State of the Union (film)
Encyclopedia
State of the Union is a 1948 film adaptation written by Myles Connolly
and Anthony Veiller
of the Russel Crouse
, Howard Lindsay
play of the same name
. Directed by Frank Capra
and starring Spencer Tracy
and Katharine Hepburn
, the film is Capra's first and only project for MGM Pictures
. The screenplay deviated most from the play in its absence of the play's sardonic wit and more controversial themes.
Originally, actress Claudette Colbert
was cast as Mary, the wife of Grant Matthews (played by Spencer Tracy), but rumors of disagreements with Capra and a reported "back" injury led to the weekend casting of Hepburn, Tracy's longtime companion. Other behind the scenes tensions were between Adolphe Menjou
, a onetime member the McCarthyist
group Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
, and his former co-star Katharine Hepburn, as well as Hepburn and the much younger Angela Lansbury
.
The film was produced entirely by Capra's own company, Liberty Films
. In order to cast MGM contract player Tracy in the film, the latter studio bought the distribution rights. In fact, many of the major actors in the film were under contract with MGM also.
Capra bought the film after its initial theatrical release. After Capra's company folded, Liberty Films' assets were acquired by Paramount Pictures
. It has since had limited availability on VHS
home video
and until recently has been unavailable on DVD
. EMKA, Ltd.
/NBC Universal
currently owns the rights to the film due to it being a part of Paramount's pre-1950 library. Universal Studios Home Entertainment
released a DVD
version on August 29, 2006.
newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke (Angela Lansbury
) intends to make her lover, aircraft tycoon Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy
), President of the United States
with her as the power behind the throne
. Thorndyke plans to use her newspaper chain's influence to deadlock
the 1948 Republican National Convention
, so it will choose Matthews as a compromise dark horse
candidate instead of Dewey, Taft
, or another.
Matthews is skeptical of the idea of running for president, but Thorndyke, Republican strategist Jim Conover (Adolphe Menjou
), and campaign manager Spike McManus (Van Johnson
) persuade him to run. Matthews reunites with estranged wife Mary (Katharine Hepburn
) for the campaign. Despite knowing about her husband and Thorndyke's affair Mary agrees to support him in public because of his idealism and honesty, and because she does not know about Thorndyke's role in the campaign.
The politically naïve Matthews makes a controversial speech in Wichita
denouncing big labor
. Before he makes another controversial speech in Detroit denouncing big business
, Thorndyke secretly persuades him to moderate his tone to help his chances for the nomination. With her and Conover's help, Matthews makes deals with various special interests for their support.
Before a nationwide fireside chat from the Matthews' home, Mary learns of Thorndyke's continuing relationship with her husband and sees the deals that he has made. Matthews realizes that he has betrayed his and Mary's ideals. On live radio
, he denounces both his backers and himself as frauds, withdraws as a candidate but promises to seek bipartisan reform, and asks for his wife's forgiveness.
Myles Connolly
Myles Connolly was an author and Hollywood screenwriter.-Mr Blue:Connolly wrote and published several Roman Catholic parable novels, including Mr. Blue, a novel which was reprinted from its publication in 1928 through the 1980s....
and Anthony Veiller
Anthony Veiller
Anthony Veiller was an American screenwriter and film producer. The son of the screenwriter Bayard Veiller and the English actress Margaret Wycherly, Anthony Veiller wrote for 41 films between 1934 and 1964.-Career and Awards:Veiller was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay...
of the Russel Crouse
Russel Crouse
Russel Crouse was an American playwright and librettist, best known for his work in the Broadway writing partnership of Lindsay and Crouse.-Life and career:...
, Howard Lindsay
Howard Lindsay
Howard Lindsay was an American theatrical producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor. He is best known for his writing work as part of the collaboration of Lindsay and Crouse, and for his performance, with his wife Dorothy Stickney, in the long-running play Life with...
play of the same name
State of the Union (play)
State of the Union is a play by American playwrights Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay about a fictional Republican presidential candidate. The play premiered on November 14, 1945 at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway, ran for 765 performances, and closed on September 13, 1947...
. Directed by Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
and starring Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
and Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, the film is Capra's first and only project for MGM Pictures
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. The screenplay deviated most from the play in its absence of the play's sardonic wit and more controversial themes.
