The Great Man
Directed by Jose Ferrer
Written by Al Morgan and Jose Ferrer from Morgan’s novel
1956/USA
Universal International Pictures
First viewing/YouTube
[box] Ginny: Feet of clay, huh?
Joe Harris: Right up to the knees, at least.[/box]
Jose Ferrer does his stuff as both actor and director in this quality look behind the surface of a popular radio personality.
Joe Harris (Ferrer) works as a reporter for a radio network. The network’s biggest star, Herb Fuller, is suddenly killed in an auto accident. Double-dealing executive Sid Moore (Keenan Wynn) assigns Joe to put together an hour-long memorial program in his honor. Although he is warned that few that knew the man will have anything good to say, Joe sets out to capture the memories of Fuller’s associates and fans on tape. Moore has Joe sign a contract directly with him in exchange for his promise that Joe will take over Fuller’s radio program.
In fact, all but one of people Joe interviews disliked Fuller and have pretty dreadful tales to tell about him. Nevertheless, a talented engineer is able to edit and put together bits of the tape in eulogistic fashion. When Joe’s last illusion is shattered, he has a decision to make. With Dean Jagger as the head of the network, Julie London as Fuller’s protegee and ex-mistress, Ed Wynn as the man who gave Fuller his first break and Jim Backus as a staffer.
I had no idea what to expect and liked this very much. The acting is exceptional. My favorite performance was by Ed Wynn as a religious small-town radio station owner. His son is fantastic as well – so evil. This has some of the flavor of Citizen Kane without that movie’s grandeur. It has a nifty little last-minute double twist to cap it off. Recommended and currently available on YouTube.
Fuller was supposedly based on Arthur Godfrey. I remember him a little from my youth. He sounded like such a nice man!
