Political  Film  Festival
            | on Page One: Links
Selected Films & TV: A thru F on Page Two: here on Page Three
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Selected Films & TV: A thru F {Page 1} • G thru L {Page 2} • M thru R {Page 2} • S thru Z {just below}
"Sarah Palin: You Betcha !" [ContentFilm Intl./Freestyle Releasing Sept 2011]
Filmmaker Nick Broomfield’s documentary film about Sarah Palin, the quitter
governor of Alaska who is now a 'Fox Noise' TV star •
credits at IMDb
"The Seduction of Joe Tynan" [1979]
credits at IMDb
"The  Senator  Was  Indiscreet"
[Universal Dec 1947]
  |
A dim-witted U.S. Senator running for president is using a diary of party shenanigans to blackmail for support for his nomination; a cutie sent by enemies and the fiancee of his new P.R. man try to get into his bedroom where the diary is kept.
Directed by George S. Kaufman; starring William Powell, Ella Raines, Peter Lind Hayes, Arleen Whelan, Ray Collins & Allen Jenkins
Republic Pictures b&w VHS [1/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
"Separate But Equal" [ABC-TV April 1991]
      | The true story of the long battle by the N.A.A.C.P. to challenge racial school segregation in the Brown vs. Board of Education court case. Their efforts destroyed the legal validity of racial segregation in general and proved to be the start and the first major victory of the Civil Rights movement.
Co-produced, written & directed by George Stevens Jr.; starring Sidney Poitier, Burt Lancaster, Richard Kiley, Cleavon Little, John McMartin, Mike Nussbaum & Tom Aldredge; won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Special & for Best Casting, 6 other noms
Republic Pictures color DVD [5/2003] 2 disks - out of prodn/used Republic Pictures color VHS [1/96] 2 tapes for $28.98 full credits at IMDb |
"Seven  Days  In  May"
[Paramount/Seven Arts Feb 1964]
  |
After the U.S. President decides to sign a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviets, a Marine colonel discovers that the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs are plotting a coup d'etat to take over the government seven days hence. Directed by John Frankenheimer; script by Rod Serling, based on the novel {below}; starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Martin Balsam & Andrew Duggan
Warner widescreen b&w DVD [5/2000] for $17.99 Warner b&w VHS [6/97] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
  |
based on the 1962 novel by Fletcher Knebel & Charles W. Bailey II Bantam mass pb [6/79] out of print/used Weidenfeld & Nicolson mass pb [1/63] out of print/used Harper & Row hardcover [1/62] out of print/used |
"1 7 7 6"  [Columbia Nov 1972]
  | A musical version of the meetings in Philadelphia prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Directed by Peter H. Hunt; starring William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard {as Thomas Jefferson} & Blythe Danner
Col/TriStar color VHS [4/91] for $17.99 Col/TriStar color VHS [8/98] out of stock/used Col/TriStar color DVD [7/2002] for $22.46 full credits from IMDb based on the Broadway musical by Sherman Edwards & Peter Stone |
"Silkwood" [ABC/Fox 1983]: credits at IMDb
Karen Silkwood:
browse books •
videos/DVDs
"Silver City" [2004] from John Sayles
credits at IMDb
"1600 Penn" TV series [NBC-TV/Fox-TV 2012?] 
