Great Man Votes The (1939)

Great Man Votes The (1939)

A worthwhile film directed by Garson Kanin about a Harvard educated man played by John Barrymore who teaches his children (Peter Holden and Virginia Weidler) at home yet still sends them to school. He used to be a "great man" a writer in fact who lost all interest when his inspirational wife died. Now he lives in a somewhat ignorant urban community doing enough work to get by. His kids taught by him to suffer no fools innocently cause their father to lose his latest pathetic job by disrespecting the bully son of the local "demagogue" Iron Hat McCarthy a party man played to perfection by Donald MacBride). When the incumbent party discovers that however (Barrymore) votes so goes the election they make the Iron Hat responsible for getting (Barrymore) to help get their figurehead Mayor reelected. Iron Hat makes promises (to Barrymore) he can’t keep but (Barrymore) with help from his bright kids outsmarts them all … though you can see the last gag coming from a million miles away.