“THE BUM AND THE BOSS”

By Raymond Benson

As mentioned in Cinema Retro’s recent review of Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray release of Christmas in July, the fabulous Preston Sturges began his career in Hollywood as a sought-after screenwriter. In 1940, he sold his script, The Great McGinty (which had several alternate titles, including Down Went McGinty, the U.K. title of the movie when released there), for a measly $10 (some sources say it was only $1!) on the condition that he finally be allowed to direct. Paramount shrugged its collective shoulders and said, “Okay.”

Thus, The Great McGinty became the first picture directed by Sturges from his own script. The film also snagged him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, the only Academy Award Sturges ever won (although he was double nominated again for the same award in 1944 for both The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero). Between 1940 and 1945, Preston Sturges was on fire, and then, inexplicably, his flame flickered out.

McGinty is a political comedy with an edge. Strikingly, as it’s a story of corruption in government, the picture is remarkably relevant today. Daniel McGinty (Brian Donlevy) is a bum who is down on his luck during the Great Depression. One day, he accepts pay to vote several times under assumed names for a mayoral candidate. “The Boss” (Akim Tamiroff), who is never named, is the powerhouse pulling the strings behind the scenes for the mayor (who wins the election). The Boss is taken with McGinty, although they constantly argue and even get into comedic violent scuffles in public. McGinty is awarded a position in the organization, and slowly McGinty makes his way through a corrupt political atmosphere all the way to becoming alderman, then mayor, and, finally, governor of the state. Along the way, he marries his secretary, Catherine (Muriel Angelus)—a wedding of “convenience” for both parties until they really do fall in love with each other. Shenanigans continue until the legal dam breaks, so to speak, and the house of cards tumble down.

It's all great fun, of course, but there is an underlying cynicism that bites. Sturges’ satire is indeed pungent here, in what could be the writer/director’s most pessimistic movie.

The rest of the cast is filled with the folks who became members of Sturges’ “stock company”—William Demarest, Jimmy Conlin, George Anderson, Harry Hayden, Esther Howard, Arthur Hoyt, George Melford, and several others whose faces we all know but whose names we often don’t.

Kino Lorber’s new 1920x1080p high definition restoration looks quite good in its glorious black and white. There are English subtitles for the hearing impaired, and the movie comes with an audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan. Supplements include theatrical trailers for McGinty and other Lorber titles.

Seeing that Kino Lorber has already issued Christmas in July, here’s hoping that they continue to produce other Preston Sturges classics in the future. In the meantime, take The Great McGinty home and discover just how talented this writer/director really was.

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