The Dark Horse will air on Turner Classic Movies on Wednesday, September 3rd 2008, at 4:45 AM (eastern time - yes, in the middle of the night) during TCM's "American Politics in the Movies" every Wednesday in September. There's some other great films scheduled for those four Wednesday slots.
I hope this movie doesn't qualify as one of those so-called "Rarely seen gems." I say this because I was lucky enough to see it on the Silver Screen during a Bette Davis festival and have wanted to see it again ever since.
However, if the traffic on this board is any indication, (this is the second post here in as many years) it really isn't that well known, which is a pity. Guy Kibbee and Warren William were in at least three films together that I've seen...and they were brilliant in all of them. The Dark Horse is one of those pairings and everyone should see it at least once. I saw The Great McGinty a couple of weeks ago, (and Kibbee and William this past weekend in Gold Diggers of 1933) and was reminded of this film, which has a somewhat similar theme (i.e. an outsider playing the political game with an all-wise ward boss-type pulling strings in the shadows).
Looking around eBay, I don't even see a bootleg DVD, so perhaps TCM really is the only game in town for people who want to see it. Can someone who has seen it elsewhere please post here? Perhaps a European company has released a DVD or something? I'd hate to think that anyone who wants to see it has to wait until TCM gets around to showing it. :(
Watching it now, happily during the afternoon.
A gem for sure. A platinum Bette Davis.
I hope it's shown more often. I love these very early talkies. Can't get enough of them.
Always the officiant, never the bride. http://www.withthiskissitheewed.com
Yup, watching it right now too. Notice the reference to the KKK vote? My jaw almost hit the floor, but I guess in 1932 that was no big deal. Interesting to say the least.
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Damn, I missed that reference. The phone rang and I got distracted.
Attitudes were surely different. At least they didn't say the much repeated phrase, "Free, white, and 21."
Our society isn't perfect, but happily we have evolved a bit.
Always the officiant, never the bride. http://www.withthiskissitheewed.com
Echo in big sky; Don't think we have 'evolved' that much. Warren William, excellent as usual, could pass as a plugger for either the R.I.N.O.s' or the Lunatic Leftists! Taking money without shame today, just as he did back then. Not believing in any cause, but his own.
shareLol, true that.
My remark was in reference to the overt racism which was normally accepted and portrayed in the movies as normal behavior.
But as I said, we aren't perfect.
Always the officiant, never the bride. http://www.withthiskissitheewed.com
Echo in big sky; Understood!
shareDVR'd and the ending was cut off. Thanks again TCM. I really need to start adding minutes when I see the film is listed as the same length (or more) than the taping time. Seen it too many times to count on TCM recently and it always seems to happen on movies they play only once every few years. At least it was only the last minute or so.
Anyway, great part for Kibbee. And McHugh, as always. And Vivienne Osborne. Never heard of her before, but I liked her.
I had the same problem. Did it end in the expected way: Warren William and Bette Davis kiss & Guy Kibbee wins the election?
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