Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

PWNYCNY The story is good: an aging politician wants to win re-election but only by his rules, which are outdated. The acting is good: Spencer Tracy gives a strong performance as the aging politician; the other cast members also give strong performances. The problem with this movie is that the entire movie looks like it's being performed on a stage, which makes the story and characters seem even more contrived. The movie relies on portraying characters as caricatures than in providing character development. Hence, the bad guys, i.e., the bankers, are portrayed as surly and obnoxious, while the good guys, i.e, Skeffington's friends, are portrayed as the salt of the earth. The movie's message is clear: because of television, politicians are losing touch with the public and playing to the camera is now more important than maintaining contact with the people. Winning an election today means having to be glib. As a drama, the movie tries to evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time when politicians interacted directly with the people and when what counted the most for political success was not celebrity status but who he was as a person.

audiemurph Spencer Tracy dominates "The Last Hurrah", performing a very difficult task: he must play the role of a politician's politician, Frank Skeffington, but Skeffington himself is playing a "role", the role of mayor of a big New England City. That is to say, Skeffington is a master manipulator, controlling everyone around him in some way or another, even when he genuinely wants to befriend them or help them in some way. Skeffington must at times be a bully, sometimes a mentor, and other times just plain BS people he wishes to use. But Tracy the actor must walk a fine line that allows the viewer to know that Skeffington is play acting with those around him, without the other characters knowing. And Tracy being Tracy, he pulls it off in a masterful fashion.Now since this is a John Ford film, in order to really appreciate it we must know that "The Last Hurrah", like most any John Ford film, is part movie, part family reunion. Except for Tracy, and a few others, the entire cast is made up of actors and actresses who are veterans of multiple John Ford movies; thus, the presence of Jeffrey Hunter in the lead as Tracy's nephew makes me continuously feel like I'm watching an alternate version of "The Searchers", while Donald Crisp as the Cardinal reminds me of "How Green is my Valley". Countless minor parts, from the Seargent with two lines (Jack Pennick), to a viewer at a wake (a choice little part to Jane Darwell), to another viewer at a wake (Mae Marsh, with no lines; remember her as the heroine in "Birth of a Nation", 40 years prior? Ford gave her a number of uncredited cameos in her later years), make this film a who's who of the history of John Ford's films.By the way, James Gleason always cracks me up when he plays tough guys. Rail thin, he can't way more than 100 pounds soaking wet, yet he is always ready to knock some heads. And Pat O"Brien, energetic as always, looks like death warmed over in this film, but he did go on to live act for another 25 years.The only fault of this film is that it is too long. After Skeffington loses the election for mayor, there is a long scene of him slowly meandering home; I thought this was the end of the movie. But unfortunately there is a drawn-out half-hour coda in which Tracy suffers a coronary and slowly, slowly, ever so slowly dies, but not before he gets to meet up with most everyone who was in the movie. I'm not really sure whether this was necessary, other than to give Ford a chance to direct his usually classic scenes of pathos.But for the first 1.5 hours, it is a fast, funny and enjoyable ride with the John Ford Touring Company.

Martin Teller Spencer Tracy stars as a beloved mayor making his last run for re-election. Tracy is fun to watch as always, there are a few nice shots and some crisp dialogue. The situations are fairly compelling. But once again, Ford's love of myth-making gets in the way, as the protagonist is built up as The Swellest Guy in the World while his opponents are all either snakes or boobs. The mayor is a working class hero who can do absolutely no wrong, always does the right thing for the right reasons, and the bad guys are crooked, selfish, out of touch bluebloods. And of course, there's the wacky oafish sidekick. This film is the answer to everyone who thinks MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON lacks nuance. I suppose some people are comforted by such a black and white view of the world, it just makes me roll my eyes.

RanchoTuVu A homespun and sentimental take on politics, with Spencer Tracy playing Frank Skeffington, an old style Irish Catholic big city mayor caught in a cooked up scandal by his blue blood Prostestant Republican enemies. Crowded scenes add to the pace as the characters whip through the sharp Frank Nugent screenplay like a hot knife going through butter. Directed by John Ford, the film previews the changes that have since taken place in American politics i.e. television imagery and big money, and here we see them presented in a political campaign pitting Skeffington against a younger, telegenic, politically inept opponent financed by the city's conservatives. With John Carradine giving a memorable performance as ultra-conservative newspaper publisher and ex-Klansman Amos Force, and personal favorite Ken Curtis playing a monsignor, the film blends the typical Ford elements: fairness and tolerance against hypocrisy and greed.