I don't usually like Spencer Tracy, but in The Last Hurrah he was perfectly cast. An old curmudgeon who's been the mayor of the same town for decades, knows his residents inside and out, makes backroom deals that aren't exactly ethical but are for the greater good, and has his set of cronies that will follow him anywhere. My go-to is to say, "Fredric March could have played this part better!" for almost every movie, but not for this one. Fredric March nails the emotion of desperation, but this part doesn't call for desperation. It calls for laid-back security, and just a touch of smugness that shows he's been in the business for so long he knows he'll come out on top in the end.
It's very touching to see all the old timers in this movie. Seeing Pat O'Brien, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh, Edward Brophy, James Gleason, Ricardo Cortez, and John Carradine together after they've all been making movies since the early 1930s makes it so believable that they have a history together. All but Basil gather around Spence in a classic good 'ol boys network, but since Basil almost always plays villains it's understandable. Jeffrey Hunter is the young, impressionable fellow who looks up to Spence at first, but once he learns more about politics, finds out how easy it is to be corrupted.
The Last Hurrah takes a very realistic view of a politician sometimes has to make terrible deals because he knows it's the best for his constituents. Sometimes the public doesn't understand, but if you're paying attention, this movie can help explain it. As you might guess from the title, Spence decides to run for office one last time. Even his biggest critics in the audience will admit he's very good in this movie. Take it from me.
It's very touching to see all the old timers in this movie. Seeing Pat O'Brien, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, Frank McHugh, Edward Brophy, James Gleason, Ricardo Cortez, and John Carradine together after they've all been making movies since the early 1930s makes it so believable that they have a history together. All but Basil gather around Spence in a classic good 'ol boys network, but since Basil almost always plays villains it's understandable. Jeffrey Hunter is the young, impressionable fellow who looks up to Spence at first, but once he learns more about politics, finds out how easy it is to be corrupted.
The Last Hurrah takes a very realistic view of a politician sometimes has to make terrible deals because he knows it's the best for his constituents. Sometimes the public doesn't understand, but if you're paying attention, this movie can help explain it. As you might guess from the title, Spence decides to run for office one last time. Even his biggest critics in the audience will admit he's very good in this movie. Take it from me.