***SPOILERS**** The world of changing politics is confronted by the four time elect mayor of an unmanned New England state, that's also unmanned, city the honorable Frank Skeffington played by a snow white as a sheet looking Spencer Tracey who's a bit to old, looking as if he's in his late 80's, for the job at hand. At first Skeffington has to deal with a very unfriendly press who supports his young ands untested opponent upright family man & war hero Kevin McCluskey, Charles Fitzsimmons, who seems to have no chance of winning. The editor of one of the state's major papers Amos Force, John Carradine, has had it in for Skeffington since his mother was caught stealing two overripe bananas and an apple from the Force household some 60 years ago when she was working for .25 an hour as a maid there.
It's when Skeffington age that really starts to show, in him living in the past not the present, as at first his poll numbers start to fall and the public soon realize that his health is a major issue in the long and grueling campaign. Skeffington also oversteps his bounds by taking on the political powers of the state & city using blackmail tactics, in getting low income housing built, against the big real estate interests represented by Norman Cass Sr, Basil Rathbone,that later comes back to haunt him.
***SPOILERS*** As election night shows Skeffington attempt at a fifth term as mayor goes up in flames despite the polls by then showing him well ahead in double digits. The shock of his delete leaves both Skeffington and his supports for the first time in the campaign completely speechless! Putting aside his defeat to the unknown Kevin McCluskey Steffington after getting a long rest then plans to run for governor of the state despite his friends as well as doctors pleading against it! As fate would have it Skeffington never made it out of his sick bed and peacefully, off camera, passed away before he could put his future plans into motion. It was a good try on Skeffington's part to get himself elected for an un-precedented fifth time as mayor but his gas tank as well as heart came up empty in the end. It was also the new technology, T.V in particular, that did the old guy in by him not quite knowing how to handle it correctly.
P.S The movie is a lot like two years later in real life in 1960 with Richard Nixon screwing up his live on T.V debate for president with John F. Kennedy by refusing to ware make-up and not looking presidential like not getting a real close shave, looking like a bum under the T.V lights, and wearing a dull gray not colorful suite in order for him to show the T.V viewers that he's up for the job.
It's when Skeffington age that really starts to show, in him living in the past not the present, as at first his poll numbers start to fall and the public soon realize that his health is a major issue in the long and grueling campaign. Skeffington also oversteps his bounds by taking on the political powers of the state & city using blackmail tactics, in getting low income housing built, against the big real estate interests represented by Norman Cass Sr, Basil Rathbone,that later comes back to haunt him.
***SPOILERS*** As election night shows Skeffington attempt at a fifth term as mayor goes up in flames despite the polls by then showing him well ahead in double digits. The shock of his delete leaves both Skeffington and his supports for the first time in the campaign completely speechless! Putting aside his defeat to the unknown Kevin McCluskey Steffington after getting a long rest then plans to run for governor of the state despite his friends as well as doctors pleading against it! As fate would have it Skeffington never made it out of his sick bed and peacefully, off camera, passed away before he could put his future plans into motion. It was a good try on Skeffington's part to get himself elected for an un-precedented fifth time as mayor but his gas tank as well as heart came up empty in the end. It was also the new technology, T.V in particular, that did the old guy in by him not quite knowing how to handle it correctly.
P.S The movie is a lot like two years later in real life in 1960 with Richard Nixon screwing up his live on T.V debate for president with John F. Kennedy by refusing to ware make-up and not looking presidential like not getting a real close shave, looking like a bum under the T.V lights, and wearing a dull gray not colorful suite in order for him to show the T.V viewers that he's up for the job.