All the King's Men

Robert Rossen's Oscar winning 1949 adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (based on the life of Huey Long, the notorious Louisiana governor known as the "Kingfish") stars Best Actor winner Broderick Crawford as Willie Stark, a backwoods Southern populist whose stump appeals to the common man eventually propel him into the state governor's seat. Told through the eyes of newspaper reporter Jack Burden (John Ireland), the story is a classic illustration of the old adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely as Stark's initial idealism gradually slides into ruthless dictatorship. While the film has lost some of its political punch a half century later, it's still a worthwhile watch, especially with the sharp b&w video transfer on this pretty much extras-free DVD. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Sept. 5, 2006—Sony, 110 min., not rated, $19.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1949's All the King's Men features a great black-and-white transfer, but the only DVD extra here is a short promo for the upcoming 2006 remake starring Sean Penn, Jude Law, and Anthony Hopkins. Bottom line: if you own the original release, you don't need this one; if not, this is highly recommended.]