Convention Alternatives

I don’t know about you, but I have been going out of my way to avoid the 2 freak shows which have been masquerading as Conventions this past week, as well as the one just beginning. (This is quite an accomplishment on my part, considering the Democrats have taken over Charlotte, and the surrounding environs, which is where I live.) To that end I have accumulated some of my favorite all time movies about the Presidency to watch; all of which I have seen before. But with nothing new, or unexpected, set to happen at the Conventions, I have been getting the better part of the bargain.

 

In the first film, “The Manchurian Candidate”, pictured above, the Convention becomes the backdrop of an assassination plot to kill the party nominee while he is at the Podium. The most fascinating thing about this movie is that it was made 1 year prior to John Kennedy’s assassination, allegedly at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, who had been involved in some of the same mind control experiments as Laurence Harvey’s character in the film. As a matter of fact, this film; much like the Zapruder film of JFK’s murder; was taken out of circulation for 25 years. It’s re-release only came about due to a conversation between Larry King and Frank Sinatra, in which Mr. King asked why the movie was never shown after its initial run. Sinatra didn’t know it, but the film had been purchased from the studio and then locked in Sinatra’s vault without his knowledge. The film was re-released in the late 1980’s by Mr. Sinatra. If you have never seen this original version of the film, this is a good week to do it.

 

In “Seven Days in May”, which was actually filmed in the family quarters of the White House; much to the dismay of Jackie Kennedy; Frederic March plays the President. He has just signed a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Russians, which invokes the ire of his Joint Chiefs of Staff, who then plot to overthrow the civilian government. Burt Lancaster plays the villain in this thriller, which mirrors the events of the time to a tee. Only an accidental observation by Kirk Douglas saves the day in this thriller, which was actually viewed pre-release by President Kennedy. He had already read the book 3 times upon its release in 1960. 

 

“Dr. Strangelove” is another off my favorite movies involving the Presidency. In this film, Sterling Hayden plays a Major in charge of a Strategic Air Command base who decides to preserve our American way of life; and our precious bodily fluids; by taking a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the Soviet Union. With George C. Scott playing the General who is tasked with recalling the planes, and Peter Sellers playing multiple roles; including the President; this is a satire which exposed some of the weaknesses in our official policy of Mutually Assured Destruction.

  

"John Adams”, with Paul Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, is another movie high on the list of films about the Presidents. This mini-series is at once a story of a man, his marriage, and the birth of a nation. No matter what you might think of John Adams, the movie is superbly written, produced and performed.

There are several more movies about the Presidency which I have been watching in lieu of the Conventions, but these are just a few of the best. Turn off your TV and slip in a disc. You’ll be glad you did.

"Seven Days In May" with Frederic March, Kirk Douglas, and Burt Lancaster

Director John Frankenheimer had his pulse on the State of the Union when he directed this political thriller set in the White House amidst the height of the Cold War. Coming, as it did, on the heels of his 1962 release of Richard Condon's "Manchurian Candidate", these two films are a blueprint of what was happening in Washington during those years. President Kennedy watched "The Manchurian Candidate" at least three times in 1962 and 1963. When "Seven Days In May" was being considered for production, the President went so far as to phone Kirk Douglas, urging him to make the film.

Briefly, this film concerns the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military group which surrounds the President and advises him during times of National peril. They wield enormous power. Although by theory they serve to implement the President's decisions, the possibility always exists that they have the capability to assert the ultimate control in the form of a coup. Most people think that this can never happen here in America, while some think that it has already happened, at least once.

In reality, this film was made during the time that President Kennedy was pushing through his landmark Test Ban Treaty in the summer of 1963, shortly before his assassination. In the movie, the President is making the case for a Test Ban Treaty while under pressure from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who not only oppose the President, but in some cases actually question his motivations.

When an alert Officer, Colonel Casey, played by Kirk Douglas, accidently comes across some things that make no sense, he begins to piece together the plot that is being assembled by fellow Officer General Scott, played by Burt Lancaster. When Casey approaches the President with his suspicions, the President, played by Frederic March, is skeptical. But when all the facts are gathered before him there is no denying the obvious and the President is forced to act.

Edmund O'Brien is brilliant as the Southern Senator Raymond Clark. With his love of whiskey and spot on impersonation of a Southern Senator, he lends a sense of outrage to the plot that would destroy our system of government.

This film, along with The Manchurian Candidate" (the 1962 version) both shed light on what was really happening in the early 1960's in relation to the Cold War and our own politics here at home.

"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962 version) with Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury

This film works on so many different levels that it's hard to hit them all, but I'll try. First off, it's a "cold war" film, so that grabs me right away. The real life intrique was never very far off from the plots of some of these films. "Manchurian Candidate", like "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold," captures that realism.

In another vein, if you think that Frank Sinatra couldn't act, get ready to eat those words. This is one of his finest performances, no singing, no casino robberies, no Rat Pack. This may be his best dramatic screen performance since "The Man With the Golden Arm."

The story centers around a guy named Raymond, the son of a wealthy political family with high ambitions. Raymonds service in Korea is a part of their image. During the war he receives the Medal of Honor for leading his patrol back from behind enemy lines.

Things are not what they seem however, and so the film is filled with twists and turns that eventually lead to the one inescapable ending. Tremendous performances by Laurence Harvey as Raymond and Angela Lansbury as his self serving mother, along with flawless acting by Frank Sinatra, have long made this a favorite of mine. And wait- there is more to this story....

I saw the film at the Century Avalon on Kings Highway in Brooklyn when I was 8 years old. I didn't understand it. By the 1980's, when VCR had emerged, I was looking for old films to watch and couldn't find it anywhere! It was an Oscar Nominated film directed by John Frankenheimer, yet it was nowhere to be found. A mystery. That is, until one particular night in the car listening to AM radio.

Larry King, a freind of Frank Sinatra's, was on the air and asked him about the film, stating that it was one of his best and he couldn't find a copy. Genuinely flustered and without an answer, Mr. Sinatra promised to look into it.

About 2 weeks later he contacted Larry King by phone and explained that the film was yanked from theaters shortly before the Kennedy assassination in Dallas. It was bought by his business people and was in his vault at some studio. He was going to pull it, restore it and re-release it. And, lucky for us, he did.

Now, look at the film from this perspective. The mind control program revealed in this film, along with the military's use of LSD and other drugs to create "agents" is now widely known and accepted to be true. Put this together with Sinatra's "Rat Pack" and their connections to Sam Giancanna, long suspected to be the architect of the shooting in Dallas, and you have one hell of a story. Remember that these 3 guys shared the same women(Judith Campbell in particular) as well as other financial and political pursuits.

Still not convinced? Try this one. Frank Sinatra was an ardent admirer of JFK. When his plans to host the President in Palm Springs in 1962 fell through, the mob was ready to "whack" him for it. That is actually on tape. So, about 6 months before the events in Dallas, the film is locked away. When the assassination happened Sinatra was beside himself, to the point of being a risk. Now remember that within 2 weeks of the assassination, his son, Frank, Jr. was kidnapped by 2 low level guys out of Florida. Coincidence? I'm not so sure.

Watch this film with an open mind and leave any pre-conceived notions at the door.(Except for Angela Lansbury, who looks exactly the same now as she did then.)

A very tightly woven tale of political intrique, this film will not fail to make you think. And that alone makes it a pleasure to watch.