Told in flashback, dan mcgintys brian donlevy tale is a cynical american success story narrated by a badguymadegood. Brian donlevy portrayed a hoboturnedrising politician who ultimately casts corruption aside. Lux video theatre presented a television adaptation of the film on may 5, 1955, starring dennis okeefe and jan sterling. His innameonly marriage to honest catherine proves the beginning of the end for dishonest dan.
Apr 21, 2015 in this film and in the great mcginty, the palm beach story and sullivans travels, sturges wrote his supporting female characters with a spark and an inner life that their. It would be difficult to find a more hilariously pessimistic take on the subject of government corruption than 1940s the great mcginty it was the first feature directed as well as written by the great preston sturges the lady eve, the palm beach story, and like his other films, its far too uproarious to be upsetting. Its the laffiest, daffiest film fun you have ever screamed at. According to kurosawa, welles, renoir, fellini, and many of the others, the answer was john ford. Consider the movies he made over just a three year period. Jul 02, 2015 the great mcginty doesnt quite live up to its name but thats understandable for a firsttime director. Told in flashback, depressionera bum dan mcginty is recruited by the city. The great mcginty is a 1940 screwball comedy, the first film directed by preston sturges. The great mcginty 1940 it came from the bottom shelf.
Mellor art direction hans dreier, earl hedrick film editor hugh bennett original music frederick hollander produced by paul jones, buddy g. You wont make a mistake, believe us, if you stuff the ballotbox for the great mcginty. The great mcginty 1940 08231940 us comedy 1h 22m user score. The film also stars two men who would become part of the sturges group of actors, akim tamiroff and william demarest. A bartender brian donlevy recalls how he went from bum to state governor. Griffith, many of the best film directors were asked who among them was the greatest living director. The great mcginty 1940 preston sturges brian donlevy. Mcginty is transformed into a mayoral candidate complete with a new wife catherine muriel angelus and her two children. Preston sturgess first film as writerdirector 1940 and one of his most. We begin at a bar in a banana republic where a forlorn and suicidal american banker is stopped from ending things by the bartender. Preston sturges classic directorial debut follows mcginty s political ascent. In 1941, he won the oscar for best original screenplay for the film the great mcginty, his first of three nominations in the category. Rent the great mcginty 1940 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix.
Rent the great mcginty 1940 starring brian donlevy and muriel angelus on dvd and bluray. Brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn, william demarest, louis jean heydt on february 27, 1941, franklin delano roosevelt gave an introductory address during the radio. Brian donlevy, not always a likable actor, shines in the title role, and his relationship with akim. Brian donlevy plays dan mcginty, a chicago hobo who is hired by local political bosses as a professional voter, casting ballots under a variety of assumed names in various districts.
His great aptitude for this brings rapid promotion from the boss, who finally decides hed be ideal as a new, nominally reform. Sturges made his mark at a time when talk in large part had supplanted images as. Wednesday, april 22 2 films for 1 admission the great mcginty 1940 if you dont have graft, youd have a low type of person in politics. Starring brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn, william demarest, louis jean heydt cinematography william c. August 29, 1898 august 6, 1959 was an american playwright, screenwriter, and film director.
The film ends with the two friendly enemies duking it out over a minor infraction. Tcm 1940 best original screenplay 1of4 the great mcginty intro duration. If youre a crook, stay a crook, because honesty will get ya every time. Dan mcginty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics, but he endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty. The great mcginty was preston sturges bid to do what few 1930s. Makers kitchen appliance packages builtin kitchen packages. The moral of preston sturges first directorial effort the great mcginty seems to be. Brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff country. It was apparently a hard bargain, as to earn the privilege sturges had to sell his script for this first film for practically nothing. A bartender recalls how he went from bum to state governor. His great aptitude for this brings rapid promotion from the boss, who finally decides hed be ideal as a new, nominally reform mayor. Seventyfive years ago, on august 14, 1940 back when studios still owned theatres the great mcginty, written and directed by preston sturges, premiered at the paramount theatre in new yorks times square. Brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn, william demarest, louis jean heydt on february 27, 1941, franklin delano roosevelt gave an introductory address during.
The great mcginty 1940 0823 1940 us comedy 1h 22m user score. In this film and in the great mcginty, the palm beach story and sullivans travels, sturges wrote his supporting female characters with a spark and an inner life that their. Quite unexpectedly, the finished film, the great mcginty, was a modest hit, which also went on to win the best original screenplay oscar. The great mcginty is a 1940 political satire comedy film written and directed by preston sturges, starring brian donlevy and akim tamiroff and featuring william demarest and in her final screen appearance muriel angelus. The great mcginty was preston sturgess opportunity to hinder studio interference by directing one of his own screenplays.
The great mcginty 1940, a preston sturges comedy about a poor homeless slob who makes it to governor of a state with the mobs help, is a brilliant character study of a man and the changes he goes through to please himself, those around him and, eventually, the woman he loves. The great mcginty premiered in new york city on august 15, 1940, and was generally released on august 23. Boss akim tamiroff helps crooked bum brian donlevy become an even more crooked governor, until honesty rears its ugly head. In a seedy banana republic barroom a bartender recounts the chain of events that led to his endof the road downfall in preston sturges consistently shrewd combination of comedy and social drama, the great mcginty 1940. Told in flashback, dan mcginty s brian donlevy tale is a cynical american success story narrated by a badguymadegood. Brian donlevy is the great mcginty in this 1940 film written and directed by preston sturges. Released july 15th, 1992, the great mcginty stars brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 22 min, and received a. The great mcginty is a 1940 political satire comedy film written and directed by preston sturges. An historic movie as its probably the first one done by a writerdirector. In a seedy banana republic barroom a bartender recounts the chain of events that led to his endoftheroad downfall in preston sturges consistently shrewd combination of comedy and social drama, the great mcginty 1940. The bartender is also an american, dan mcginty, who tells his patron that he was once governor of a state in. The film was written by preston sturges, and it was the last of his scripts shot by another director, as sturges began his own directorial career the same year with the great mcginty.
