A successful woman congressman (Sylvia Sidney) finds herself on the road to state governor, yet blocked by the manipulations of a sinister adviser (George Raft). She's involved in scandal thanks to a loveless marriage and the supposed affair she has with Raft that she claims is a lie in order for Raft to maintain control over her. The performance of Sylvia Sidney is what makes this an interesting political thriller, one of the few films of Hollywood's golden age to desk with women with political clout. Raft, however, isn't as lucky.
For one thing, his character seems to be almost mystical, of course in an evil way, and doesn't really have a we rounded, full drawn out character. Sidney, not regularly making films anymore after returning to the stage, is still quite lovely, almost exotic looking, and it's a far cry from the waifs she played on screen during the depression, and certainly not close to the old biddies she began playing only a few years later on TV and in occasional film roles. Supporting performances by Sara Haden and Stanley Ridges are excellent.
This really could have been a powerful commentary on politics as seen through the woman's angle, much like the classics "State of the Union" and "All the Kings Men", and obscure sleepers like "Alias Nick Beal" and "The Magnificent Yankee". But some bizarre unbelievable twists make this fall apart in the last quarter. It is a sign, however, of hopes in the independent film industry that strong roles for women went far beyond wives, mothers, nurses and secretaries. Sidney's great performance makes this a notch above what it could have been.
For one thing, his character seems to be almost mystical, of course in an evil way, and doesn't really have a we rounded, full drawn out character. Sidney, not regularly making films anymore after returning to the stage, is still quite lovely, almost exotic looking, and it's a far cry from the waifs she played on screen during the depression, and certainly not close to the old biddies she began playing only a few years later on TV and in occasional film roles. Supporting performances by Sara Haden and Stanley Ridges are excellent.
This really could have been a powerful commentary on politics as seen through the woman's angle, much like the classics "State of the Union" and "All the Kings Men", and obscure sleepers like "Alias Nick Beal" and "The Magnificent Yankee". But some bizarre unbelievable twists make this fall apart in the last quarter. It is a sign, however, of hopes in the independent film industry that strong roles for women went far beyond wives, mothers, nurses and secretaries. Sidney's great performance makes this a notch above what it could have been.