All the King's Men

ALL THE KING'S MEN (PG)

D: Robert Rossen

Columbia (Robert Rossen)

USA 🇺🇸 1949

109 mins

Political/Drama

W: Robert Rossen [based on the novel by Robert Penn Warren]

DP: Burnett Guffey

Ed: Robert Parrish & Al Clark

Mus: Louis Gruenberg

Broderick Crawford (Willie Stark), John Ireland (Jack Burden), Joanne Dru (Anne Stanton). John Derek (Tom Stark), Mercedes McCambridge (Sadie Burke), Sheppard Strudwick (Adam Stanton), Ralph Dumke (Tiny Duffy)

Broderick Crawford delivers an absolute tour de force performance in this political drama about the rise & fall of a crooked politician, who becomes corrupted by power, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Robert Penn Warren.

The movie was a pet project for writer/director/producer Robert Rossen and it shows in the dialogue and performances from an excellent cast. The movie went on to win 3 Oscars, including Best Picture. It has since been remade, taking a bit of gloss away from the original, but it's still worth rooting out for a tight, professionally acted political piece from the late 1940's. Alas, not much in that world has changed...

8/10

Did You Know:

To prepare for the role of Willie Stark, Broderick Crawford watched newsreels of Huey Long, the former Louisiana senator and governor on whose life the novel was loosely based.

Award Wins & Nominations:

MILSTEAD MOVIE AWARDS:

Wins: 2 (Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Supporting Role)

Nominations: 6 (Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Ensemble Cast; Best Screenplay - Adaptation; Best Film Editing)

OSCARS:

Wins: 3 (Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Supporting Role)

Nominations: 4 (Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Director; Best Screenplay; Best Editing)

BAFTAS

Wins: none

Nominations: none

OTHER WINS:

Golden Globes (Best Film; Best Actor; Best Director; Best Supporting Actress; Most Promising Female Newcomer); Directors Guild Awards (Best Director); New York Film Critics (Best Film; Best Actor; Best Actress); Writers Guild Awards (Best Written American Drama; The Robert Meltzer Award)

ALL THE KING'S MEN (12)

D: Steven Zaillian

Columbia/Relativity Media/Phoenix (Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Ken Lemberger & Steven Zaillian)

USA 🇺🇸 2006

123 mins

Political/Drama

W: Steven Zaillian [based on the novel by Robert Penn Warren]

DP: Pawel Edelman

Ed: Wayne Wahrman

Mus: James Horner

PD: Patrizia Von Brandenstein

Cos: Marit Allen

Sean Penn (Willie Stark), Jude Law (Jack Burden), Kate Winslet (Anne Stanton), James Gandolfini (Tiny Duffy), Mark Ruffalo (Adam Stanton), Patricia Clarkson (Sadie Burke), Anthony Hopkins (Judge Irwin)

Remake of the above with more colourful language. It's unclear whether this was made to appease those with aversion to black & white movies or merely as Oscar bait (I'd say the latter considering the talent involved). Either way, it doesn't really work, perhaps because Sean Penn is miscast in the lead performance which James Gandolfini (supporting) would have been absolutely perfect for.

Many critics voted this the worst movie of 2006, which is quite harsh, considering some of the films released that particular year. However, the original is a far more superior piece of filmmaking.

4/10

Did You Know:

Steven Zaillian never saw the original film, and adapted the screenplay solely from Robert Penn Warren's novel.

Award Wins & Nominations:

MILSTEAD MOVIE AWARDS:

Wins: none

Nominations: none

OSCARS:

Wins: none

Nominations: none

BAFTAS

Wins: none

Nominations: none

OTHER WINS:

none