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John Ford's gripping portrait of the twilight of politician Frank Skeffington--adapted from the Edwin O'Connor novel based on the life of celebrated Boston mayor James Curley--reflects the director's abiding pessimism about the fate of American cities. Skeffington (Spencer Tracy) is about to begin his fifth and likely last campaign for mayor of a city in New England. A champion of the poor and downtrodden (especially if they happen to be Irish), the mayor is not above a bit of corruption if it will bring them comfort, a policy that has earned the enmity of both the city's WASP faction and the clergy. The mayor's journalist nephew, Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter), accompanies him to a wake and observes the dual nature of the politician: He shamelessly works the crowd for support but later pressures grasping undertaker Johnny Degnan (Bob Sweeney) into reducing the exorbitant funeral costs. Upon hearing that some bankers have reneged on providing a loan for a slum clearance project, Skeffington bursts into their elitist private club and gives them hell. Tracy and an excellent supporting cast, including Pat O'Brien, John Carradine, Frank McHugh, Donald Crisp, and Basil Rathbone, enliven Ford's nostalgic tribute. Curley, who considered the film an invasion of privacy, sued the studio, which settled out of court.
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