Announced 10/2011: A single camera comedy about a dysfunctional family that just happens to live at the most
famous address in America; exec produced by Josh Gad {"Book of Mormon" actor}, Jon Lovett {former Obama
speechwriter}, and Jason Winer {director on "Modern Family"}; added 2/2012: Bill Pullman is signed
to portray the President •
latest info at IMDb
"1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" TV news series [MSNBC-TV 2008-2009]
MSNBC news series, aka "Race For The White House" •
bare series credits at IMDb
"So This Is Washington" [R.K.O. Radio Pictures Aug 1943]
  | Fourth comedy feature film (of seven) by radio characters Lum & Abner; tinkerer Abner accidentally invents a substitute for rubber and the two business partners go to Washington, DC to donate their invention for the war effort. Directed by Ray McCarey; written by Roswell Rogers, Edward James & Leonard Praskins; starring Chester Lauck {as Lum], Norris Goff {as Abner}, Alan Mowbray, Mildred Coles, Roger Clark, Sarah Padden, Matt McHugh, Chester Conklin, Heinie Conklin, Jimmie Dodd, Dan Duncan, Jack Gargan, Wilbur Mack & Minerva Urecal
full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia Timeless Video b&w VHS [12/97] for $9.99 watch video [1:02:43] online at Internet Archive |
  | Comedy Classics 4-pack with "Two Weeks to Live", "The Bashful Bachelor" & "Dreaming Out Loud"
Echo Bridge Home Ent. b&w DVD [4/2005] for $3.99 {sic} Lum & Abner Collection 4-pack with "Two Weeks to Live", "The Bashful Bachelor" & "Dreaming Out Loud" Alpha Home Ent. b&w DVD set [6/2008] 4 disks for $31.92 |
"State of The Union" [M.G.M. April 1948]
  | The party machinery becomes worried when a candidate for President begins speaking out boldly against corruption. Produced & directed by Frank Capra [1897-1991]; based on the Pulitzer-winning 1945 stageplay by Russel Crouse & Howard Lindsay; starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou, Lewis Stone, Margaret Hamilton, Art Baker & Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
Universal b&w DVD [8/2006] for $12.99 Universal b&w VHS [1/94] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb • Broadway play credits at IBDb |
"Stealing America: Vote By Vote"
[Concentric Media Sept 2006]
  | Documents the rampant & significant irregularities in the Presidential election of 2004. Produced & directed by Dorothy Fadiman color DVD [12/2006] available from Direct Cinema Ltd. no listing at IMDb; official film site |
"Swing Vote"  [Touchstone Aug 2008]
  | A majority of the location filming was in New Mexico, especially the town of Belén. An over-achieving small-town, preteen girl sets off an election day media frenzy that casts her lovable loser dad as the deciding vote for the next president of the United States. Co-written & directed by Joshua Michael Stern; co-written by Jason Richman; co-produced by & starring Kevin Costner; also starring Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Judge Reinhold, Mare Winningham, Nana Visitor, Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman & Gary Farmer with cameos by Tucker Carlson, James Carville, Matt Frei, Arianna Huffington, Larry King, Bill Maher, Chris Matthews, Willie Nelson & Lawrence O'Donnell
Touchstone/Disney widescreen color DVD [1/2009] for $19.99 full credits from IMDb • official movie site {requires Flash} |
"Tanner 88: A Political Fable" mini-series [H.B.O. 1988]
Directed by Robert Altman [1925-2006]; written by Garry Trudeau; starring Michael Murphy; full credits at IMDb
"Tanner On Tanner" sequel [HBO Oct 2004]
Directed by Robert Altman [1925-2006]; written by Garry Trudeau; starring Michael Murphy; full credits at IMDb
"Thanks  A  Million"
[Fox Oct 1935]
  | A group of entertainers slip into a political rally to get out of the rain; when the candidate shows up too inebriated to speak, the crooner of the troupe is enlisted to deliver the speech. He does so well that the bosses decide to run him instead.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth; script by Nunnally Johnson, from a story by Darryl F. Zanuck; starring Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak, Fred Allen, Patsy Kelly, Raymond Walburn, Paul Whiteman, Ramona & David Rubinoff
video/DVD not available; credits at IMDb |
"Thirteen Days" [2000]
credits at IMDb
"Three  Days  of  The  Condor"
[Wildwood/Paramount Sept 1975]
  |
A minor C.I.A. researcher returns from lunch to find his co-workers slaughtered. He contacts a superior, who agrees to help him 'come in from the cold', but the result is another attempt at assassination.
Directed by Sydney Pollack; based on a novel by James Grady {below}; starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow & John Houseman
Paramount widescreen color DVD [8/99] for $9.98 Paramount color VHS [1/98] out of prodn/used D.R.G. soundtrack CD [8/2004] for $13.98 full credits from IMDb |
  |
"Six Days of The Condor" [1974] by James Grady Warner mass pb [10/91] out of print/used W.W. Norton hardcover [5/74] out of print/used |
"The Tillman Story" [Weinstein Aug 2010]
  | Pat Tillman quit his pro football career to enlist in the Army and go to Afghanistan, where he was killed; he was honored as a hero by the government and by the media. But his parents had trouble finding out the truth, and showed their heroism by not stopping their battle against the cover-up of the facts of Tillman's death.
Directed by Amir Bar-Lev; script by Mark Monroe
DVD/Blu-ray not available • credits at IMDb • official movie site Pat Tillman entry at Wikipedia |
"Trial of The Chicago 7" [DreamWorks 2014?] 
Announced 7/2013: Story of the 1969 trial stemming from the riots after police & protesters clashed during the 1968 Democratic
National Convention in Chicago; producer Aaron Sorkin in talks with Paul Greengrass to direct • latest info at IMDb
"The Ugly American" [Universal April 1963]
  |
The hero of the novel is an ugly chicken farmer from Iowa; the movie looks at the causes of the VietNam war (filmed before the war began).
