State of the Union **** (1948, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Adolphe Menjou, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Lewis Stone) – Classic Movie Review 3851

Director Frank Capra’s scintillating 1948 political comedy drama provides a first-rate vehicle for the screen and real-life team of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The fifth Tracy-Hepburn movie, it got strong reviews and did nicely at the box office.

While making Woman of the Year (1942), Hepburn signed a star contract with MGM, where her career focused on a partnership with that movie’s co-star, Tracy. Hepburn had also simultaneously committed to a romantic relationship with the married Tracy and dedicated herself to helping him through his alcoholism and insomnia. Their screen partnership produced nine movies over 25 years.

Her role on State of the Union came unexpectedly when she agreed to replace Claudette Colbert only days before shooting began. Capra fired her from the film because she refused to work into the evening. Luckily, Hepburn was already familiar with the script as as Tracy had long been signed on.

Adolphe Menjou also stars as Jim Conover, or conniver, who campaigns to get the couple Grant and Mary Matthews (Tracy, Hepburn) to the White House. Separated spouse Hepburn offers to return to honest businessman / industrialist Tracy to help get him elected as the Republican American President.

It is the powerhouse acting by the charismatic players that turns a witty political comedy (scripted by Anthony Veiller and Myles Connelly and based on a Broadway play by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay), normally box-office poison, into an extremely amusing hit.

Angela Lansbury is also excellent too as Kay Thorndyke, the rich woman aiding them, who loves Grant Matthews and helps him become Republican nominee for President. And also notable are Van Johnson as Spike McManus, one of their public relations people, and also Lewis Stone as Sam Thorndyke.

The MGM studio helped out when Capra’s production company Liberty Films was in trouble. While filming, the liberal Tracy and Hepburn fought with the right-wing Menjou over the then current McCarthy witchhunts.

Also in the vintage MGM cast are Lewis Stone, Raymond Walburn, Margaret Hamilton, Tor Johnson, Charles Dingle, Howard Smith, Charles Lane, Maidel Turner, Art Baker, Pierre Watkin, Florence Auer, Irving Bacon, Patti Brady, Georgie Nokes, Carl Switzer, Tom Fadden, Tom Pedi, Rhea Mitchell, Stanley Andrews, Sam Ash, Maurice Cass, Charles Coleman, Boyd Davis, Dell Henderson, Al Hill, Russell Meeker, Bert Moorhouse, Arthur O’Connell, Garry Owen, Eddie Phillips, Francis Pierlot, Stanley Price, Charles Sherlock, Charles Sullivan, Lew Smith, Eve Whitney, Dave Willock and Wilson Wood.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3851

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