The Great McGinty
1940, NR, 81 min. Directed by Preston Sturges. Starring Brian Donlevy, Muriel Angelus, Akim Tamiroff, William Demarest.
REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Thu., Jan. 20, 2000
The cinematic yang to the yin of Meet John Doe. Whereas in Frank Capra’s inspirational tale, a poor joe gets tapped by a crooked party boss to help grease the political machine, then fights to regain his integrity, in Sturges’ cynical story (which beat Capra’s to the screen by several months), a poor joe also gets tapped by a crooked party boss to help grease the political machine ñ then really likes it. Only a misguided impulse toward honesty threatens his brilliant career. Donlevy isn’t Sturges’ most appealing lead, but he’ll do, and Tamiroff really works it as his patron, the Boss. See the recent Austin Chronicle piece at www.auschron.com/issues/dispatch/2000-01-14/screens_feature.html. The Austin Film Society's Preston Sturges Film Festival.
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Kimberley Jones, Nov. 19, 2012
Robert Faires, Feb. 17, 2000
Marjorie Baumgarten, Feb. 3, 2000
The Great McGinty, Preston Sturges, Brian Donlevy, Muriel Angelus, Akim Tamiroff, William Demarest
