THE LAST HURRAH
US, 1958, 121 minutes, Black and white.
Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Diane Foster, Pat O'Brien, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, James Gleason, Edward Brophy, John Carradine, Willis Bouchey, Basil Rysdael, Ricardo Cortes, Wallace Ford, Frank Mc Hugh.
Directed by John Ford.
The Last Hurrah is based on a novel by Edwin O’Connor?. It is a film about American politics in the 1950s and harking back to old styles in campaigning and elections, the personal influences, the use of money, personal grants. television was emerging as a force in campaigning. It is based on an actual Mayor of Boston, Curley, who was opposed to the film but was paid off by Columbia for the rights.
The film was drawn written by Frank Nugent, a frequent collaborator with director, John Ford, who takes some time off from the many westerns he made during the 1950s.
The film is a star vehicle for Spencer Tracy, one of his best, the gruff and ambitious politician – and a reminder of an earlier film from the 1950s, The People against O’Hara?. Ford has assembled a large cast of character actors who had appeared in many of his films, ranging from Donald Crisp as the Cardinal of Boston to Frank Mc Hugh and Wallace Ford.
Jeffrey Hunter, who had appeared in The Searchers and other Ford films, plays a young journalist following the campaign.
The film shows the mix of politics in the 1950s, the various communities in Boston, the Catholics, the Irish, the Italians, the Protestants, Chinese… Jewish references as well as ecumenical references, especially to the Protestant bishop.
The action takes place in the 1950s – just before politics were to change with the presidency of John F. Kennedy.
1. A film of the 1950s? American politics? Traditions and clashes? The new media? The end of an era? Campaigns, style? The importance of money? In the old proven and true methods?
2. The work of John Ford, Irish and Catholic background, his cast, and the regular character actors? Change from westerns?
3. Writer, Frank Nugent, and collaboration with John Ford? Catholicism, detailed and informed? The Jewish references, Winslow? Ecumenical references in the Protestant bishop? The Cardinal, the role of the laity, Papal Knights,? The era before John F. Kennedy?
4. The film based on the real-life Mayor of Boston, Curly? The stories of American mayors and campaigns and policies? New York and Tammany? An authentic feel?
5. Boston, the city, New England and Massachusetts? The variety of neighbourhoods, the wards, the Irish, WASP, the Chinese, the Italians? The American mixture of the 1950s?
6. Black-and-white photography, sharp dialogue, editing and pace? An intelligent drama?
7. Spencer Tracy as Frank Skeffington, the portrait of a politician, old-style, Irish and Catholic? His character, in himself, age and experience, family? The five terms? His last attempt at re-election? The politicking style, cash, his influence, the political machine, the men going out to tout for votes, especially the Irish Catholics?
8. Skeffington’s opposition, Mc Cluskey, young, Catholic? His poor television performance?
9. The role of Amos Force and his newspapers? The Protestant bishop? Cass, the banker? Their motivations, tactics? The reasons for the opposition of the Cardinal?
10. Adam Caulfield, nephew of Skeffington, his in-laws and their opposition to Skeffington? Journalist role, the commission from Force, going to the rallies, the dinners, the speeches? The impact on Adam?
11. The death and the wake, Adam and his presence, the revelation that Skeffington had given money to the widow? The crowd going to the funeral??
12. The issue of the loan, the bank’s refusal? Skeffington going to the Plymouth Club, confronting the editor, the banker, the Bishop? The pressure on the appointment of the inept son to authority?
13. The vote, the defeat? Skeffington accepting it, the disheartened colleagues? His stroke, confession – and saying that he would not change his life if he had it over again?
