The Best Man

1964
Approved
1h 42m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

3.9K

YOUR RATING

Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson in The Best Man (1964)

The 2 front runners for their party's presidential nomination, one principled and the other ruthless, vie for the former President's endorsement.

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Political Drama Drama

The two front runners for their party's presidential nomination, one principled and the other ruthless, vie for the former president's endorsement.The two front runners for their party's presidential nomination, one principled and the other ruthless, vie for the former president's endorsement.The two front runners for their party's presidential nomination, one principled and the other ruthless, vie for the former president's endorsement.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

3.9K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 5 nominations total

Trivia
Screenwriter and the film's source playwright Gore Vidal cheerfully admitted that he meant the character of William Russell (Henry Fonda) to remind people of Adlai Stevenson and that Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) was based on Richard Nixon. Stevenson and Nixon were, of course, in different American political parties, Democrat and Republican respectively. Similarly, the character of former President Art Hockstader played by Lee Tracy, bore resemblances to both former Republican U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and former Democrat U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

Goofs
During the roll call, the chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation begins his announcement by saying "Mr Chairman, the State of Pennsylvania....". Pennsylvania is actually a Commonwealth, and any leading politician would refer to it as such.

Quotes
Joe Cantwell: I don't understand you.
William Russell: I know you don't. Because you have no sense of responsibility toward anybody or anything. And that is a tragedy in a man, and it is a disaster in a president.

Crazy credits
During the opening credits, a picture of every single U.S. President appears in order, from George Washington to Lyndon Johnson.

Connections
Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)

User reviews58

Review

Featured review

8/10

Fascinating Political Drama

Two men vie for the presidential nomination of a party. Based on a play by Vidal, this is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the political machinations on the campaign trail. Although the name of the party is not identified in the film, the candidates display elements of both Democratic and Republican values. Fonda is the decent, old-school liberal while Robertson is his ruthless, right-leaning rival. Both turn in excellent performances. The standout in the fine supporting cast is Tracy as a former president who must decide which candidate to endorse. This is an ideal companion piece to "Advise and Consent," made a couple of years earlier and also starring Fonda.