Released july 15th, 1992, the great mcginty stars brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 22 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. The bartender is also an american, dan mcginty, who tells his patron that he was once governor of a state in the u. The first half of the film combines a merciless satire of the movie industry with a depiction of the prickly romance between a selfimportant director joel mccrea who is determined to make a film of great social significance about the downtrodden and the struggling actress veronica lake. The great mcginty is a 1940 political satire comedy film written and directed by preston sturges, starring brian donlevy. The trademark sturges dialogue is in rare form here, each character armed with a quiver full of tart jabs and putdowns. Told in flashback, dan mcgintys brian donlevy tale is a cynical american success story narrated by a. He hit the ground running, directing eight movies through 1944 and, from the lady eve to. Preston sturges classic directorial debut follows mcgintys political ascent.
Told in flashback, depressionera bum dan mcginty is recruited by the citys political machine to help with vote fraud. The great mcginty doesnt quite live up to its name but thats understandable for a firsttime director. Sturges would only get better as the years developed. Lux radio theatre presented a radio adaptation of the film on march 25, 1940, with mcmurray and stanwyck reprising their roles. The great mcginty preston sturges director, writer, brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff actor rated. The great mcginty initiates preston sturges into the directing ranks, after a long stretch as a film scenarist. Remember the night is a 1940 american christmas romantic comedy trial film directed by mitchell leisen, and starring barbara stanwyck and fred macmurray. The great mcginty 1940 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
The 8 essential films of preston sturges indiewire. Akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn, brian donlevy, louis jean heydt, muriel angelus, william demarest official content from universal. Piloting an original story and screenplay of his own concoction, sturges displays. P reston sturges was a renowned hollywood film producerwriterdirector and broadway playwright sturges most memorable efforts were the 1929 broadway smash hit strictly dishonorable, which ran two years and the great mcginty, which brought him the 1940 academy award for best screen play. Preston sturges, original name edmond preston biden, born august 29, 1898, chicago, illinois, u. The great mcginty was preston sturges bid to do what few 1930s screenwriters had accomplished graduate to writerdirector status. The great mcginty 1940 preston sturges directorial debut is a charming film about political corruption and morality. Ill celebrate the diamond anniversary of 1940 in film with a series of articles on the movies, actors, and directors that made 1940 such a great year for movie lovers. The great mcginty also more cinematic than many of his films, utilizing more vibrant mise en scene and dynamic camera movement that helps sweep the story along as mcginty gets bumped progressively higher, icaruslike. The great mcginty 1940, a preston sturges comedy about a poor homeless slob who makes it to the governorship of a state with the mobs help, is a brilliant character study of a man and the changes he goes through to please himself, those around him and, eventually, the woman he loves. Many film historians consider sturgess next film, sullivans travels 1941, to be his masterpiece. Buy or rent the great mcginty movie now family video. According to materials contained in the preston sturges files at the ucla library, sturges wrote the original story, entitled the story of a man, in 1933 with spencer tracy in mind.
Sturges always had interesting beginnings or ends to his films. Rent the great mcginty 1940 on dvd and bluray netflix. The great mcginty 1940, a political satire with brian donlevy. January 25, 1940 with one days shooting left to do, which was accomplished on april 15, after the first cut of the film had already been made. Other articles where the great mcginty is discussed.
Dan mcginty brian donlevy is a tramp who impresses a local crime boss akim tamiroff by voting 37 times in a rigged mayoral election. The result was the great mcginty 1940, which came to be widely regarded as one of the most original comedies of the 1940s. The movie milestones of this memorable year include director alfred hitchcocks american debut, comedy team laurel and hardys retirement, and the beginnings of film noir. With brian donlevy, muriel angelus, akim tamiroff, allyn joslyn. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the great mcginty near you. The great mcginty 1940 letterboxd social film discovery. Tamiroff and donlevy would reprise their roles from this film in the amazing miracle of morgans creek, which leaves me wondering the timeline of events. Great performances by brian donlevy and akim tamiroff.
Making his film debut in okay america 1932, tamiroffs notoriety took off after he was signed by paramount in 1936. The great mcginty 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The great mcginty 1992 stream and watch online moviefone. Preston sturges first directorial effort, the great mcginty, was released in 1940. In a bar in an unnamed latin american country, tommy thompson louis jean heydt is down in the dumps, and is about to commit suicide before daniel mcginty brian donlevy, the bartender, stops him.
The great mcginty introduces the sturges style largely intact, starting with a shrewd story line rooted in a provocative theme. The great mcginty 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and. The working titles of this film were down went mcginty, the story of a man, the vagrant, the mantle of dignity and the biography of a bum. The moral of preston sturges first directorial effort the great mcginty seems. When this lowbudget effort became a boxoffice success, sturges suddenly found himself with the clout to make projects that were even more unusual.
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