Originally, actress Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert was a French-born American-based actress of stage and film.Born in Paris, France and raised in New York City, Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the 1920s, progressing to film with the advent of talking pictures...
was cast as Mary, the wife of Grant Matthews (played by Spencer Tracy), but rumors of disagreements with Capra and a reported "back" injury led to the weekend casting of Hepburn, Tracy's longtime companion. Other behind the scenes tensions were between Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born...
, a onetime member the McCarthyist
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
group Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals
The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals was an American organization of high-profile, politically conservative members of the Hollywood film industry...
, and his former co-star Katharine Hepburn, as well as Hepburn and the much younger Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
.
The film was produced entirely by Capra's own company, Liberty Films
Liberty Films
Liberty Films was an independent motion picture production company founded in California by Frank Capra and Samuel J. Briskin in April 1945. It produced only two films, It's a Wonderful Life , originally released by RKO Radio Pictures, and the film version of the hit play State of the Union ,...
. In order to cast MGM contract player Tracy in the film, the latter studio bought the distribution rights. In fact, many of the major actors in the film were under contract with MGM also.
Capra bought the film after its initial theatrical release. After Capra's company folded, Liberty Films' assets were acquired by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. It has since had limited availability on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
and until recently has been unavailable on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. EMKA, Ltd.
EMKA, Ltd.
EMKA, Ltd. is an in-name-only division of Universal Studios' television unit whose sole function is overseeing Paramount Pictures' pre-1950 sound feature film library. EMKA was formed by MCA in 1957 .In the aftermath of the landmark 1948 United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc...
/NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
currently owns the rights to the film due to it being a part of Paramount's pre-1950 library. Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
released a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version on August 29, 2006.
Plot
RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke (Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
) intends to make her lover, aircraft tycoon Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
), President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
with her as the power behind the throne
Power behind the throne
The phrase power behind the throne refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of an office. In politics, it most commonly refers to a spouse, aide, or advisor of a political leader who serves as de facto leader, setting policy through influence or manipulation.The...
. Thorndyke plans to use her newspaper chain's influence to deadlock
Brokered convention
A brokered convention is a situation in United States politics in which there are not enough delegates 'won' during the presidential primary and caucus elections for a single candidate to have a pre-existing majority, during the first official vote for a political party's presidential-candidate at...
the 1948 Republican National Convention
1948 Republican National Convention
The 1948 Republican National Convention was held at the Municipal Auditorium, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 21 to 25, 1948.New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey had paved the way to win the Republican presidential nomination in the primary elections, where he had beaten Minnesota Governor...
, so it will choose Matthews as a compromise dark horse
Dark horse
Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
candidate instead of Dewey, Taft
Robert Taft
Robert Alphonso Taft , of the Taft political family of Cincinnati, was a Republican United States Senator and a prominent conservative statesman...
, or another.
Matthews is skeptical of the idea of running for president, but Thorndyke, Republican strategist Jim Conover (Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born...
), and campaign manager Spike McManus (Van Johnson
Van Johnson
Van Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II....
) persuade him to run. Matthews reunites with estranged wife Mary (Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
) for the campaign. Despite knowing about her husband and Thorndyke's affair Mary agrees to support him in public because of his idealism and honesty, and because she does not know about Thorndyke's role in the campaign.
The politically naïve Matthews makes a controversial speech in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
denouncing big labor
Big labor
Big labor is a term used to describe large organized labor unions, particularly in the United States....
. Before he makes another controversial speech in Detroit denouncing big business
Big Business
Big business is a term used to describe large corporations, in either an individual or collective sense. The term first came into use in a symbolic sense subsequent to the American Civil War, particularly after 1880, in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at...
, Thorndyke secretly persuades him to moderate his tone to help his chances for the nomination. With her and Conover's help, Matthews makes deals with various special interests for their support.
Before a nationwide fireside chat from the Matthews' home, Mary learns of Thorndyke's continuing relationship with her husband and sees the deals that he has made. Matthews realizes that he has betrayed his and Mary's ideals. On live radio
Live radio
Live radio is radio broadcast without delay. Before the days of television, audiences listened to live dramas, comedies, quiz shows, and concerts on the radio much the same way that they now do on TV. Most talk radio is live radio where people can speak about their opinions/lives....
