{"id":81639,"date":"2022-02-24T15:07:35","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T22:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81639"},"modified":"2022-07-24T19:26:39","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T02:26:39","slug":"last-hurrah-the-1958","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81639","title":{"rendered":"Last Hurrah, The (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I&#8217;d prefer an engaging rogue to a complete fool.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster-196x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-81640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster-196x300.png 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster-669x1024.png 669w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster-177x270.png 177w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Poster.png 725w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn aging mayor (Spencer Tracy) with plenty of Irish-Catholic supporters invites his reporter-nephew (Jeffrey Hunter) to observe his final campaign for re-election, in which his primary opponent (Charles B. Fitzsimons) is funded by a corrupt newspaper publisher (John Carradine) and banker (Basil Rathbone).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anna Lee Films <\/li>\n<li>Basil Rathbone Films<\/li>\n<li>Donald Crisp Films<\/li>\n<li>Jeffrey Hunter Films<\/li>\n<li>John Carradine Films<\/li>\n<li>John Ford Films<\/li>\n<li>Journalists<\/li>\n<li>Pat O&#8217;Brien Films<\/li>\n<li>Political Corruption<\/li>\n<li>Spencer Tracy Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nTwenty-eight years after Spencer Tracy made his screen debut in John Ford&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75954\"><em>Up the River<\/em> (1930)<\/a>, the two re-teamed for this adaptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Last_Hurrah\">Edwin O&#8217;Connor&#8217;s 1956 novel<\/a> about what <a href=\"https:\/\/trailersfromhell.com\/the-last-hurrah\/\">DVD Savant refers to as &#8220;crony politics&#8221;<\/a> (is there any other kind?). Indeed, Tracy&#8217;s Frank Skeffington is far from innocent or naive, playing plenty of well-worn &#8220;games&#8221; to get what he wants and needs (albeit on behalf of his community). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-1536x842.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Tracy3.png 1655w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The biggest divide between Tracy&#8217;s Frank Skeffington and Fitzsimons&#8217; Kevin McCluskey &#8212; other than their ethnic and religious heritage (Catholic versus Protestant) &#8212; is campaign style, with television making a huge difference for the younger candidate:  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-1536x842.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-TV.png 1655w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, we see ample evidence of nearly everyone under fifty (excepting Hunter and his wife) being addle-brained and easily manipulated, as when Tracy bribes his political enemy&#8217;s son (O.Z. Whitehead) with a position as &#8220;fire chief&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-1024x558.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-1024x558.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-1536x837.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief-496x270.png 496w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Fire-Chief.png 1661w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; or any of the several times we see Tracy&#8217;s own son (Arthur Walsh) breezing in and out of various events with immense privilege and ignorance: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-1024x563.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"352\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-1024x563.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-768x422.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-1536x845.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh-491x270.png 491w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Walsh.png 1653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s not much to the storyline other than following Tracy around on voting day, and waiting to see how things turn out; to that end, the voting tally sequence is appropriately tense and well-filmed. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-1024x566.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"354\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-1024x566.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-768x424.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-1536x849.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-489x270.png 489w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Voting.png 1641w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Ford fans will likely enjoy seeing a bevy of his stock actors (too many to list) in various supporting roles. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-1024x558.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-1024x558.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-1536x837.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd-496x270.png 496w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Crowd.png 1661w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Spencer Tracy as Frank Skeffington<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"358\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-1536x859.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy-483x270.png 483w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-Lee-Tracy.png 1647w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Charles Lawton Jr.&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-81672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-768x420.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-1536x841.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Last-Hurrah-OBrien-Hunter.png 1653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though Ford fans will of course want to see it. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0051845\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/80863\/the-last-hurrah#articles-reviews?articleId=147124\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1958\/10\/24\/archives\/spencer-tracy-in-the-last-hurrah-portrays-skeffington-john-ford.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/trailersfromhell.com\/the-last-hurrah\/\">Trailers From Hell Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-last-hurrah-1\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d prefer an engaging rogue to a complete fool.&#8221; Synopsis: An aging mayor (Spencer Tracy) with plenty of Irish-Catholic supporters invites his reporter-nephew (Jeffrey Hunter) to observe his final campaign for re-election, in which his primary opponent (Charles B. Fitzsimons) is funded by a corrupt newspaper publisher (John Carradine) and banker (Basil Rathbone). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Anna Lee Films Basil Rathbone Films Donald Crisp Films Jeffrey Hunter Films John Carradine Films John Ford Films Journalists Pat O&#8217;Brien Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81639\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=81639"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85747,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81639\/revisions\/85747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=81639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=81639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=81639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}