An Election Drama: Frank Capra’s ‘State of the Union’ (1948)

An early political film that openly discusses the flaws, corruption, and weaknesses of presidential candidates.
An Election Drama: Frank Capra’s ‘State of the Union’ (1948)
(L–R) Mary Matthews (Katharine Hepburn), Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy), Spike McManus (Van Johnson), and Kay Thorndyke Angela Lansbury, in “State of the Union.” Frank Capra's film influenced the politics of the day. (MovieStillsDB
Tiffany Brannan
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The 2024 presidential election has finally come for American voters. Some people love talking politics, while others avoid the topic, considering it unpleasant and even dangerous.

During the Golden Era of Hollywood, movies tended to follow the rule of polite conversation, and included no politics or religion. That’s not to say that old movies never discussed or featured political or religious situations. However, they tried to avoid offending people by not mentioning specifics of policy or theology. It also was common practice to avoid mentioning characters’ political parties, since this was sure to cause offense.

Tiffany Brannan
Tiffany Brannan
Author
Tiffany Brannan is a 23-year-old opera singer, Hollywood historian, vintage fashion enthusiast, and journalist. Her classic film journey started in 2016 when she and her sister started the Pure Entertainment Preservation Society to reform the arts by reinstating the Motion Picture Production Code. Tiffany launched Cinballera Entertainment in June 2023 to produce original performances which combine opera, ballet, and old films in historic SoCal venues. Having written for The Epoch Times since 2019, she became the host of a YouTube channel, The Epoch Insights, in June 2024.
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