Directed by George Englund; loosely based on the novel; starring Marlon Brando, Eiji Okada, Sandra Church, Pat Hingle, Arthur Hill & Jocelyn Brando
Universal widescreen color DVD [8/2003] out of prodn/used Universal color VHS [10/92] out of prodn/used full credits at IMDb |
  | "The Ugly American" [1958 bestseller] by William J. Lederer & Eugene Burdick W.W. Norton 8¼x5½ pb [1/99] for $11.16 Fawcett pb [9/87] out of print/used Fawcett pb [1/85] out of print/used W.W. Norton hardcover [6/58] out of print/used |
"The Undefeated" [indep June 2011] 
Alt-right filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon's very uncritical propaganda film about Sarah Palin, the quitter
governor of Alaska who is now a 'Fox Noise' TV star • DO NOT BUY THIS HORSE MANURE !!
full credits at IMDb
"Vincere (To Win)"
[Italy May 2009 / I.F.C. USA March 2010]
credits at IMDb •
official movie site {in Italian}
"Oliver Stone's W." [LionsGate Oct 2008]
  | "Anyone can grow up to be President." Co-produced, co-written & directed by Oliver Stone; co-written by Stanley Weiser; starring Josh Brolin {as Bush 43}, Elizabeth Banks, Thandie Newton, James Cromwell {as Bush 41}, Richard Dreyfuss {as Cheney}, Scott Glenn, Ioan Gruffudd, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Ritter, Jeffrey Wright, Sayed Badreya, Rob Corddry, Toby Jones, Stacy Keach, Allan Kolman, Michael Gaston & Dennis Boutsikaris LionsGate widescreen color Blu-ray [2/2009] for $14.99 LionsGate widescreen color DVD [2/2009] for $15.99 LionsGate color DVD [2/2009] for $10.99 full credits from IMDb • official movie site |
"Wag The Dog" [1997]
Directed by Barry Levinson, starring Robert De Niro & Dustin Hoffman •
credits at IMDb
Announced 4/2017: Pay-cable network H.B.O. is turning the 1997 big-screen political satire into a half-hour scripted comedy;
Barry Levinson is on board to executive produce and direct the pilot, and Robert De Niro will serve as an EP
"The War Room" [1993 documentary]
credits at IMDb
"Washington  Merry-Go-Round" [Columbia Oct 1932]
A naive freshman Congressman is offered bribes by lobbyists, but refuses to betray the people who elected him.
Co-produced & directed by James Cruze; starring Lee Tracy, Constance Cummings, Walter Connolly, Alan
Dinehart, Arthur Vinton, Arthur Hoyt, Berton Churchill, Frank Sheridan, Clay Clement & Clarence Muse
video/DVD not available;
full credits from IMDb
"We Are Legion: The Story of The Hacktivists" [FilmBuff Oct 2012]
  | 93-minute documentary film tracing the 'Anonymous' cyberpatriot collective’s evolution from merry pranksters to a full-blown, global movement, one armed with new weapons of civil disobedience for an online world; covers early group actions and the Chan4 era, and includes interviews with members returned from prison and members recently indicted for their (alleged) actions. Co-produced, written & directed by Brian Knappenberger Luminant Media color DVD [11/2012] for $22.97 with s/h via Amazon third party watch full movie online at Vimeo for $4.99 full credits at IMDb • official movie site • watch official trailer [3:21] at YouTube |
"Weiner" [Sundance Selects/Showtime May 2016]
  | Filmmakers set out to observe disgraced New York politician Anthony Weiner during his attempt at a comeback by running for New York City mayor in the 2013 primary election, and when Weiner gets caught sexting on the internet, inadvertantly capture a jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes view of the political machine as it breaks down.
Co-written & directed by Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg; won Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • credits at IMDb • website of producers Edgeline Films watch 4/2016 official trailer [2:38] at YouTube |
"The  West  Wing" [1999-2006 tv series on N.B.C.]
