State of the Union (1948) on Netflix
Newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke wants her lover, aircraft tycoon Grant Matthews, to run for president. Doubtful, he tests the waters on a speaking tour with his estranged wife, Mary.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.2/104,690 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes80%
Trailer
Plot summary
Grant Matthews, an aircraft tycoon, is the lover of the newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke, who inherited her father Sam Thorndyke's chain of papers. She plans to deadlock the 1948 Republican National Convention so that the delegates turn to Grant as a compromise candidate. Grant doubts he is suited to the race, but Kay, the strategist Jim Conover and the campaign manager Spike McManus persuade him to try a speaking tour. He asks his estranged wife, Mary, to appear at his side. Mary knows about Kay but believes in Grant's honesty and idealism, and does not know how far Kay's plans reach. Kay warns Grant that any scandal would end his chances, so the two must no longer meet as lovers.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about State of the Union (1948)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Claudette Colbert was originally cast as Mary Matthews but abandoned the picture after disagreements with director Frank Capra, so Katharine Hepburn was chosen as her replacement only days before filming began; Hepburn had been helping Spencer Tracy with the script.
- Adolphe Menjou and Katharine Hepburn clashed on set: Menjou belonged to the conservative Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals while Hepburn backed the rival Committee for the First Amendment, and during filming Menjou testified as a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
- State of the Union was screened exclusively for President Harry Truman shortly after it was completed and reportedly helped convince him to run for office again.
- Frank Capra and his screenwriters stayed extremely faithful to the Lindsay and Crouse play but, like its authors during its two-year run, updated the script during filming to keep it timely.
