"The Last Hurrah" is John Ford's fine film about Frank Skeffington's fifth and final attempt to win the mayoralty of "a New England City". The story is loosely based on the life and times of former Boston mayor James Curley. Although Boston isn't identified per se, several discreet references are made to it throughout the film.
Spencer Tracy heads up a large cast which includes many familiar faces from the 1930s as well as, members of the John Ford stock company. Tracy dominates the proceedings as we follow him through his fifth campaign to be elected mayor. Along the way we see his modus operandi as he greets his constituents, attends a wake, confronts his political enemies and deals with his personal problems as they arise.
Skeffington draws his nephew Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter) into his circle with the apparent goal of eventually passing the torch to him. He treats Caulfield like the son he wishes he had rather than his actual son playboy Frank Skeffington Jr. (Arthur Walsh). Caulfield is married to the daughter (Dianne Foster) of his long time opponent Roget Sugrue (Willis Boucher) with whom there is no love lost.
Banker Norman Cass (Basil Rathbone) and newspaper editor Amos Force (John Carradine)team up to block Skeffington's re-election. They put up their money and their own candidate Kevin McClusky (Charles B. Fitzsimmons - Maureen O'Hara's brother) to run against him.
On Skeffington's team are secretary Dan Herlihy (William Leslie, his personal assistant Winslow (Carleton Young) and his "back room boys" Gorman (Pat O'Brien), Weinberg (Ricardo Cortez), Gillen (James Gleason) and gofer Ditto Boland (James Brophy).
Others in the rather large cast include Donald Crisp as Cardinal Burke, Ken Curtis as Monseignor Killian, Basil Ruysdael as Bishop Gardner, Wallace Ford as mayoralty candidate Hennessy and Frank McHugh as Festus Garvey another opponent.
As always Ford injects some humor into the story. There is a hilarious encounter at a wake between Hunter and Ford favorite Jane Darwell. Also the scene where Skeffington anoints Norman Cass Jr. (O. Z. Whitehead) as Fire Commissioner is hilarious. Look for Ford perennial stock company members Anna Lee and Jack Pennick, as well as Bob Sweeney and Richard Deacon in other parts.
I have to take issue with the characterization of the Kevin McClusky character. Ford makes him such a buffoon that it's unfathomable that such a person could be elected mayor of "a New England city".
Spencer Tracy as always, makes this film well worth watching.
Spencer Tracy heads up a large cast which includes many familiar faces from the 1930s as well as, members of the John Ford stock company. Tracy dominates the proceedings as we follow him through his fifth campaign to be elected mayor. Along the way we see his modus operandi as he greets his constituents, attends a wake, confronts his political enemies and deals with his personal problems as they arise.
Skeffington draws his nephew Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter) into his circle with the apparent goal of eventually passing the torch to him. He treats Caulfield like the son he wishes he had rather than his actual son playboy Frank Skeffington Jr. (Arthur Walsh). Caulfield is married to the daughter (Dianne Foster) of his long time opponent Roget Sugrue (Willis Boucher) with whom there is no love lost.
Banker Norman Cass (Basil Rathbone) and newspaper editor Amos Force (John Carradine)team up to block Skeffington's re-election. They put up their money and their own candidate Kevin McClusky (Charles B. Fitzsimmons - Maureen O'Hara's brother) to run against him.
On Skeffington's team are secretary Dan Herlihy (William Leslie, his personal assistant Winslow (Carleton Young) and his "back room boys" Gorman (Pat O'Brien), Weinberg (Ricardo Cortez), Gillen (James Gleason) and gofer Ditto Boland (James Brophy).
Others in the rather large cast include Donald Crisp as Cardinal Burke, Ken Curtis as Monseignor Killian, Basil Ruysdael as Bishop Gardner, Wallace Ford as mayoralty candidate Hennessy and Frank McHugh as Festus Garvey another opponent.
As always Ford injects some humor into the story. There is a hilarious encounter at a wake between Hunter and Ford favorite Jane Darwell. Also the scene where Skeffington anoints Norman Cass Jr. (O. Z. Whitehead) as Fire Commissioner is hilarious. Look for Ford perennial stock company members Anna Lee and Jack Pennick, as well as Bob Sweeney and Richard Deacon in other parts.
I have to take issue with the characterization of the Kevin McClusky character. Ford makes him such a buffoon that it's unfathomable that such a person could be elected mayor of "a New England city".
Spencer Tracy as always, makes this film well worth watching.