August 20 - All The King's Men

Today’s movie is a political drama with a scene that happens on August 20. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

ALL THE KING’S MEN                

Reporter Jack Burden is sent to Konoma County to cover Willie Stark’s run for county treasurer. He loses due to dirty tricks by the entrenched political opposition. Burden comes from a wealthy family, but wants to be independent of his mother. He is dating Anne, niece of Judge Stanton  and sister of Dr. Adam Stanton. Stark gets his law degree, then there is an accident at a local school caused, many people believe by political graft. This causes a firestorm of public discontent with the current politicians.  Willie is recruited by some of the powers that be to run for governor, splitting the reform vote and enabling the establishment candidate to win. This is what happens, but Willie discovers he can be an spellbinding political speaker. Burden quits his newspaper job.  Four years later Willie runs for governor a second time on a platform of building schools, hospitals, roads and taxing the rich. However, he accepts campaign contributions, including $1,000 from the Lorain Oil Company on August 20, 193___ [39:24 to 39:29] in exchange for later political influence. Burden who now works for Willie, introduces him to his wealthy friends and relations. Stark wins the election and proceeds, overcoming a lot of opposition to carry out his program.  He also begins affairs with his henchwoman Sadie and more surprisingly Anne Stanton. When Pillsbury, the state auditor is caught in a corruption scandal, Stark refuses to let him be prosecuted, using the incident to gain total control over Pillsbury. This causes Judge Stanton, who had been Attorney General to resign. Stark orders Burden to ‘get something’ on the Judge. He does, but after revealing the information to Anne, Burden promises her not to use it. Then Willie Stark’s son is involved in a drunk driving wreck that kills a young girl. Her father protests and suggests a cover-up, but he later disappears amid allegations he was paid off. Stark forces his son to play football against medical advice and he becomes paralyzed. Then the body of the girl’s father is found, suggesting that Stark had him murdered. Judge Stanton and others get Stark impeached.  Stark starts working to get enough votes to ensure his acquittal in his legislative trial. Jack refuses to hand over the damaging info he has on the Judge, who admits that it is true. Stark has discovered the damaging info about the judge, who rather than knuckle under commits suicide. It is clear that Anne gave the info to Stark. Willie is acquitted by the legislature. The judge’s son, Adam Stanton assassinates Stark, but is in turn killed.           

                  

A film about the truth if the adage, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Stark began as a man of the people but in the end finished up looking out for number one. This movie suggests everyone has a skeleton in the closet and a price.

Date given in film at 39:27 on a check

Awards – The film won the Best Picture, Best Actor(Crawford) and Best Supporting

                 Actress(McCambridge) Oscars. It was also nominated for the Best Director,

                 Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor(Ireland) and Best Film Editing Oscars

                 at the 22^nd Academy Awards

Producer - Robert Rossen

Director - Robert Rossen

Screenplay - Robert Rossen

Runtime – 1 hour 49 minutes

Released – November 8, 1949

Starring –

Broderick Crawford as Willie Stark

John Ireland as Jack Burden

Joanne Dru as Anne Stanton

John Derek as Tom Stark

Mercedes McCambridge as Sadie Burke

Shepperd Strudwick as Adam Stanton

Ralph Dumke as Tiny Duffy

Anne Seymour  as Mrs. Lucy Stark

Katherine Warren as Mrs. Burden

Raymond Greenleaf as Judge Monte Stanton

Walter Burke as Sugar Boy

Will Wright  as Dolph Pillsbury

Grandon Rhodes as Floyd McEvoy

A.C Tillman as Sheriff

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.