1949--All the King's Men, Robert Rossen

1949--All the King's Men, Robert Rossen
Nominated: Battleground, The Heiress, A Letter to Three Wives, Twelve O' Clock High
Should Have Won: Adam's Rib
Be Sure to See: Long Haired Hare, The Third Man, White Heat
"I'm gonna run. You're not gonna stop me. I'm gonna run even if I don't get a single vote."--Willie Stark

     All the King's Men is an odd film. It is odd because, even though it isn't bad, it is very forgettable. I watched it. I liked it okay. I returned it. Then a few hours later I figured I should pop it in so I can watch it for this review. Then it donned on me I had already seen it. It is forgettable yet somewhat enjoyable, mainly because of Roderick Crawford in the lead as a corrupt politician. Mercedes McCambridge was also a standout in an Oscar winning role but whenever she spoke I couldn't help but remember she was the voice of the possessed Reagan who Linda Blair embodied in The Exorcist. It was unavoidable. 

    Stark is certainly a villain in the movie but I kind of liked his personality. He came across as a mix of Lee J. Cobb and a hardcore serious Rodney Dangerfield, at least that is what he sounded like. He has a few powerful moments, in particular the speech he gives about how he used to be a hick. Some turbulence arises when his son, who is a football player (a running back who wears 73. You football fans will see the problem there) is involved in a bad car wreck and he is corrupt in his use of blackmail. The situation gets tricky because the person he blackmails is someone who used to blackmail people thirty years before...I think. 

 

     If you are into politics, I would recommend this movie to you. I am not really a political person so I liked it for the performances, especially Crawford and McCambridge. But you know back in high school when you had to read a book and a few pages into a chapter you forgot what you read? That is how this movie is to me.