The Senator Was Indiscreet
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''The Senator Was Indiscreet'' is a 1947 American
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
, the only movie directed by playwright, theatrical director/producer, humorist, and drama critic George S. Kaufman. Produced by
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
it starred
William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...
as a dim-witted U.S. senator who decides to run for president, with Ella Raines as a reporter interested in the detailed diary he has kept about all the political misdeeds of his colleagues. Powell won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his performances in this film and in ''Life with Father''. The film also was known as ''Mr. Ashton Was Indiscreet'' (see photo).


Plot

The inept, slow-witted U.S. Senator Melvin G. Ashton wants to run for President of the United States. His eager publicist, Lew Gibson, encourages him with various attention-gaining stunts, disappointing his girlfriend Poppy McNaughton, a reporter for a local newspaper. When Ashton arrives at his hotel in New York City, Gibson asks him to accept membership into the Cherokee tribe, purely for publicity. Ashton eagerly agrees. Fred Houlihan, a political boss, asks Ashton to step down as a presidential candidate. Ashton refuses, but in a long speech publicly and consistently denies he is running for president. The stunning Valerie Shepherd arrives and decides to join the campaign. Lew becomes attracted to her. Appalled by Ashton's baffling incompetence, Poppy breaks up with Lew. Articles about Ashton's road to the presidency are published in the newspapers. Houlihan again tries to persuade him not to run. However, Ashton blackmails Houlihan into silence, telling him he has kept a diary of scandalous party activity for the past thirty years. Ashton embarks on a cross-country tour to court voters, becomes a popular candidate, and returns to speak at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
in New York City. Ashton discovers his diary is missing, and suspects the
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
hotel room service clerk Karl has stolen it. However, Lew suspects the thief was Poppy. Ashton's former secretary, Robert Oakes, is soon found with the diary, but he insists someone else stole it before he got hold of it. Lew finds out that Valerie's beau Bill Fisher is Ashton's political enemy and has started a petition to investigate the senator in his home state. From various clues, Poppy deduces that Valerie stole the diary. Aware that the explosive diary is missing, Houlihan again asks Ashton to step down, at which point Ashton agrees to do so if they find him another job. They offer to get him appointed commissioner of a professional sports league, a job that pays twice the salary of the President of the U.S. Poppy manages to retrieve the diary from Valerie, but loses it to Lew, who tells Ashton the good news. Houlihan then tries to convince Ashton to get back into the race, but Ashton hesitates. Lew then decides that the truth should be revealed and gives the diary back to Poppy. When it is published, both Ashton and his bosses are forced to flee to a South Sea island, where Ashton soon becomes chief of the native population.


Cast

*
William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...
as Senator Melvin G. Ashton * Ella Raines as Poppy McNaughton *
Peter Lind Hayes Peter Lind Hayes (born Joseph Conrad Lind Jr.; June 25, 1915 – April 21, 1998) was an American vaudeville entertainer and film and television actor. Early life Hayes was born in San Francisco, the son of Joseph Conrad Lind Sr., a railroad man ...
as Lew Gibson *
Arleen Whelan Arleen Whelan (September 1, 1916 – April 7, 1993) was an American film actress. Early years Whelan was a native of Salt Lake City, Utah. Before she became an actress, she worked in Southern California as a manicurist, contributing her ea ...
as Valerie Shepherd * Ray Collins as Houlihan * Allen Jenkins as Farrell * Charles D. Brown as Dinty * Hans Conried as Karl the Waiter * Whit Bissell as Oakes *
Milton Parsons Ernest Milton Parsons (May 19, 1904 – May 15, 1980) was an American character actor. Career In 1927, Parsons performed with The Strolling Players of Boston acting company. On Broadway, he portrayed James Case in ''Unto the Third'' (1933) ...
as Joe * Francis Pierlot as Frank * Oliver Blake as Indian * Chief Thunder Cloud as Indian * Chief Yowlachie as Indian *
Iron Eyes Cody Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de Corti, April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999) was an American actor of Italian descent who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films, including the role of Chief Iron Eyes in Bob Hope's '' The Paleface'' ...
as Indian * Claire Carleton as Ingrid Stuyvesant
Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. As a performer, she was known for her ability to adapt to her screen partner's acting style. Born in Helena, Monta ...
, Powell's frequent screen co-star, has an uncredited cameo appearance as Ashton's wife.


Critical reception

A contemporary review in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' by film critic
Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...
opined that "Mr. MacArthur, who wrote the irreverent script, keeps things snapping and cracking in clever and hilarious style. And Mr. Kaufman, the director ..pictures and paces them likewise," additionally noting that "William Powell as the Senator does about everything that a competent actor of farce comedy could do to make him a joke." '' Variety'' reported that Kaufman "manifests pace and polish in a fast-moving bit of fluff," that Powell "does a fine job as the stuffy dimwit of a senator," and that the casting "is good down the line." Writing in
AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...
, critic Craig Butler described the film as having "quite a few unny moments some drawn from some decent wordplay and verbal sparring, others from the expert comic pomposity of William Powell, as well as a sterling supporting cast."


Radio adaptation

On October 3, 1949, ''
Screen Directors Playhouse ''Screen Directors Playhouse'' (sometimes written as ''Screen Directors' Playhouse'') is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadca ...
'' presented ''The Senator Was Indiscreet'' on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
radio. The 30-minute adaptation starred Powell and Peggy Dow.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Senator Was Indiscreet, The 1940s American films 1940s English-language films 1947 comedy films 1947 films American black-and-white films American political comedy films Films about journalists Films about politicians Films based on short fiction Films directed by George S. Kaufman Films produced by Nunnally Johnson Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof Films set in New York City Universal Pictures films