All the King's Men (1949)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Robert Rossen (writer)
Robert Penn Warren (novel)

Release Date:

7 August 1950 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He Might Have Been A Pretty Good Guy . . . If Too Much Power . . . And Women . . . Hadn't Gone To his Head !

Plot:

The rise and fall of a corrupt politician, who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.

Plot Keywords:

Politician | Rural | Rise And Fall | Extramarital Affair | Political Satire

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Broderick Crawford	...	Willie Stark
John Ireland	...	Jack Burden
Joanne Dru	...	Anne Stanton
John Derek	...	Tom Stark
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Sadie Burke
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Adam Stanton
Ralph Dumke	...	Tiny Duffy
Anne Seymour	...	Mrs. Lucy Stark
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Burden (as Katharine Warren)
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Judge Monte Stanton
Walter Burke	...	Sugar Boy
Will Wright	...	Dolph Pillsbury
Grandon Rhodes	...	Floyd McEvoy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Bartell	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford	...	Senator (uncredited)
William Bruce	...	Commissioner (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Senator (uncredited)
Edwin Chandler	...	Radio announcer (uncredited)
Alden 'Stephen' Chase	...	Puckett (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Earle S. Dewey	...	Joe Harrison (uncredited)
King Donovan	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Paul Ford	...	Spokeman for Impeachment (uncredited)
Ted French	...	Dance caller (uncredited)
Gil Frye	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Trailer Narrator (uncredited)
Dick Gordon	...	Politician (uncredited)
William E. Green	...	Senator (uncredited)
Richard Hale	...	Richard Hale (uncredited)
Bert Hanlon	...	Editor (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Politician (uncredited)
Judd Holdren	...	Politician (uncredited)
Robert Karnes	...	Legislator (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Legislator (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Senator (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Minister (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	Local chairman (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Speaker of the House (uncredited)
H.C. Miller	...	Pa Stark (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Drunk at Football Game (uncredited)
Truett Myers	...	Minister at Funeral (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Politician (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Politician (uncredited)
Irving Smith	...	Butler (uncredited)
Helene Stanley	...	Helene Hale (uncredited)
Houseley Stevenson	...	Madison, the Editor (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Spectator (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	City Bar (uncredited)
George Taylor	...	Politician (uncredited)
A.C. Tillman	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Phil Tully	...	Football coach (uncredited)
Reba Waterson	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Public Relations Man (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	One of Duffy's Goons (uncredited)
Bill Wolfe	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Al Wyatt	...	State Trooper (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Rossen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Rossen		writer
Robert Penn Warren		novel

Produced by
Robert Rossen	....	producer

Original Music by
George Duning		(uncredited)
Louis Gruenberg		(uncredited)
Marlin Skiles		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Burnett Guffey

Film Editing by
Al Clark

Art Direction by
Sturges Carne

Set Decoration by
Louis Diage

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director
Don Siegel	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Frank Goodwin	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Gert Andersen	....	camera operator (as Gert Anderson)
Bill Johnson	....	gaffer
Ray Rich	....	grip
Irving Lippman	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Robert Parrish	....	editorial advisor
Donald W. Starling	....	montage

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Mischa Bakaleinikoff	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Howard Jackson	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
John Leipold	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Paul Mertz	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Joseph Nussbaum	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ben Oakland	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Shirley Miller	....	assistant to producer
Donna M. Norridge	....	script supervisor (as Donna Norridge)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (as Columbia Pictures) (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Sunset Gower Studios  sound stages

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Netherlands:AL (VHS rating) (1998) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Mercedes McCambridge's film debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tommy first takes the field, the referee is towards the left and Tommy is to the right, really not anywhere near each other, yet the ref's arm is visible in the close up.

Quotes:

Willie Stark: Jack, there's something on everybody. Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption. He passes from the stink of the dydie to the stench of the shroud. There's ALWAYS something.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: 'The Contender': The Making of a Political Thriller (#7.17)" (2000)

That's The Way To Handle Politics On Film

You know what I really appreciated about this political story? The filmmakers went overboard NOT to paint the main character as either a Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal. It winds up, then, being more a human-interest story. In other words, there was no political agenda....unlike most films, especially in the last 50 years.

At any rate, Broderick Crawford does an outstanding job portraying the self- proclaimed "hick" Willie Starks, who rises from nothing to become governor of a state and then gets carried away with power and ego.

Mercedes McCambridge is equally riveting as one of his aides. She was a great actress, one of the most intense females I've ever seen on film. I'm sorry she didn't achieve stardom and make more movies than she did. She certainly had the talent. In fact, she won an Academy Award for this performance.

John Ireland also does very well here as another person helping "Willie." Add some good cinematography and you have a fascinating film start-to-finish. I look forward to viewing it again.