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The Great McGinty (Preston Sturges, 1940)
Preston Sturges' genius shines through in most all of his pictures, but the early ones really let him do his thing. The Great McGinty basically has his acting troupe intact, although the leads weren't really regulars. Sturges, who was one of Paramount Pictures preeminent screenwriters laid down the gauntlet with this film. He wanted to direct. He agreed to accept $1 for his screenplay if they allowed him to direct it, and his plan worked. The film was a hit and Paramount actually enlisted him to direct his second film, Christmas in July, (reviewed tomorrow) before this one was released. Sturges is kind of a Frank Capraesque director and scripter rolled into one, but he isn't afraid to outdo Capra in slapstick and he certainly outdoes him in being wacko and unpredictable. Yet, he's just as much a romanticist as Capra.
The Great McGinty sets up a Sturges formula which is tried and true. The hero always does something which gets him into trouble. Luckily for him, he always has the love of a good woman to see him through. Along the way, he's always enveloped in supporting characters who are for him and against him. The dialogue and situations are equal parts dark comedy, ridiculousness and heartfelt sentiment. It definitely works here; Tough guy Brian Donlevy probably gives the performance of his life as McGinty, Akim Tamiroff is even more feisty than usual as "The Boss", as in the Political, Crime Boss, and the basically unknown Muriel Angelus (in her final film) is wonderful as McGinty's secretary who becomes his wife in a marriage of convenience, but eventually their love flourishes and McGinty becomes a full-fledged dad to her two kids from an earlier, failed marriage. The Great McGinty, which is mostly about the underbelly of American politics, ultimately turns itself in the direction that the U.S. is the place to be able to overcome corruption, so sure, it's a fantasy, but it's a beautiful fantasy.
Preston Sturges' genius shines through in most all of his pictures, but the early ones really let him do his thing. The Great McGinty basically has his acting troupe intact, although the leads weren't really regulars. Sturges, who was one of Paramount Pictures preeminent screenwriters laid down the gauntlet with this film. He wanted to direct. He agreed to accept $1 for his screenplay if they allowed him to direct it, and his plan worked. The film was a hit and Paramount actually enlisted him to direct his second film, Christmas in July, (reviewed tomorrow) before this one was released. Sturges is kind of a Frank Capraesque director and scripter rolled into one, but he isn't afraid to outdo Capra in slapstick and he certainly outdoes him in being wacko and unpredictable. Yet, he's just as much a romanticist as Capra.
The Great McGinty sets up a Sturges formula which is tried and true. The hero always does something which gets him into trouble. Luckily for him, he always has the love of a good woman to see him through. Along the way, he's always enveloped in supporting characters who are for him and against him. The dialogue and situations are equal parts dark comedy, ridiculousness and heartfelt sentiment. It definitely works here; Tough guy Brian Donlevy probably gives the performance of his life as McGinty, Akim Tamiroff is even more feisty than usual as "The Boss", as in the Political, Crime Boss, and the basically unknown Muriel Angelus (in her final film) is wonderful as McGinty's secretary who becomes his wife in a marriage of convenience, but eventually their love flourishes and McGinty becomes a full-fledged dad to her two kids from an earlier, failed marriage. The Great McGinty, which is mostly about the underbelly of American politics, ultimately turns itself in the direction that the U.S. is the place to be able to overcome corruption, so sure, it's a fantasy, but it's a beautiful fantasy.