, he denounces both his backers and himself as frauds, withdraws as a candidate but promises to seek bipartisan reform, and asks for his wife's forgiveness.
Cast
| Film | Role | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer Tracy Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951... |
Grant Matthews | Ralph Bellamy Ralph Bellamy Ralph Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned sixty-two years.-Early life:He was born Ralph Rexford Bellamy in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lilla Louise , a native of Canada, and Charles Rexford Bellamy. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and managed to get into a road show... |
| Katharine Hepburn Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies... |
Mary Matthews | Ruth Hussey Ruth Hussey Ruth Carol Hussey was an American actress best known for her Academy Award-nominated role as photographer Elizabeth Imbrie in The Philadelphia Story.-Early life:... |
| Van Johnson Van Johnson Van Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II.... |
Spike McManus | Myron McCormick Myron McCormick Myron McCormick was an American actor of stage, radio and film.McCormick was born as Walter Myron McCormick in Albany, Indiana.... |
| Angela Lansbury Angela Lansbury Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins... |
Kay Thorndyke | Margalo Gillmore Margalo Gillmore Margaret Lorraine "Margalo" Gillmore was an English American film, stage and television actress.... |
| Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born... |
Jim Conover | Minor Watson Minor Watson Minor Watson was a prominent character actor. He appeared in 111 movies made between 1913 and 1956. His credits included, Boys Town , Yankee Doodle Dandy , Kings Row , Guadalcanal Diary , Bewitched , The Virginian , and The Jackie Robinson Story .He is buried in Alton Cemetery... |
| Lewis Stone Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone was an American actor.Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, son of Bertrand Stone and Philena Heald Ball. Stone's hair grew gray by the time he was twenty. He fought in the Spanish-American War, then returned to a career as a writer. He soon began acting... |
Sam Thorndyke | not featured |
| Howard Smith Howard Smith (actor) Howard Smith was an American actor. An imposing presence in films of the late '40s, as well as early television shows such as The Aldrich Family , New York stage actor Howard I. Smith actually made his screen debut as far back as 1918, in Young America... |
Sam I. Parrish | Herbert Heyes Herbert Heyes Herbert Heyes was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1915 and 1956.He was born in Vader, Washington and died in North Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:... |
| Charles Dingle Charles Dingle Charles Dingle was an American stage and film actor.He was best-known for his role as Ben Hubbard in The Little Foxes and for his role as a senator in the film version of Call Me Madam... |
Bill Noland Hardy | Victor Sutherland Victor Sutherland Victor Sutherland was an American actor.-Biography:Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Sutherland worked in motion pictures from the 1910s through the 1950s, when he also acted on television. He made several appearances in the Perry Mason Show... |
| Maidel Turner Maidel Turner Maidel Turner was an American movie actress featured in almost 60 films between 1913 and 1951, beginning as the leading lady of The Angel of the Slums and becoming a comical character actress as she aged. Prominent sound films include The Raven and State of the Union .-External links:... |
Lulubelle Alexander | Maidel Turner Maidel Turner Maidel Turner was an American movie actress featured in almost 60 films between 1913 and 1951, beginning as the leading lady of The Angel of the Slums and becoming a comical character actress as she aged. Prominent sound films include The Raven and State of the Union .-External links:... |
| Raymond Walburn Raymond Walburn Raymond Walburn was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of Hollywood comedies and an occasional dramatic role during the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:... |
Judge Alexander | G. Albert Smith |
| Margaret Hamilton Margaret Hamilton Margaret Hamilton was an American film actress known for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz... |
Norah | Helen Ray |
| Art Baker | Radio Announcer | not featured |
| Florence Auer Florence Auer Florence Auer was an American theater and motion picture actress whose career spanned more than five decades.-Life and career:... |
Grace Orval Draper | Aline McDermott |
| Irving Bacon Irving Bacon Irving Bacon was an American character actor who appeared in over 400 films. He played on the stage for a number of years before getting into films in 1920. Bacon was sometimes cast in films directed by his namesake Lloyd Bacon such as The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse... |
Buck Swanson | not featured |