| | | "Winner of 3 Academy Awards, Including 1949 Best Picture!"
Features: DVD, Aspect Ratio 1.33:1, Mono Audio, English, Subtitled, Black & White
"In a bravura performance, Broderick Crawford won the 1949 Academy Award for Best Actor with his stunning portrayal of bull-headed, backwoods lawyer Willie Stark, in this powerful drama about political and personal corruption. A somber but realistic chronicle of raw, brutal power in force, All the King's Men is based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. It was brought to the screen in 1949 by producer Robert Rossen who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. The story was inspired by the rise and fall of southern bigwig Huey Pierce Long, the infamous""Kingfish"" who was Louisiana's governor and one-time senator. Long's cunning tactics of building public works during the depression to serve his own needs more than those of his constituents eventually brought about his own assassination in 1935. A compelling story of a self-made, self-styled politician, it was politics that almost prevented Rossen from making All the King's Men in the first place when he was named by the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities in 1947 for having Communist sympathies. Rossen's denial of this to Columbia chief Harry Cohn enables him to continue work on the film; but his earlier radicalism eventually surfaced and Rossen made only one film (The Brave Bulls) in the next five years. Nonetheless, All the King's Men remains a hallmark political film with superb performances throughout. John Ireland garnered an Academy Award nomination for his role as Stark's tortured right-hand man, while Mercedes McCambridge won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Sadie Burke, Stark's callous, conniving political aide. In addition, the film won an Academy Award for Best Picture along with nominations for Directing, Writing and Film Editing."
"Brilliant...Crawford in the performance of his career." Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"A hallmark political film..." The Motion Picture Guide
"Grim and graphic classic..." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever
Editor's Note
Broderick Crawford stands out in this fine drama about the rise and fall of a corrupt southern governor who promises his way to power. Crawford portrays Willie Stark, who, once he is elected, finds that his vanity and power lust prove to be his downfall. The film is based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren, which in turn was based largely on the story of Louisiana legend Huey Long. Directed by Robert Rossen (THE HUSTLER), ALL THE KING'S MEN earned seven Academy Award nominations and three wins, for Best Picture, Best Actor--Broderick Crawford--and Best Supporting Actress--Mercedes McCambridge.
Plot Summary
A Huey Long-type political figure creates a following for himself among the "common" voters after being rejected by the organized party system. The film takes the point of view of a journalist who helps the politician make it to the big time by winning the governorship. But the power of high office eventually corrupts him and turns him into a controversial figure in the eyes of his onetime supporters.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Stereo | | Chinese Subtitles | | English Subtitles | | French Subtitles | | Interactive Menus | | Korean Subtitles | | Portuguese Subtitles | | Portuguese Track | | Production Notes | | Scene Selection | | Spanish Subtitles | | Subtitles: English | | Talent Files | | Thai Subtitles | | Theatrical Trailers |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Sony Pictures |
| Release Date: 9/5/2006 |
| Running Time: 110 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1949 | | Catalog ID: 13052 | | UPC: 00043396130524 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W |
Aspect Ratio | | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew | Anne Seymour | | Broderick Crawford | | Joanne Dru | | John Derek | | John Ireland | | Mercedes McCambridge | | Shepperd Strudwick | | Al Clark - Editor | | Burnett Guffey, et. al. - Cinematographer | | George Duning, et. al. - Original Music By | | Mischa Bakaleinikoff, et al. - Musical Score | | Robert Penn Warren - Screenplay | | Robert Penn Warren - Based On Novel By | | Robert Rossen - Screenplay | | Robert Rossen - Producer | | Robert Rossen - Director | | Mischa Bakaleinikoff, et al. - Original Music By | | "Burnett Guffey, et. al." - Cinematographer | | "George Duning, et. al." - Original Music By | | "Mischa Bakaleinikoff, et al." - Original Music By |
| Awards |
Oscar (1950) |  | Broderick Crawford, Winner, Best Actor | | Mercedes McCambridge, Winner, Best Supporting Actress | | | John Ireland, Nominee, Best Supporting Actor | | | Robert Rossen, Nominee, Best Director | | | Al Clark, Robert Parrish, Nominee, Best Film Editing | | | Robert Rossen, Nominee, Best Screenplay | |
Golden Globe (1950) | | Broderick Crawford, Winner, Best Motion Picture Actor | | Robert Rossen, Winner, Best Motion PIcture Director | | Mercedes McCambridge, Winner, Best Supporting Actress | |
Winner (1950) | | | Golden Globe, All The King's Men, Best Motion Picture - Drama | | | Golden Globe, Broderick Crawford, Best Motion Picture Actor | | | Oscar, Broderick Crawford, Best Actor | | | Oscar, Mercedes McCambridge, Best Supporting Actress | | | Oscar, All the King's Men, Best Picture |
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"...Rossen's political satire hasn't dated in the slightest..." 09/01/2002 p.58New York Times
"Mr. Crawford remains a stunning thunderer in his speeches..." 09/05/2006 p.E3 FilmCritic.com 9 of 10
"Broderick Crawford is no Orson Welles, but this meditation on the underbelly of American politics is at least in the same league as Citizen Kane. Also a Best Picture winner, the film traces the rise of populist local hero Willie Stark, as he moves through the American political machine like a juggernaut, chewing up anything in his way. His compatriots (a newsman turned publicist, various lovelies and heavies) stick by him as Stark becomes corrupted en route to the top. The direction by Robert Rossen (The Hustler) isn't inspired, but he does get the job done with reasonable aplomb."
Oscar Movie's Review 8 of 10
"The movie is a great example of the rise and fall of a dictator. It accuratly shows how anyone, even a lowly ""hick,"" can become the person in charge. You can see the change in Willie very well; it's like it happens instantly. One minute Willie is some ""hick"" running for office, the next minute he is the governor ordering people about. With great power comes great responsability, and Willie abuses that power every chance he gets. With Willie, his absolute power corrupted him, absolutly." - Warren Lukinuk
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