Not So Great

I recently watched The Great Man Votes.  It was not a major film in 1939--almost a programmer.  It's notable in that it's one of the last films starring John Barrymore, who had been a serious alcoholic for several years at this point, and is an early film directed by Garson Kanin, who's better known as a writer.

I don't mean to pick on a film that, though it has a small reputation, is not considered any great shakes.  But I have to say it has serious plot problems, something the Hollywood studios back then were usually able to avoid.  It's based on a short story, and I'm guessing in print it was a lot clearer.

In The Great Man Votes Barrymore plays a characters who's seen better days.  His two children believe he could be great, but his community doesn't think much of him and he's barely hanging on.  And then--here's the part of the plot that makes no sense--he becomes very important because 1) he's the only voter in his precinct and 2) this precinct has become very influential for some reason.

The film has its charms, and even when soused, Barrymore is worth watching.  But the central plot point comes out of nowhere and is never properly clarified.  There's a scene where a ward heeler, played by William Demarest, "explains" the situation, but I don't get it.  If you want to see a solid Hollywood comedy about corrupt politics from the same era--one that also features Demarest as a ward heeler--try The Great McGinty (1940) instead.