    | The hit tv series about a fictional U.S. President ran for seven years, and often delved into deep issues of American life & the political process. Created by Aaron Sorkin; starring Martin Sheen {as President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet}, Alan Alda, Stockard Channing, John Spencer, Richard Schiff, Kristin Chenoweth, Allison Janney, Moira Kelly, Rob Lowe, Bradley Whitford, Dulé Hill, Mary McCormack & Jimmy Smits
complete series: Warner color DVD [11/2006] 45 disks for $194.87 7th season: Warner color DVD [11/2006] for $38.87 6th season: Warner color DVD [5/2006] for $32.99 5th season: Warner color DVD [12/2005] for $38.98 4-season set: Warner color DVD [4/2005] for $165.32 4th season: Warner color DVD [8/00] for $44.99 3rd season: Warner color DVD [5/2004] for $38.99 2nd season: Warner color DVD [5/2004] for $19.97 1st season: Warner color DVD [11/2003] for $19.97 full credits from IMDb • official series website 11"x17" poster from Amazon for $9.99 |
  | "The West Wing: The American Presidency As Television Drama" [2003] Edited by Peter C. Rollins & John E. O'Connor Syracuse Univ Press 9¼x5½ pb [5/2003] for $13.57 Syracuse Univ Press 9½x6¼ hardcover [5/2003] for $45.00 |
"What's The Matter With Kansas?" [indep Sept 2009]
  | Location filming in Park City & Wichita, Kansas; film traces the state's shift from a stronghold of Democratic Party progressive politics to regressive fundamentalist religionism. Co-produced by Laura Cohen & director Joe Winston; based on the book by Thomas Frank; featuring Thomas Frank, the Barden family, Brad & Cindie Bennett, the Dillard family, the Teske family, and archive footage of Dr. George Tiller; listed on Roger Ebert's Ten Best Documentaries of The Year
Passion River color DVD [1/2011] for $14.96 full credits at IMDb • official movie site • watch official trailer [2:16] at YouTube |
  | "What's The Matter With Kansas?: How Conservatives Won The Heart of America" [NY Times bestseller 2004] by Thomas Frank Kindle Edition from Metropolitan/Macmillan [4/2010] for $8.89 Holt 8¼x5½ pb [4/2005] for $11.53 Metropolitan Books 8½x5¾ hardcover [6/2004] out of print/hundreds used publisher's official book page • book entry at Wikipedia |
"Yes, Minister" BBC-TV series [1980-84]
"Yes, Prime Minister" BBC-TV series [1986-88]
"Yes, Prime Minister" U.K.T.V. Gold 6-episode series [2012
"Z"  [Algeria-France Dec 1969]
      | A liberal politician is murdered during a peace demonstration, and right wing leaders try to cover up their involvement and also try to hide the murder itself. A chronicle of the overthrow of the democratic government of Greece, told as a combination of thriller & murder mystery • Directed by Costa-Gavras; script by Jorge Semprún, based on the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos; music by Mikis Theodorakis; starring Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacques Perrin, Charles Denner, François Périer & Pierre Dux; won Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film & Best Editing, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director & Best Script Adaptation
Fox Lorber widescreen color DVD [7/2002] for $18.99 Fox Lorber widescreen color VHS [11/97] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
  | novel by Vassilis Vassilikos [1967] Thunder's Mouth Press 8½x5½ pb [5/91] out of print/used Ballantine pb [9/69] out of print/used |
back to Selected Films, A to Z
A thru F • G thru L •
M thru R • S thru Z {above}
Books About Political Films
  | "Hollywood's America: Social and Political Themes In Motion Pictures" [1996] by Stephen P. Powers, David J. Rothman & Stanley Rothman Westview Press 8¾x6 pb [6/96] for $44.00 Westview Press 9¾x6¾ hardcover [6/96] out of print/used |
  | "Movies As Politics" [1997] by Jonathan Rosenbaum Univ CA Press 9x6 pb [6/97] for $17.12 Univ CA Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [6/97] out of print/used |
  | "Politics and Politicians In American Film" [1998] by Phillip L. Gianos Praeger 9¼x6 pb [7/99] for $30.95 Praeger 9¼x6¼ hardcover [1/98] for $109.95 |
  | "Hollywood Renaissance: The Cinema of Democracy In The Era of Ford, Capra & Kazan" [1998] by Sam B. Girgus
Cambridge Univ Press 9x6 pb [8/98] for $29.99 Cambridge Univ Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/98] out of print/used see also Magic Lantern's Elia Kazan [1909-2003] Page see also Magic Lantern's Frank Capra [1897-1991] Page see also the John Ford [1894-1973] Page at 'Readers of The Purple Sage' |
