’s 1948 production of “State of the Union.” In addition to Tracy, as Aircraft tycoon Grant Matthews it starred Katherine Hepburn as his estranged wife Mary, Angela Lansbury, in the days before her later career warm and cuddly roles, as his longtime and politically ambitious girlfriend and newspaper magnet Kay Thorndyke. It also starred Van Johnson as Spike McManus Matthew’s campaign manager, and Adolph Menjou as a Republican strategist who was the only real life registered Republican in the movie.

The plot revolves around Kay Thorndyke’s plan to make Matthews the President of the United States with her as the power behind the throne. She intends to do this by using her newspaper chain’s influence to deadlock the 1948 Republican Convention so that Matthews will become the Republican candidate blocking out New York Gov. Tom Dewey and Ohio Sen. Robert A. Taft from the nomination

In those days Conventions were more than over produced events. It was a time of wheeling and dealing, fights over what delegates would be seated, with knock down drag-out fights over the planks in party platforms and raucous floor demonstrations. They made for great television and in the process, at least in my opinion, gave us better tested, vetted, and more qualified candidates than we get from primaries nowadays. I cannot remember voters complaining about not wanting to vote for either candidate in those days either.

In the movie Matthews is cool to the idea of running for president but Republican strategist Menjou and campaign manager Van Johnson convince him to go on a speaking tour to test the waters. Matthews reunites with his estranged wife Mary for the tour, and she surprisingly agrees because she admires his idealism and honesty. I frankly cannot understand why she is so understanding of her husband but perhaps Mary became a role model for a young and impressionable but already ambitious Hilary Clinton.

In his speeches, Matthews appeals to the common people, and they respond with support for him. But then he makes a speech calling the labor movement into account, making them question their support for him. Then prior to a speech in Detroit before representatives of a major business group Kay Thorndyke shows up at his hotel with a prepared speech to calm the waters of business, labor and a host of other special interests. The reaction to this speech are telegrams from those who can deliver votes and Matthews, now fully infected by the Presidential bug, makes deals with many special interest groups.

The picture’s conclusion comes at a nationwide broadcast on radio and television to announce his candidacy from the Matthews home. In those days with the war just over

television, still in its infancy, was already having an impact on our political life and that would only grow In influence in the coming years.

There had been experimental convention coverage in 1940 and 1944 but in 1948 regional coverage starting with the Republican Convention in Philadelphia began on the east coast with NBC and CBS providing coverage to 18 stations. Two weeks later the Democratic Convention took place in Philadelphia and was broadcast. Learning from the Republicans’ experience, they stationed makeup people to apply makeup to speakers although some male politicians balked at the idea. However, Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn (D-Texas) who was also the chairman of the convention went hatless for several weeks prior to the convention to remove the shine from his bald head.

At the broadcast Mary is asked to read a speech introducing her husband but at the last minute learns that Thorndyke gave her husband the speech he read in Detroit and then overhears her telling a group of influence peddlers that she is the power behind Matthew and that if they have questions or further deals that they are not to bother Matthews but come to her. On hearing this Mary refuses to give the speech and runs from the room.

Campaign manager Van Johnson somehow persuades Mary to give the speech and as she does her chastened husband returns from a meeting where locals, friends, neighbors, and supporters expressed their displeasure with the harsh new tone in his campaign. He suddenly realizes he has betrayed his and Mary’s ideals and, in an act, never likely to be seen in real life politics steps before the cameras denouncing himself and his backers as frauds and withdraws as a candidate.

In real life in 1948 the Republican Convention nominated New York Governor Tom Dewey, and the Democrat Convention nominated President Harry Truman. Dewey was heavily favored in the general election; however, Truman was the eventual winner.

State of the Union is a particularly good movie, certainly great political theater and far more entertaining than our current political scene.

Thomas Kirkpatrick is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com