Moments of Movie Wisdom: Exposing Corruption in ‘State of the Union’ (1948)

A promo shot for the 1948 film "State of the Union." (MovieStillsDB)

Commentary

It’s now 2024, so there’s one topic which is going to monopolize the news all year: the presidential election. Although any presidential election is highly publicized and discussed, this one is especially so because of its controversial nature. After the greatly debated results of the 2020 election, many people have been anticipating the 2024 election for four years.

Today’s moment of movie wisdom is from “State of the Union” (1948). This scene takes place 107 minutes into the 124-minute movie. Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy), an aspiring Republican presidential candidate, is broadcasting a television fireside chat from his home to make his candidacy official. After having some “liquid courage,” his wife Mary refuses to give the speech which has been written for her, since she can’t endorse her husband as an honest man anymore. She passionately denounces the greedy politicians who have corrupted Grant and laments how he has compromised himself.

The Film

In 1946, Jim Conover (Adolphe Menjou) is a political instigator who wants to present a dark horse presidential candidate to the Republican Convention. He’s been trying to shake the bad reputation he got from the Teapot Dome Scandal associated with Warren G. Harding for years. Powerful newspaper publisher Kay Thorndike (Angela Lansbury) tries to convince him that aircraft manufacturer Grant Matthews is the perfect candidate. Her plan is to use her newspaper’s influence to deadlock the Republican Convention and become the guiding force behind the White House with Grant in the Oval Office.

A promo shot for the 1948 film "State of the Union." (MovieStillsDB)

Conover is opposed to the idea of Grant for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he’s separated from his wife, Mary (Katharine Hepburn), and is having a not-so-secret affair with Kay. Kay, Jim, and Spike McManus (Van Johnson), her campaign manager, eventually convince Grant to go on a speaking tour to build a following and get him interested in the idea of running for president. He and Kay agree to stop seeing each other and send for Mary. They arrange for her to accompany Grant on the tour, knowing that he needs to be seen with his wife for his public image. Mary is initially delighted to be reunited with her husband and wholeheartedly supports the idea of his becoming president, but she is troubled by wondering about the extent of his involvement with Kay. During the tour, Grant gains huge public support from common people for his honest speeches, but Jim and Kay keep pressuring him to instead appeal to the corrupt powers who can deliver votes in the primary elections.

The Scene

The night of the broadcast, Mary finally reaches her breaking point. Her house is full of cameras, technicians, and crooked lobbyists. Although it’s been advertised as a homespun event, this cozy little chat is really a major studio production, funded by Grant himself and carefully orchestrated to project the right image of Grant Matthews to the nation. Everyone agrees that the only way to dispel rumors about Grant and Kay is for the Matthews to invite her over to their home for this event, showing that she is just a good friend of the family. This, of course, is not the truth, and Mary hates the sight of Kay.

Mary’s loathing of Kay isn’t just because of jealousy over her husband’s affections. She resents the other woman much more for the role she has played in compromising his character and making him betray his values. To add insult to injury, the night of the broadcast is the Matthews’s wedding anniversary. Mary is a devoted wife and a good sport, so she tries to go along with the program. However, as the evening passes, Mary gets worn down by hearing the dirty dealings in which her husband is participating.

Mary doesn’t usually drink, since she knows that it loosens her tongue. However, she ends up imbibing potent cocktails, which give her the courage to say what she thinks. She starts by wisecracking tipsily to annoy the gang of politicians who are waiting to make their speeches, but she sobers up when she sees her children, who are being used in the elaborate deception.

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A lobby card for the 1948 film "State of the Union." (MovieStillsDB)

Its Significance

This scene is a powerful moment for Mary. Throughout the film, we’ve seen her helplessly watch as her husband betrays his ethics and moral standards because of his growing ambition. This horrible realization is added to the humiliating heartbreak she constantly feels over fear that she’s already lost Grant’s love. Spike is the only person in whom Mary can confide about the situation, since he’s in the group enough to know what’s happening yet remains somewhat untainted himself.

It’s so satisfying to see her finally speak her mind, telling Grant, Conover, Kay, and all the other political crooks exactly what she thinks of them: “I’m not going on, Grant, I can’t. To millions of people, I’m supposed to say, ‘I know my husband to be honest, uncompromising, fearless!’ I could have said that once and meant it, but not anymore! Not after he met up with you, Jim Conover, and you, and you, and you, and you, Kay Thorndyke. You and your mad ambition! Catering to his conceit, dealing and double-dealing. You were going to make a big man of him, weren’t you, Kay? You couldn’t see that he was a big man. Well, you’ve killed him! That won’t be Grant Matthews those people hear tonight; it will be a shadow, a ghost, a stooge, mouthing words that aren’t your own, thoughts that aren’t your own! You killed Grant Matthews, and he’s a party to his own murder! Well, I won’t be! You wanted a cause, you’ve got one! A cause of lies, fear, and corruption!”

Freedom Through the Truth

This poignant scene is the turning point of the whole film. Grant has gradually been selling pieces of his soul throughout the campaign tour as he compromises more and more of his character. He’s not fooling himself; he knows that he is getting involved with some shady characters. He tells himself that it’s all for the sake of getting elected, after which he’ll do the right thing by the country.

Hearing the truth from his wife is a wake-up call for Grant. She makes him realize that becoming president will mean nothing if he has already abandoned all the characteristics which would have made him a good president in the first place. It isn’t until he sees her making the speech about him, which he knows she doesn’t believe, that the full meaning of her words penetrates his soul.

This amazing movie has so many inspiring, wise, and timely scenes that you really must watch it for yourself. It reminds us that compromising for a good cause will never have good consequences. Sometimes you have to stand up and renounce the wrongdoings you see, even if it is very unpopular. To quote the Bible’s Book of John, 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”