  | "Reelpolitik: Political Ideologies In '30s and '40s Films" [1998] by Beverly Merrill Kelley, with John J. Pitney Jr., Craig R. Smith & Herbert E. Gooch III Praeger Publts 9¼x6 pb [11/98] for $28.95 Praeger Publts 9½x6½ hardcover [11/98] for $119.95 Examines eight classic American movies: "All Quiet On The Western Front" [1930], "Gabriel Over The White House" [1933], King Vidor's "Our Daily Bread" [1934], Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" [1939], Orson Welles's "Citizen Kane" [1941], Orson Welles's "The Magnificent Ambersons" [1942], Michael Curtiz's "Casablanca" [1943], and King Vidor's "The Fountainhead" [1949] |
  | "Radicalism In American Silent Films, 1909-1929: A Filmography & History"[2000] by Michael Slade Shull McFarland 11x7 hardcover [2/2000] for 75.00 |
  | "Here's Looking At You: Hollywood, Film & Politics" [2000] by Ernest Giglio Peter Lang 8¾x6 second edition pb [12/2005] for $28.95 Peter Lang 9x6¼ pb [3/2000] for $27.94 |
  | "Breaking In To The Movies: Film & The Culture of Politics" [2001] by Henry A. Giroux Blackwell 9x6 pb [12/2001] for $31.95 Blackwell 9x6 hardcover [12/2001] for $78.95 |
  | "Radical Hollywood: The Untold Story Behind America's Favorite Movies" [2002] by Paul Buhle & David Wagner New Press pb [8/2003] for $19.95 New Press hardcover [5/2002] for $29.95 |
  | "Screening Politics: The Politician In American Movies, 1931-2001" [2003] by Harry Keyishian Scarecrow Press 8¼x5½ pb [9/2006] for $24.95 Scarecrow Press 8¾x5½ hardcover [8/2003] for $49.95 |
  | "Hollywood's White House: The American Presidency In Film & History" [2003] Edited by Peter C. Rollins & John E. O'Connor Univ Press KY 8½x5¾ pb [3/2005] for $24.00 Univ Press KY 9¼x6½ hardcover [6/2003] for $22.15 |
  | "Reelpolitik II: Political Ideologies In '50s and '60s Films" [2004] by Beverly Merrill Kelley Rowman & Littlefield 8¾x5¾ pb [4/2004] for $34.95 Rowman & Littlefield 9x6 hardcover [4/2004] for $101.00 Examines eight classic American movies: Samuel Fuller's "The Steel Helmet" [1951], Elia Kazan's "A Face In The Crowd" [1957], John Ford's "The Last Hurrah" [1958], Otto Preminger's "Advise and Consent" [1962], John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate" [1962], Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" [1964], John Frankenheimer's "Seven Days In May" [1964], and John Wayne's "The Green Berets" [1968] |
  | "Projecting Politics: Political Messages In American Films" [2005] by Terry Christensen & Peter J. Haas M.E. Sharpe 9x5¾ pb [9/2005] for $23.98 M.E. Sharpe hardcover [9/2005] for $90.95 |
  | "Politics and Film: The Political Culture of Film In The United States" [2006] by Daniel P. Franklin Rowman & Littlefield 9x5¾ pb [2/2006] for $29.95 Rowman & Littlefield 9x6 hardcover [2/2006] for $86.00 |
  | "The Presidents On Film: A Comprehensive Filmography of Portrayals From George Washington To George W. Bush" [2006] by Sarah Miles Bolam & Thomas J. Bolam McFarland & Co. pb [7/2011] for $45.00 McFarland & Co. 10x6¾ hardcover [12/2006] for $95.00 |
  | "The Cinema of Globalization: A Guide To Films About The New Economic Order" [2007] by Tom Zaniello I.L.R. Press 9x6 pb [4/2007] for $15.56 I.L.R. Press 9½x6¼ hardcover [4/2007] for $49.95 |
  | "Hollywood Goes To Washington: American Politics On Screen" [2008] by Michael Coyne Reaktion Books 8¼x5½ pb [9/2008] for $19.00 |
  | "Presidents In The Movies: American History and Politics On Screen" [2011] by Iwan W. Morgan Palgrave Macmillan 8½x5½ hardcover [4/2011] for $68.07 |
Visit Our Other Online Film Festival Pages
Afro-American Film Festival Page at Magic Lantern
Atomic Film Festival Page at Spirit of America
Ayn Rand Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Beatnik Film Festival at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Existentialist Film Festival at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Films Noir Festival at BlackHat Mystery Bookstore
Gangster Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Human Rights Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Movie Musicals Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Oscar-Winning Western Movies Page at 'Readers of the Purple Sage'
Philosophy Film Festival at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Pirate Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Magic Lantern's Political Film Festival  « « you are here
Railroad Film Festival at Spirit of America
'Rat Race' Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Road Movies Film Festival at Magic Lantern
Samurai Films at Magic Lantern
Shakespeare On Film at Magic Lantern
War [& Anti-War] Film Festival Pages at Magic Lantern
Western Movies Film Festival at 'Readers of the Purple Sage'
... and others on the Online Film Festivals Index Page
here on Magic Lantern's Political Film Festival Pages
Books About Political Films {above} • Links
Selected Films & TV: A thru F • G thru L • M thru R • S thru Z (top)
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