This is a filmed version of a performance of the stage play. There will be spoilers ahead:
This film has the distinction of having the entire cast nominated for an Academy Award. Granted, the film has a cast of one (James Whitmore) and thus made that a rather easy thing to do. As an aside, the 1972 version of Sleuth had its entire principle cast nominated, because Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier are the only two significant performances. But I digress.
This film gives Whitmore the golden opportunity of doing a solo onstage. He's portraying Harry S Truman in what is largely a monologue with direct addresses to the audience. Occasionally, Whitmore must interact with invisible people and Whitmore carries this off quite effectively.
The play covers Truman's life from his time serving in World War I through the tail end of his presidency, covering the most significant events of his life. The play is funny, bawdy, profane and dramatic. I don't know just how much of the material is drawn from Truman's actual remarks, speeches, letters and so on, but I do recognize a fair amount as being taken from Truman himself.
It covers his career in Missouri, brushes with the KKK, showcases a fictional Oval Office chat with the ghost of FDR and deals with his confrontations with MacArthur and McCarthy. For anyone interested in politics or Harry Truman, this is pretty much required viewing.
As far as I'm aware, this has only been on VHS in Region 1. I know of know commercial release on DVD. I truly wish it would become available on DVD. Recommended.
This film has the distinction of having the entire cast nominated for an Academy Award. Granted, the film has a cast of one (James Whitmore) and thus made that a rather easy thing to do. As an aside, the 1972 version of Sleuth had its entire principle cast nominated, because Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier are the only two significant performances. But I digress.
This film gives Whitmore the golden opportunity of doing a solo onstage. He's portraying Harry S Truman in what is largely a monologue with direct addresses to the audience. Occasionally, Whitmore must interact with invisible people and Whitmore carries this off quite effectively.
The play covers Truman's life from his time serving in World War I through the tail end of his presidency, covering the most significant events of his life. The play is funny, bawdy, profane and dramatic. I don't know just how much of the material is drawn from Truman's actual remarks, speeches, letters and so on, but I do recognize a fair amount as being taken from Truman himself.
It covers his career in Missouri, brushes with the KKK, showcases a fictional Oval Office chat with the ghost of FDR and deals with his confrontations with MacArthur and McCarthy. For anyone interested in politics or Harry Truman, this is pretty much required viewing.
As far as I'm aware, this has only been on VHS in Region 1. I know of know commercial release on DVD. I truly wish it would become available on DVD. Recommended.