Preston Sturges was one of the most brilliant (and unfortunately today largely unknown) screenwriter/directors. He was the master of the screwball comedy and his hilarious convoluted plots had an uncommon realism and a “speaking truth to power” tone that made them stand out from the usual banal Hollywood fare of his time. His masterpiece in this regard was The Great McGinty.
The Great McGinty
(Absolutely on-target examination of the urban political machine;
Directed by the legendary Preston Struges with outstanding ensemble cast)
Related is this other outstanding film I also showed my Political Parties classes when I taught high school –
The Last Hurrah
(Poignant cinematic examination of how urban machine politics were affected by early television; Directed by the legendary John Ford with outstanding ensemble cast)
