Advise and Consent (1962)

A Preminger Classic

"Advice and Consent"

A Preminger Classic

Amos Lassen

It has been several years since I watched Otto Preminger's "Advice and Consent" and I had forgotten what a powerful movie it is--even now more than forty years after it was made. Based on Allen Drury's epic novel of wheeling and dealing in Washington D.C., it is a classic political thriller with an all-star cast and a very overt gay theme.
When John Kennedy was elected President in 1960, Hollywood began to take a new interest in politics. The main idea of the film deals with the nomination of a controversial man as Secretary of State and how the President and the Congress used their powers either to secure or hinder the nomination. The nominee is Robert Leffingwell (Henry Fonda), who must go through a Senate investigation to see if he is qualified for the position. The Senate committees is led by an idealistic Senator, Brig Anderson (Don Murray), who soon finds himself unprepared for the political dirt that is unearthed which include the candidate's past affiliations with a Communist organization. Leffingwell manages to prove his innocence but Anderson learns that he lied under oath and he asks the President to withdraw him from consideration. As the same time mysterious threats begin against the Senator because of certain sexual activities that he as been involve in.
Preminger shows that in politics as in life it is not easy to be all black or all white. Several of the characters are recognizable historic figures with the most obvious being Lafe Smith, a very thinly disguised Kennedy (who is ironically played by JFK's own brother-in-law, Peter Lawford), who had quite a social life before he married. Gene Tierney who plays a Washington social maven is one of his early conquests. Another character that is easily recognized is Charles Laughton's brilliant portrayal of South Carolina's Seabright Cooley which is, as I understand it, based on Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen but also parallels the real South Carolina Senator, Strom Thurmond. Other fascinating characters include Walter Pidgeon as the Senate Majority leader, Robert Munson, Paul Ford as Senate Majority Whip. Will Geer as the head of the Minority Opposition and Betty White in a small part.
It is, however, the main characters that are the keys to the drama" Franchot Tone as the President, Lew Ayres as the Vice President and George Grizzard as a villainous Senator Fred Van Ackerman.
Preminger did not hold back when he introduced the homosexual sub-plot. Keeping in mind that the film was made in 1962, this was quite a bold move. When we consider when the film was produced and remember that there was censorship on film, we should be proud to owe a debt to Otto Preminger. Granted today it seems quite tame but in 1962, he presented some very bold statements. The film has been criticized for the way it depicted homosexuals but it is one of the few films of that period when a gay character is presented in a sympathetic light and Preminger made quite a statement with the casting of Don Murray as the gay man as he was a Mormon and extremely wholesome and clean-cut.
The cast is so outstanding that the characters seem to be constantly stealing scenes from each other but in my opinion that is one reason that "Advice and Consent" is so fascinating. The film has aged well and withstood the test of time and seems as relevant today as it was in 1962.
To those who have criticized the gay scenes as clichéd, they are wonderful representations of the ambiance of gay life in the 60's. This is how it was. We did not have super-bars nor the freedom to be who we were and everything (especially in the Nation's capital) was quite clandestine. This is a great film that rises above some of the mediocrity that we sometimes get from Hollywood.
June 21, 2008

"What I Did Was For The Good Of The Country:" The Political Shocker Of 1962

As a Congressional correspondent for the New York Times during the 1950s, author Allen Drury had ample opportunity to witness Washington politicians in their natural habit---and drew upon numerous factual sources, including the controversial Alger Hiss case and the scandalous suicide of Senator Lester Hunt, to create the story of a controversial nominee for Secretary of State. The novel was not only a best seller, it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

It was also a book that Hollywood could not film under the film industry's notorious Production Code. As it happened, the book fell into the hands of director Otto Preminger, long-time foe of Hollywood's rules for self-censorship. He not only made the film, he flagrantly broke the code; as such, ADVISE AND CONSENT presents our nation's leaders embroiled in a blackmail plot, finds actress Gene Tierney using the word `bitch,' and became the first Hollywood film to show a gay bar. It was shocking stuff for 1962.

The story is extremely convoluted. An aging and extremely ill President makes a highly controversial nomination for Secretary of State---which is opposed by a member of his own party, who bears the nominee a personal grudge and who attempts to derail the nomination by accusing the nominee of former membership in the Communist Party. This in turn touches off a vicious battle between those in the party who support the nominee and those who don't, a battle that will ultimately result in the suicide of the only character who has the integrity we would like to see in our political leaders.

The cast is indeed remarkable and, from Lew Ayres to Betty White, plays with considerable conviction and tremendous restraint. Henry Fonda is often cited as the star of the film, but in truth he appears in the small but pivotal role of Robert Leffingwell, nominee for Secretary of State. Screen time is divided between Walter Pigeon as the Majority Leader, Charles Laughton as the senator who opposes the nomination, and Don Murray, an idealist who finds himself chairing the nomination committee. All three play extremely well, but it is really Laughton---in his final screen role---who walks off with the film as the devious and openly vicious Senator from South Carolina. The trio is ably supported by a dream cast that includes Franchot Tone as the President, Lew Ayres as the Vice President, George Grizzard as a growling ideologue, Gene Tierney as a society hostess---and yes, Betty White, who offers a brief turn as the Senator from Kansas.

It has become fashionable to dismiss Otto Preminger films of the 1950s and 1960s as ponderous, all-star, and pseudo-intellectual trash, and indeed it is difficult to find much positive to say about films like EXODUS and HURRY SUNDOWN these days. But Preminger is in many ways under-rated; his films have not always dated well in terms of subject, but they hold up extremely well in the way in which they are put together, with ADVISE AND CONSENT a case in point---and it is worth pointing out that accusations of leftism, adultery, and homosexuality are still enough to prompt everything from impeachment to congressional hearings to resignations. Nor has the process of the political dance itself changed greatly between then and now.

The great flaw of the film is its conclusion, which seems facile to the point of being hokey---but this is also the great flaw of the novel, which ends in much the same way--and at times ADVISE AND CONSENT seems more than a little dry. All the same, it remains a movie worth watching, particularly notable for its performances, fluid camera work, and meticulous recreation of party politics. The DVD offers a near-pristine widescreen transfer with good sound quality and an interesting, if occasionally too academic, commentary by film historian Drew Casper. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer
February 2, 2008

Advise and Consent

An engrossing adaptation of Allen Drury's best-selling novel, and loosely based on real-life lawmakers, Preminger's incisive study of Congressional wheeling and dealing boasts a dazzling ensemble cast, including Pidgeon, Murray, Peter Lawford, Gene Tierney, Franchot Tone, and Burgess Meredith. In addition to a strong performance from Fonda, the film is especially memorable thanks to Laughton's grinning, snake-slick performance--sadly, his last. Smear campaigns, public-image management, and behind-the-scenes machinations are all part of the senatorial rat race in "Advise and Consent," an ultra-realistic drama that seems timelier than ever. June 27, 2007

Don't miss this one.

This was the first movie that I am aware of which took political drama seriously. Very good plot line and excellent dialogue with a large cast of very talented actors. It's hard to ask for more. They surely make very few like it today. Perhaps there is no need because this one still stands as a landmark of the genre. I had not seen it for quite a few years and recently bought a DVD of it only to rediscover just how great it was. It even approaches the subject of homosexuality which was a very brave and difficult thing to do back then. If you haven't seen it yet then there is a great time ahead waiting for you. May 31, 2007

Advise and Consent

A classic film which seems to me to be as current today as it was when released. May 7, 2007

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