All the King's Men (1949)

All the King's Men is a 1949 American political drama film written, produced, and directed by Robert Rossen. It is based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1946 novel of the same name. It stars Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, and Joanne Dru. The film centers on the rise and fall of an idealistic-but-ruthless politician in the American South, patterned after Louisiana Governor Huey Long.
Released by Columbia Pictures on November 8, 1949, the film received widespread acclaim from critics, and was a commercial success. At the 22nd Academy Awards the film was nominated for seven Oscars and won three; Best Picture, Best Actor for Crawford, and Best Supporting Actress for McCambridge, making an impressive film debut. The film also won five Golden Globes, and was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
In 2001, All the King's Men was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
==Plot==
Reporter Jack Burden is sent on assignment to write about Willie Stark, a man running for county treasurer in an unnamed Southern state. Stark's campaign is run on honesty and talking about the corruption of the local politicians. Burden meets Stark and his family and writes an inspiring story on Stark's honesty and courage. Using their power, including sway over the police, the local political machine shuts out Stark. After his loss, Stark earns a law degree. When a shoddily-constructed school in his county experiences a structural collapse that kills 12 students during a fire drill, Stark is encouraged to work on their legal affairs at the children's funeral, and he ultimately wins a lawsuit against the county, leading to a state-wide investigation. Willie uses this to build his political momentum, and he is eventually drafted as a spoiler candidate for Governor by the frontrunner in a three-way race.
Stark embarks on the campaign trail with Sadie Burke, an associate of the campaign installed as a mole from a rival candidate, and Burden. Initially Stark has trouble on the campaign trail as he speaks obtusely and plainly about his balanced budget plan for the state. However, once Burke reveals he is just a spoiler candidate, Stark begins to give more impassioned and effective speeches. During this time, Burden continues to report on Stark's campaign, but he resigns after being told to stop writing positively about Stark. Ultimately Stark loses the race, but draws large grassroots support from the rural areas of the state as he identifies as one of them - a fooled "hick."
Over the next four years, Stark realizes how to win and continues to campaign and make backroom deals to gain political influence and campaign funds. Meanwhile, Burden has had a tough time finding another job, but is hired by Stark to serve as an opposition researcher for the campaign. Stark and Burden go back to Burden's home to convince Burden's friends and family to support the campaign. Skeptical of Stark's alleged deals and big promises, Adam, brother of Jack Burden's girlfriend, Anne Stanton, asks questions and is not fully convinced. However, Anne sensing his demagogic magnetism believes fully in Stark's message. Burden gets the group on board by promising State Attorney General to Anne's uncle, the honest Judge Stanton. Willie ends up winning the election in a landslide and is portrayed by newsreels as either a prairie messiah or incipient dictator.
During his time as Governor, Stark ends up utilizing his power in aggressive and corrupt ways as Burden develops a black book of biographical leverage to extract political favors and votes in support of their agenda. He covers up a scandal by a member of his administration, after which Judge Stanton resigns as Attorney General and publicly asserts Stark's corruption. Stark's loss of morals, corruption, and alienation from his small-town self is exacerbated as he philanders with many women, including Anne and Sadie. Feeling the pressure of his father's status, Stark's adopted college-aged son Tommy drinks to deal with his feelings about his father. Following a football practice where Stark berates Tommy for drinking, Tommy gets drunk and crashes his car, injuring himself and killing his female passenger. To combat the bad press, Stark pressures Tommy into a game despite him not being fully recovered. During the game, Tommy takes a rough hit and is rushed to the hospital. Stark, blaming himself for Tommy's injury, begs Adam, a surgeon, to do all he can. Adam, preferring to wait for a specialist, ultimately agrees to operate after Stark clumsily tries to entice him by offering to build a new hospital for the public. Tommy ends up a paraplegic.
Following this, Burden gives Anne evidence of Judge Stanton's possible past wrongdoing that Burden has buried out of respect for the judge's lifetime career. Stark begins his re-election campaign for Governor by visiting his estranged family. While there, Judge Stanton publicly blames Stark for the suspicious death of the father of the girl in Tommy's car accident after the father refused Stark's bribe to make it go away. An impeachment trial is brought against Stark and the judge controls how certain senators will vote at the trial. Stark issues orders to "turn the yokels out" to demonstrate in his support and there are concerns that he might use the state militia to remain in power. In desperation, Stark visits Judge Stanton and attempts to strongarm him to release his senators with the evidence that Burden found, given to him by Anne. However, Judge Stanton commits suicide, and the impeachment ends with Stark's acquittal.
During Stark's public victory celebration, Adam distraught over the pressure put on the judge mortally shoots Stark, believing that the only reason he was appointed as the director for the hospital was that his sister was Willie Stark's mistress. Having lost his respect for Stark, Burden tries to get Anne's agreement to find a way to destroy Stark's reputation following his death. Stark dies on the steps of the state capitol bemoaning his stolen opportunity for greatness and wondering why it happened to him.
==Cast==
* Broderick Crawford as Willie Stark
* John Ireland as Jack Burden
* Joanne Dru as Anne Stanton
* John Derek as Tom Stark
* Mercedes McCambridge as Sadie Burke (in her film debut)
* Shepperd Strudwick as Adam Stanton
* Ralph Dumke as Tiny Duffy
* Anne Seymour as Mrs. Lucy Stark
* Katharine Warren as Mrs. Burden
* Raymond Greenleaf as Judge Monte Stanton
* Walter Burke as Sugar Boy
* Will Wright as Dolph Pillsbury
* Grandon Rhodes as Floyd McEvoy
* Houseley Stevenson as Mr. Madison
* Paul Ford as State Senator
Category:1949 films
Category:1949 drama films
Category:1940s films
Category:American political drama films
Category:Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners
Category:Best Picture Academy Award winners
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:Columbia Pictures films
Category:1940s English-language films
Category:Film noir
Category:Films à clef
Category:Films about elections
Category:Films about politicians
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:United States National Film Registry films