The Best Man (1964)

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Gore Vidal (play)
Gore Vidal (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 April 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Does The Best Man Always Get To The White House?

Plot:

The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority...

Plot Keywords:

Presidential Campaign | American Politics | Gay Interest | Bra | U.S. President

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	William Russell
Cliff Robertson	...	Joe Cantwell
Edie Adams	...	Mabel Cantwell
Margaret Leighton	...	Alice Russell
Shelley Berman	...	Sheldon Bascomb
Lee Tracy	...	President Art Hockstader
Ann Sothern	...	Sue Ellen Gamadge
Gene Raymond	...	Don Cantwell
Kevin McCarthy	...	Dick Jensen
Mahalia Jackson	...	Herself
Howard K. Smith	...	Himself
John Henry Faulk	...	Gov. T.T. Claypoole
Richard Arlen	...	Sen. Oscar Anderson
Penny Singleton	...	Mrs. Claypoole (scenes deleted)
George Kirgo	...	Speechwriter
George Furth	...	Tom
Ann Newman-Mantee	...	Janet (as Anne Newman)
Mary Lawrence	...	Mrs. Merwin
H.E. West	...	Sen. Lazarus
Michael MacDonald	...	Zealot
William R. Ebersol	...	Gov. John Merwin
Natalie Masters	...	Mrs. Anderson
Marie Blake	...	Cleaning woman (as Blossom Rock)
Bill Stout	...	Himself, Bill Stout
Tyler McVey	...	Chairman
Sherwood Keith	...	Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Billy Beck	...	(uncredited)
Jack Daly	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Extra (uncredited)
William Henry	...	Reporter (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Mafia Man (uncredited)
Ray Kellogg	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Extra (uncredited)
Byron Morrow	...	Master of Ceremonies at Banquet (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Pennsylvania Delegate (uncredited)
Mark Russell	...	Extra (uncredited)
Sara Taft	...	Mrs. Cantwell, Joe's Mother (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Extra at Political Banquet (uncredited)
Gore Vidal	...	Delegate (uncredited)

Directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner

Writing credits
Gore Vidal		(play "The Best Man")
Gore Vidal		(screenplay)

Produced by
Stuart Millar	....	producer
Lawrence Turman	....	producer

Original Music by
Mort Lindsey

Cinematography by
Haskell Wexler

Film Editing by
Robert Swink		(as Robert E. Swink)

Production Design by
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Richard Mansfield

Makeup Department
Virginia Jones	....	hair stylist
Ben Lane	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert Goodstein	....	unit manager
Ben Hersh	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dick Moder	....	second unit director (as Richard Moder)

Art Department
Max Frankel	....	property master

Sound Department
Don Hall	....	sound editor (as Don Hall Jr.)
Jack Solomon	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Johannas	....	camera operator (as Robert P. Johannes)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathleen Dennis	....	wardrobe: women
Dorothy Jeakins	....	costume supervisor
Ted Tetrick	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Hal Ashby	....	editorial consultant (as Wm. Hal Ashby)
George E. Swink	....	assistant editor (as George Swink)

Music Department
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor (as James Henrikson)

Other crew
Tom Mankiewicz	....	production associate (as Thomas F. Mankiewicz)
Stuart Millar	....	presenter
Marion Rosenberg	....	assistant to producer
Roger L. Stevens	....	stage producer
Kay Thackery	....	script supervisor
Lawrence Turman	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Millar/Turman Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE)  titles

Also Known As:

Gore Vidal's The Best Man (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved | Australia:PG | Finland:S | West Germany:16 (f)

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Millar/Turman Productions

Trivia:

One of the filming locations is the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. In 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated here during his campaign to win the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

Goofs:

Continuity: Several times, stock footage of actual political rally doesn't match scenes shot especially for movie. In several shots, no one is sitting in upper seats of auditorium that are nonetheless packed in newsreel footage of same alleged event.

Quotes:

Joe Cantwell: I don't understand you.
William Russell: I know you don't. Because you have no sense of responsibility towards anyone or anything. And that is a tragedy in a man, and a disaster in a president.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in It's My Party (1996)

mutually assured destruction

A sharp as nails look at US politics, maybe a bit old fashioned, but in a good way, with great performances and writing, and very well put together. It pits the packaged candidate of "the people", a scary Cliff Robertson against the principled liberal played by Henry Fonda, with Lee Tracy as the dying ex-president whose endorsement both vie for. While he favors Robertson for his decisiveness, he fears his utter lack of principles, but can't support the wavering Fonda. Sex, mental illness, shady characters dredged up by political operatives (in this case a great part by Shelley Berman), the fabulous portrayals of both of the wives (especially a cute and dangerous Edie Adams), the film transcends the characters, and hits home as much today as when it came out in 1964.