Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786300181304
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6300181308
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Universal Studios
Release Date: 1994-01-12
Running Time: 124
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 1948-04-30

State of the Union is somewhat better as a Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn movie than it is as a Frank Capra picture. No doubt about it, these are two good roles for the smitten stars: Tracy is a self-made businessman reluctantly drafted into a dark-horse presidential candidacy; Hepburn is his estranged but whip-smart wife, who joins him on the campaign trail. Adding intrigue is the newspaper heiress (played with relish by baby-faced Angela Lansbury) who's the cause of their marital problems. She's also the one who convinces a longtime political horse-trader (Adolphe Menjou) to take up the campaign--which leads to a series of compromises for the candidate.

The Capra flavor is here, in the paeans to liberty and the American Way, and in the crackling pacing of dialogue scenes. Capra's affection for supporting players is also evident, with standout stuff from Menjou, Van Johnson (as a cynical aide), Lewis Stone, and Raymond Walburn. But the film's roots as a hit play (by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse) are a little too evident, and the film as a whole doesn't feel as bracingly Capraesque as the director's 1930s work. Having said that, the political satire is as relevant today as it was in 1948, although the rapid-fire topical references might be puzzling to non-campaign buffs. Note for bloopers collectors: Hepburn's name is spelled "Katherine" in the opening credits. --Robert Horton

Customer Rating:
Summary: "I haven't enjoyed myself this much since Huey Long died!"
Comment: Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy made nine films together, including 1948's "State of the Union." In this film, they play a married couple. Tracy is a highly successful airplane manufacturer who is approached to run for President of the U.S. He seems like an ideal candidate - full of common sense and integrity. However, it turns out that he's less than perfect; he's estranged from Hepburn and carrying on an affair with a king-maker newspaper publisher, played by Angela Lansbury. Tracy realizes that if he is to run for President, he needs Hepburn by his side. The two reunite tentatively, and Tracy's initial speeches strike a chord with the "common man." Unfortunately, as Lansbury becomes more involved, Tracy changes in some rather ominous ways.

"State of the Union" is not one of the better known Hepburn-Tracy pairings, such as "Adam's Rib" or "Woman of the Year." However, it is every bit as good as these classics. Frank Capra directed the film - it's his follow-up to "It's a Wonderful Life." Like that movie, "State of the Union" is a bit idealistic and has a rather mushy denouement. However, along the way, the script (adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse) makes some rather insightful comments on politics and human relations and contains some crackling witty dialogue. Much of this material is still relevant today, 60 years after the fact.

Hepburn is charming and beautiful as the betrayed wife, and Lansbury is the portrait of cold-blooded calculating ambition. It's hard to believe that Lansbury was only 23 years old when "State of the Union" was made. Another interesting aspect of the film is the obvious parallels to the Hepburn-Tracy relationship. It was a poorly kept secret that they were having an affair starting in the early 1940s which continued until Tracy's death in 1967, although the staunchly Catholic Tracy never divorced his wife. Hepburn acting wounded because Tracy has a mistress while she was in fact his real mistress - well it makes the mind boggle a bit! All in all, "State of the Union" is a solid 1940s comedy-drama on par with the couple's best pairings.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: State of the Union DVD
Comment: Not my favorite Capra movie OR Tracy and Hepburn movie, but well worth watching because of the wonderful pairing of actors and director! Tracy and Hepburn are a magical pair no matter what movie they are in, and Frank Capra always has a happy ending even for difficult situations. This movie almost seems like a role reversal to Tracy and Hepburn's movie "Woman of the Year". Angela Lansbury did a wonderful job in the movie also.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: WHERE IS GRANT MATTHEWS TODAY WHEN WE NEED HIM??
Comment: The story begins with Kay Thorndike (Lansbury) rushing to the side of her dying father, Sam Thorndike, newspaper publisher baron. He challenges her to remain ruthless and get back at the Republican Party which he feels betrayed his chance to be president. Kay decides the best way to get to the White House is by backing (with all her personal assets and the newspapers she controls) her good friend and wealthy aviation manufacturer Grant Matthews (Tracy). Rumors have linked Matthews and Thorndike romantically because he is unofficially separated from his wife Mary Mathews (Hepburn). A public image of a happy marriage is important to a successful campaign and Thorndike and company set about to get the marriage back on track, at least for the public. Matthews knows that Mary is no pushover and will not be manipulated for the sake of his campaign. Yet Mary believes in him and knows that at the core his ability to be honest and his business skills are what the country needs, especially someone outside the influence of the Washington insiders. She decides to wholeheartedly back Grant's run for the nomination all the while fighting back the rumors of his unfaithfulness and the influence of the ruthless Thorndike. This begins the tug of war between Mary and Thorndike as to how the campaign should be run - total honesty and openness or politically shrewd playing all sides. It would be hard not to have an entertaining film, especially about such a hot topic, with the stars involved and under the direction of Frank Capra. A lesser known gem of Tracy and Hepburn, this is a great time to pull it out and watch. Maybe there is still a Grant Matthews lurking out there that we could nominate. For aviation buffs, there is a great scene where a couple of Grant's test pilots pull up alongside the campaign plane and challenge him to a little game of 'chicken' in the air. The picture quality is excellent. WWW.LUSREVIEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: surprisingly relevent
Comment: I watched this recently in the midst of the 2008 campaign and I was struck by the parallels with today's race 60 years later. Politics have obviously changed enormously since '48, but yet not that much. I noticed a striking similarity between Spencer Tracy's character and Barack Obama. They are both relative political newcomers whose campaigns are ostensibly based on a new approach that transcends conventional petty politics and appeals directly to the voters. But political realities and the ambition to get the job get the better of them. They compromise their campaigns and make choices based on political expediency. They choose positions to target whatever demographic they need to chase and eventually become just like the regular politicians they are supposed to be an alternative to. It would be nice if we could have a true nonpolitical idealist elected directly by the people, but I don't think it could ever happen! That's basically the message of this movie, but yet it ends on an optimistic note.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: State of the Union
Comment: Frank Capra, unparalleled purveyor of populist Americana, sets his sights on the smarmy, corrupt practices that get people elected to high office. Though some will focus on little dated touches, the film's underlying message still manages to sound prophetic. Tracy delivers a perfectly balanced portrayal of a principled man momentarily blinded by the seduction of raw power. While Kate always seems at her best opposite her real-life partner, it's Angela who steals the film as the seductive, ruthless, ice-cold Kay-certainly a long way from "Murder, She Wrote"! A wise-cracking Van Johnson and old veteran Adolphe Menjou round out a top-flight cast playing slick, cynical operators in Grant's camp. In all, a still relevant tale, imbued with intelligence and heart.

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