The Last Hurrah (1958)

Hollywood's Mayoral Politics

There is a torchlight parade for Frank Skeffington, a famous politician in a New England city. He is running for a fifth term as mayor. Frank is available to every man and woman in the state. Then he looks over his opponents. Next he holds court for his visitors. We see how a newspaper slants the news for their candidate. One of the columnists is Skeffington's nephew, Adam Caulfield. Politics is the greatest spectator sport in America. But its changing; the future is with radio and TV to reach the voters. [This will require huge sums of money and tilt power to the super-rich.] Skeffington explains how the feud began when Grandma worked as a maid to the Force family. Her son became Mayor and Governor, hence the bad feelings. Skeffington's son is a playboy who may never do well. The film explains why a candidate has to be careful what he does. Skeffington shows Adam the old tenement where he was born and raised. Skeffington attends a wake and tries to help a poor widow (a low priced funeral).

The banks refused a loan for urban renewal and public housing (they don't want to lose their profits from slum tenements). Skeffington believes government should work for all the people. A political appointment as fire chief (non-elected?) is used to obtain the loan (it could embarrass a wealthy family). We see how TV broadcasts are rigged for the coalition candidate. But the pet dog doesn't follow the script! [This scene is hilarious!] Is an engaging rogue better than a fool for mayor? Are the educated youth avoiding politics? Skeffington explained how he settled conflicting claims for a statue in the park. It is important to not make enemies. The old mechanical voting machines are in use (they can't be fixed like computerized models). At election night the returns are tallied to the cheers of the people at campaign headquarters. But the results aren't as good as expected. The cheers give way to silence. There is a sad ending to this story.

This film shows how money from big corporations can elect a novice to a top political office. [No mention of the next election.] This Hollywood version of municipal politics avoids the reality of urban renewal. The destruction of old neighborhoods had a bad effect on small businesses and relationships. Only big corporations could buy the larger plots assembled from small owners. It was a transfer of property from ordinary citizens to wealthy corporations. Small homes were destroyed and people were displaced. Jobs and shopping moved to remote malls and industrial parks resulting in the decline of cities.
May 3, 2007

Great film with one "flaw"

I write as a native of Boston old enough to remember, barely, James Michael Curly campaign signs ("Curly Gets Things Done"). This is a great movie with one flaw, and I don't mean to take anything at all away from the inestimable Spencer Tracy. But fidelity to the book and to the memory of Curly CRIED OUT for the move to be presented in that unique English called a Boston accent. Absent that accent, those cadences, that "music," the otherwise wonderful performances in the movie fall somewhat flat.

Still, the movie has many touching details. The Irish wake. The cops and firemen at Skeffington's beck and call. The towering, condescending Yankee-patrician rage of Amos Force toward Skeffington. Poor Force's digestion was surely challenged during that Plymouth Club dining scene. And the figure of Skeffington's faithful little, not-too-bright, hat-holding hanger-on and gofer, Ditto, was evocative. Especially at the end when Ditto, alone with his shadow, slowly climbs the stairs to bid farewell to his master who has just died.

March 7, 2007

An average movie!

I like this movie, because Basil Rathbone is a part of it.
He plays so wonderful, like in his other movies.
But "The last Hurrah" is a little bit of boring, too.
On this DVD is no bonus-material, and for the price it's
not so good.
It's only for fans of Basil, Spencer or the book! January 19, 2007

The Last Hurrah

One of the few movies that was as good as the book. Maybe because it followed the book faithfully. January 9, 2007

Spence

John Ford's 1958 classic is one of the finest film testaments to Spencer Tracy, one of cinema history's most charismatic, talented, and scene-dominating actors. Tracy is perfectly cast as Frank Skeffington, the Irish-bred mayor of a vaguely New Englandy town, a man who learned to play the political game the old-fashioned way and manages to look righteous even when he's breaking the rules. There are a wealth of scene-stealers along for the ride, including Pat O'Brien, James Gleason, Basil Rathbone, and John Carradine, but Tracy never loses a single battle to any of them. Gable once called him "the best we've got." If you wanna know why, just watch this film. August 19, 2006

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