THE BEST MAN (1964) ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: Franklin Schaffner
Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Lee Tracy,
Kevin McCarthy, Edie Adams, Margaret Leighton,
Shelley Berman, Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond,
Richard Arlen, John Henry Faulk, Howard K. Smith
Gore Vidal's cold-blooded take on the dirty business of presidential politics, with Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson as rival candidates competing for the endorsement of a dying ex-president played by Lee Tracy. Back then, you might've wondered how somebody as nakedly cynical as Robertson could even hope to get the nomination. These days we know better. That's how you win.
Shelley Berman
(1925-2017)
