Review – All The King's Men

This would make a good double feature with Citizen Kane. To be sure, this production isn’t as slick as the Wells classic. For starters, the editing is pretty rough in spots; I don’t know much about the history of the production, but from just a casual viewing I’d guess that it had been intended to be a longer movie and that big chunks were sliced out sometime late in post-production. The characters and plot developments are equally awkward, frequently coming across as ham-handed clichés rather than the subtle nuances of Kane. On the other hand, this approach is appropriate to the subject. Huey Long wasn’t exactly the sophisticated head of a vast publishing empire, so it’s only natural that his roman a clef counterpart would be more at home in a story full of simple-minded morality. The production also features some fun faces in the supporting cast, including a very young John Derek and a pre-gravelly-voiced-demon Mercedes McCambridge. Overall this is an enjoyable movie despite some stiffness around the joints. Worth seeing