The Last Hurrah (1958)
An aging politician (Spencer Tracy) tries to get re-elected one last time in the
changing world of the 1950s when TV started to play a bigger part in politics.
Based loosely on Boston Mayor Curly, this film examines the good and evil
inherent in politics and all the things that go into an election. Tracy's uphill
battle to stay in office is set against the political machinery that preyed on
ethnic hatred and old-time money.
Directed by John Ford
Writing credits Edwin O'Connor, Frank S. Nugent
Cast:
Spencer Tracy .... Mayor Frank Skeffington
Jeffrey Hunter .... Adam Caulfield
Dianne Foster .... Mave Caulfield
Pat O'Brien .... John Gorman
Basil Rathbone .... Norman Cass, Sr.
Donald Crisp .... Cardinal Martin Burke
James Gleason .... 'Cuke' Gillen
Edward Brophy .... 'Ditto' Boland
John Carradine .... Amos Force
Willis Bouchey .... Roger Sugrue
Basil Ruysdael .... Bishop Gardner
Ricardo Cortez .... Sam Weinberg
Wallace Ford .... Charles J. Hennessey
Frank McHugh .... Festus Garvey
Carleton Young .... Winslow
Frank Albertson .... Jack Mangan
Bob Sweeney .... Johnny Degnan
Edmund Lowe .... Johnny Byrne
William Leslie .... Dan Herlihy
Anna Lee .... Gert Minihan
Ken Curtis .... Monsignor Killian
Jane Darwell .... Delia Boylan
O.Z. Whitehead .... Norman Cass Jr.
Arthur Walsh .... Frank Skeffington Jr.
Ruth Warren .... Ellen Davin
Charles B. Fitzsimons .... Kevin McCluskey
Helen Westcott .... Mrs. McCluskey
Mimi Doyle .... Mamie Burns
Danny Borzage .... Pete
James Flavin .... Police Capt. Michael J. Shanahan
William Forrest .... Doctor Tom
Frank Sully .... Fire Lieutenant
Charles Sullivan .... Chauffeur
Phil Adams .... Bit Role
Alex Akimoff .... Bit Role
Fred Aldrich .... Campaign HQ Extra
Richard Alexander .... Mourner at Wake
Frank Baker .... Banker Member of Plymouth Club
Bobette Bentley .... First Blonde
Steve Benton .... Bit Role
Gail Bonney .... Woman, scene 190
Rand Brooks .... Man at Campaign HQ
John Bryant .... Man at Campaign HQ
Jack Chefe .... Crowd Extra
Dick Cherney .... Bit Role
Charles Cirillo .... Bit Role
Richard Dale Clark .... Bit Role
Ruth Clifford .... Nurse
Edmund Cobb .... Man, scene 139
Bud Cokes .... Bit Role
Hal K. Dawson .... Managing Editor
Richard Deacon .... Graves, Club Secretary
John Deauville .... Bit Role
Joe Devlin .... Man, scene 54
James Dime .... Campaign HQ Extra
Clint Dorrington .... Bit Role
Tommy Earwood .... Gregory McClusky
Eddie Fetherston .... Bit Role, scene 36
George Ford .... Bit Role
Joe Forte .... Managing Editor, scene 36
Raoul Freeman .... Banker Member of Plymouth Club
Sam Harris .... Banker Member of Plymouth Club
Jack Henderson .... Bit Role, scene 36
William Henry .... Votes Tallyman
Chuck Hicks .... Fighter
Stuart Holmes .... Bit Role
Chuck Howard .... Bit Role
William Hudson .... Man at Campaign HQ
Charles Anthony Hughes .... Man, scene 139
Thomas E. Jackson .... Man, scene 54
William Janssen .... Bit Role
Mike Jeffers .... Bit Role
Roy Jenson .... Fighter
Roland Jones .... Bit Role
Richard Keene .... Man, scene 139
Fred Kennedy .... Bit Role
June Kirby .... Second Blonde
Webster Lagrange .... Bit Role
Harry Lauter .... Votes Tallyman
Johnny Leone .... Bit Role
Robert Levin .... Jules Kowalsky
Wilbur Mack .... Bit Role
Hank Mann .... Bit Role
Eve March .... Neighbor Woman, scene 54
Frank Marlowe .... Bit Role, scene 36
Mae Marsh .... Mourner at Wake
Joe McGuinn .... 2nd Man, scene 188
Edward McNally .... Ward Heeler
Harold Miller .... Man at Dinner
Jimmy Murphy .... Office Boy
Forbes Murray .... Member of Plymouth Club
Tom Neal .... Tom (Funeral Mourner)
Bill Neff .... Man at Campaign HQ
William H. O'Brien .... Bit Role
Brian O'Hara .... Man, scene 61
Emma Palmese .... Bit Role
Harvey Parry .... Bit Role
Jack Pennick .... Police Sgt. Rafferty
Bob Perry .... Bit Role
Clete Roberts .... News Reporter
Molly Roden .... Neighbor Woman
Victor Romito .... Bit Role
Buck Russell .... Bit Role
Dick Ryan .... Man, scene 139
Cosmo Sardo .... Bit Role
Frank J. Scannell .... Man, scene 63
Jordan Shelley .... Bit Role
Charles Sherlock .... Rally Marcher
Stephen Soldi .... Bit Role
George Spaulding .... Man, scene 54
Ted Stanhope .... 1st Man, scene 188
Anna Stein .... Bit Role
Bert Stevens .... Political Rally Marcher/Man at Political HQ
Harry Strang .... Harry, scene 61
Brick Sullivan .... Ward Healer
Julius Tannen .... Mr. Kowalsky
Harry Tenbrook .... Footsie, Caterer
Charles Trowbridge .... Man
Phil Tully .... Man, scene 63
Harry Tyler .... Robert, Elderly Retainer
James Waters .... Young Politician
Produced by John Ford
Non-Original Music by Mischa Bakaleinikoff (stock music)
George Duning (stock music)
Cyril J. Mockridge (stock music)
Arthur Morton (stock music)
Paul Sawtell (stock music)
Cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr.
Film Editing by Jack Murray
Production Design by Robert Peterson
Art Direction by Robert Peterson
Set Decoration by William Kiernan
Costume Design by Jean Louis
Makeup Department Helen Hunt .... hair stylist
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson .... assistant director
Wingate Smith .... assistant director
Sound Department John P. Livadary .... recording supervisor
Harry D. Mills .... sound
Stunts George DeNormand .... stunts
Harvey Parry .... stunts
Runtime: 121 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Sound Mix: Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification: Finland:S
Trivia: Orson Welles was John Ford's original choice to play Frank Skeffington
but the offer did not reach Welles in time for him to agree to the part. Welles
and Ford were fans of each other's work.
Awards: Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins.
Big book! big cast! big picture!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!
All the fun, the fury, and fabulous characters of the famous book!
Go back to FILMOGRAPHY