MovieChat Forums > The Candidate (1972) Discussion > Melvyn Douglas is so great in this

Melvyn Douglas is so great in this

posted 10 years ago by old_tv_guy
10 replies | jump to latest

He's a crafty old fart. And he's overjoyed to finally have his idealistic offspring beside him, snout down, at the trough.

[–] nutsberryfarm 9 years ago

he's always great. 'being there' and 'hud': 2 other great perfs.

🚧⚠🚧

[–] practicepiano 8 years ago

I love watching Melvyn Douglas work.

I'd add I Never Sang for my Father and, of course, Ninotchka, to nutsberryfarm's list.

[–] nutsberryfarm 8 years ago

ninotchka is on tonight too! 

🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴

[–] practicepiano 8 years ago

ninotchka is on tonight too!

Yep, and Melvyn Douglas is the connecting link.

I don't know if you've been following it, but TCM is doing their "360 degrees" thing again, where each movie is connected to the next by one actor, with no repeats, for 31 days.

http://31days.tcm.com/

For some, I find guessing the linking person before looking very easy, for some it takes thought, and for some I just give up because I don't know either film very well. Today and tonight were easy ones for me.

They also have a time-limited game you can play. It's been fun.

I also found two glaring errors in the pictures they used -- ooops, TCM!

[–] nutsberryfarm 8 years ago

cool! thank for the info! 

🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴

[–] practicepiano 8 years ago

cool! thank for the info!

You're welcome!

[–] butaneggbert 9 years ago

He was so great through so many generations.

Wish he'd been immortal. He'd still be showing the young'uns how it's done.

[–] TorontoBlueJay 8 years ago

I love when he says to his son "Now you are a politician." Most likely he meant that any ideals the son had were gone.

[–] Enrique-8 7 years ago

He was always remarkable!

Enrique Sanchez

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

I love when he says to his son "Now you are a politician." Most likely he meant that any ideals the son had were gone.

---
My favorite moment in the movie. Son McKay spends the first third of the movie trying to avoid talking about his famous old politician father at all, and openly rejecting his father's kind of political hackery; in the second third, they reach accommodation; in the final third, the dad is openly part of the son's campaign and bringing him labor support.

By the end, when young McKay has sold out like he believes his father did...his father can lean in and have the last laugh:

"Son...you're a politician."

And then Douglas slowly bursts into a grin.

I swear its like that moment in the Chuck Jones "Grinch" when the Grinch's thoughtful face slowly shifts into an every scarier leer...

PS. To see Douglas in a nicer version of the same role , try him in "Hotel" as the father figure to hotel manager Rod Taylor.