Advise & Consent (1962)

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Allen Drury (novel)
Wendell Mayes (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 June 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Are the men and women of Washington really like this?

Plot:

Senate investigation into the President's newly nominated Secretary of State, gives light to a secret from the past, which may not only ruin the candidate, but the President's character as well.

Plot Keywords:

Senate | Blackmail | Ampersand In Title | Homosexuality | Pulitzer Prize Source

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Robert A. Leffingwell
Charles Laughton	...	Senator Seabright 'Seab' Cooley
Don Murray	...	Senator Brigham Anderson
Walter Pidgeon	...	Senate Majority Leader Bob Munson
Peter Lawford	...	Senator Lafe Smith
Gene Tierney	...	Dolly Harrison
Franchot Tone	...	The President
Lew Ayres	...	Vice President Harley Hudson
Burgess Meredith	...	Herbert Gelman
Eddie Hodges	...	Johnny Leffingwell
Paul Ford	...	Senator Stanley Danta
George Grizzard	...	Senator Fred Van Ackerman
Inga Swenson	...	Ellen Anderson
Frank Sinatra	...	Himself - on Recording at Gay Bar (voice) (archive sound)
Edward Andrews	...	Senator Orrin Knox
Paul McGrath	...	Hardiman Fletcher aka James Morton
Will Geer	...	Senate Minority Leader Warren
Betty White	...	Senator Bessie Adams
Tom Helmore	...	British Ambassador
Rene Paul	...	French Ambassador
Paul Stevens	...	Louis Newborn
Russ Brown	...	Night Watchman - Mike
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Senator Tom August
Janet Jane Carty	...	Pidge Anderson
Hilary Eaves	...	Lady Maudulayne
Michele Montau	...	Celestine Barre
J. Edward McKinley	...	Senator Powell Hanson
Bill Quinn	...	Senator Paul Hendershot (as William Quinn)
Tiki Santos	...	Senator Kanaho
Raoul De Leon	...	Senator Velez
Chet Stratton	...	Reverend Carney Birch
Larry Tucker	...	Manuel
Bettie Johnson	...	Lafe's Girl
John Granger	...	Ray Shaff
Sid Gould	...	Gay Bar Bartender
Meyer Davis	...	Director of Orchestra (as Meyer Davis and his orchestra)
White House Correspondents Association	...	Themselves
White House Press Photographers Association	...	Themselves
Irv Kupcinet	...	Journalist
Robert C. Wilson	...	Journalist
Alan Emory	...	Journalist
Jesse Stearns Buscher	...	Journalist (as Jessie Stearns Buscher)
Milton Berliner	...	Journalist
Allan W. Cromley	...	Journalist (as Allen W. Cromley)
William Knighton	...	President of White House Correspondents Association
Guy M. Gillette	...	Senator Harper (as The Honorable Guy M. Gillette)
Henry Fountain Ashurst	...	Senator McCafferty (as The Honorable Henry Fountain Ashurst)
Raj Mallick	...	Indian Ambassador
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leon Alton	...	Senator (uncredited)
Eddie Baker	...	Senator (uncredited)
Brandon Beach	...	Senator (uncredited)
Mario Cimino	...	Senator (uncredited)
Roger Clark	...	Senator (uncredited)
Harry Denny	...	Senator (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	Senator (uncredited)
Cay Forrester	...	President's Secretary (uncredited)
Clive Halliday	...	Senator (uncredited)
Henry Jackson	...	Drink Refuser (uncredited)
Virgil Johanson	...	Senator (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Reporter in Senate Chamber (uncredited)
Al McGranary	...	Senator (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Senate Official (uncredited)
Paul Power	...	Senator (uncredited)
Maxwell Reed	...	Senator (uncredited)
Walter Reed	...	Senate Staff Clerk (uncredited)
Leoda Richards	...	Senator (uncredited)
Dick Ryan	...	Senator (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Senate Staff Clerk (uncredited)
Bernard Sell	...	Senator (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Senator (uncredited)
Wayne Tucker	...	Journalist (uncredited)

Directed by
Otto Preminger

Writing credits
Allen Drury		(novel)
Wendell Mayes		(screenplay)

Produced by
Otto Preminger	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Sam Leavitt

Film Editing by
Louis R. Loeffler

Production Design by
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Eli Benneche

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist
Myrl Stoltz	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jack McEdward	....	production manager
Henry Weinberger	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Bohart	....	assistant director
Don Kranze	....	assistant director
L.V. McCardle Jr.	....	first assistant director
Larry Powell	....	assistant director

Art Department
Meyer Gordon	....	property master
Arnold Pine	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Leon Birnbaum	....	sound effects editor
William Hamilton	....	sound
Harold Lewis	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
James Almond	....	electrical supervisor
Saul Midwall	....	camera operator
Emil Oster	....	camera operator (as Emil Oster Jr.)
Morris Rosen	....	key grip
Al St. Hilaire	....	still photographer
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bill Blass	....	costume designer: Miss Tierney
Hope Bryce	....	costume coordinator
Michael J. Harte	....	wardrobe (as Michael Harte)
Joe King	....	wardrobe
Adele Parmenter	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Lee Osborne	....	music editor
Murray Spivack	....	music recordist

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
David De Silva	....	production assistant
Allen Drury	....	technical advisor
Kathleen Fagan	....	script supervisor
Florence Nerlinger	....	production secretary
Sol Schulman	....	furrier
Max Slater	....	assistant to producer
Harry Winston	....	diamond jewelry

Production Companies

• Otto Preminger Films (as Sigma Productions)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (as Columbia Pictures Corporation)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia-Bavaria Filmgesellschaft m.b.H. (1962) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Aventi (2004) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:PG (TV rating) | UK:U (original rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | Australia:M | USA:Approved (PCA #20078)

Filming Locations:

Caucus Room, United States Capitol - 545 Seventh Street SE, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Otto Preminger Films

Trivia:

The blackmail attempt is based on the case of Wyoming Senator Lester C. Hunt, who was blackmailed by members of the Republican Party. Hunt was told by Sen. Styles Bridges that if he ran for re-election that November, the details of his son's arrest (for soliciting prostitution from a male undercover officer) would end up "in every mailbox in Wyoming". Hunt eventually agreed to step down, but eleven days later committed suicide in the Capitol.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Until his elevation to the Presidency, Vice President Hudson is not shown traveling with Secret Service protection. Since 1954, such protection was provided unless specifically declined. Also highly unlikely that a sitting Veep would be traveling alone on public conveyances such as commercial airliners and taxicabs, as shown in the movie.

Quotes:

Fred Van Ackerman: What I did was for the good of the country.
Bob Munson: Fortunately our country always manages to survive patriots like you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Congress (1988) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Song from Advise and Consent

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