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The Great McGinty (1940)

★ 7.2Approved80 minDirector: Preston Sturges

1940 film by Preston Sturges

The Great McGinty is a 1940 American political satire comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff and featuring William Demarest and (in her final screen appearance) Muriel Angelus. It was Sturges's first film as a director; he sold the story to Paramount Pictures for just $10 on condition he direct the film. Sturges received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

For the U.K. release, the film was retitled Down Went McGinty, alluding to the 1889 song.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Great McGinty about?
The Great McGinty (1940) — Told in flashback, Depression-era bum Dan McGinty is recruited by the city's political machine to help with vote fraud. His great aptitude for this brings rapid promotion from "the boss," who finally decides he'd be ideal as a new, nominally "reform" mayor; but this candidacy req
Is The Great McGinty based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Great McGinty scary?
Content rating: Approved. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.