Review of The Great McGinty (1940) by Hunter D — 02 Aug 2010
Preston Sturges debut, while clumsier in its structure than the amazing films he did later on, is pretty great. It feels like an anti-Frank Capra film, taking a protagonist that would be Capra's honest plain-speaking no-nonsense all-American lead and making him a dishonest plain-speaking no-nonsense all-American lead.
Capra loves stories where an average Joe is placed on a grand stage for all the world to see him, where he then teaches the powers that be a thing or two about life, and that's what make Sturges' spin on the Capra formula so interesting.
Brian Donlevy plays McGinty, our Capra-esque protagonist, except unlike Longfellow Deeds, he's a thug and a snake, a crook who stuffs ballot boxes for corrupt politicians for a few bucks. When the mafia sees that their last man-in-office is put to pasture, McGinty is picked off the street to be their latest puppet and pretty soon he becomes the mob's mayor.
As the corrupt dealings grow, so does his power, however the influence of his wife begins to make him question his conscience, and it's only when he tries to do the right thing that things go badly for him.
The Sturges virgin should probably start with something a little more precise, as the man is a writer with a diamond-cutter's mind, but THE GREAT McGINTY is an enjoyable film for fans of Sturges and/or Frank Capra.
This review of The Great McGinty (1940) was written by Hunter D on 02 Aug 2010.
The Great McGinty has generally received positive reviews.
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