August 15 movie: Advise and Consent. Really interesting 60s drama about the confirmation hearing for a Secretary of State candidate. It's a bit preachy at times, but well worth it for the look at the internal politics of the Senate. And the cast is stellar: there's Henry Fonda as the Sec. of State candidate, Franchot Tone as the ailing President trying to preserve his legacy, Walter Pidgeon as the Senate majority leader, Charles Laughton as a Dixiecrat determined to take Fonda down, plus Gene Tierney, Peter Lawford, Burgess Meredith, Lew Ayres and Don Murray.
To my surprise, Henry Fonda turns out to play a fairly minor character. He's in the first half hour a lot, then basically disappears from the movie. The real stars are Walter Pidgeon and Charles Laughton, and they are superb.
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