Gabriel Over the White House (1933)
Director: Gregory La Cava
Starring: Walter Huston, Karen Morley, Franchot Tone
Synopsis:
After a car accident puts him in a coma, the newly elected President of the United States dramatically turns from a lazy hack to a radical reformer.
Impressions:
When I heard about this movie's reputation, I jumped on the opportunity to see it when I got the chance. Holy crap. I know the US came dangerously close to jumping on the fascist bandwagon and FDR had a number of black spots on his record, but it's something else to see a blatant apologia for a fascist takeover of the nation helmed by kingmaker William Randolph Hearst. Yes, the handling of the Bonus Army incident was shameful and the country's woes during the Depression were horrific, but that's not an excuse to herald a dictator who dissolves Congress, declares martial law, sets up a secret police, and then strong-arms the nations of the world into a sham peace. It's horrible but fascinating to watch. Judd Hammond would be a villain in most other stories, but here he's set up as the agent of God's justice on Earth. It's a disturbing film that showcases just how close we got to jumping off the deep end and I highly recommend giving it a watch.
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