The Great McGinty

1940
Approved
1h 22m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

4.6K

YOUR RATING

Brian Donlevy, Muriel Angelus, and Akim Tamiroff in The Great McGinty (1940)

Dan McGinty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics, but he endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty.

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Satire Comedy

Dan McGinty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics, but he endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty.Dan McGinty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics, but he endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty.Dan McGinty has great success in his chosen field of crooked politics, but he endangers it all in one crazy moment of honesty.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

4.6K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 1 win total

Trivia
This is the first movie to show the credit "Written and Directed by...." followed by just one name: Preston Sturges.

Goofs
When McGinty enters the hall after being elected mayor, a moving shadow of the camera is visible on a pillar in the foreground.

Quotes
Skeeters: If it wasn't for graft, you'd get a very low type of people in politics. Men without ambition. Jellyfish.
Catherine: Especially since you can't rob the people anyway.
Skeeters: Sure. How was that?
Catherine: What you rob, you spend, and what you spend goes back to the people. So, where's the robbery? I read that in one of my father's books.
Skeeters: That book should be in every home.

Connections
Featured in American Masters: Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer (1990)

Soundtracks
Louise
Written by Richard A. Whiting and Leo Robin
Played on piano

User reviews49

Review

Featured review

8/10

Satirical, yet true,

Preston Sturges' directing debut is a smash as he cleverly shows how even back in "the good old days," politics were as cruel and crooked as ever. The acting is pretty solid here, especially the leads, but the real point here is the story that Sturges has put together. Here, we see a simple man who does what he is told and almost immediately is made governor of the state. This shows that America is the land of opportunity as well as the land of corruption. What amazes me is how fluidly the film moves. It is only 82 minutes long, yet more happens here than in most Disney family movies. This shows the wonderful genius of Sturges and how he was able to enjoy a successful career throughout the 1940s. A very underrated and unknown film, this is a perfect gem about our not-so perfect government.