Middle-aged widow Hattie Burns becomes fed up when local small-town politicians ignore corruption and decides to run for mayor herself.Middle-aged widow Hattie Burns becomes fed up when local small-town politicians ignore corruption and decides to run for mayor herself.Middle-aged widow Hattie Burns becomes fed up when local small-town politicians ignore corruption and decides to run for mayor herself.
Roscoe Ates
- Peter Higgins
- (as Rosco Ates)
Frankie Bailey
- Extra
- (uncredited)
Nick Copeland
- Henchman
- (uncredited)
Claire Du Brey
- Rally Leader
- (uncredited)
Robert Dudley
- Husband Getting Haircut
- (uncredited)
Ann Dvorak
- Rally Audience Extra
- (uncredited)
Dorothy Granger
- Newlywed
- (uncredited)
Henry Hall
- Police Sergeant
- (uncredited)
DeWitt Jennings
- Police Chief
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMarie Dressler as a matter of fact, in real life, was in the famous Red Strike of 1919, when millions of people were in strike, the stage actors also joined and like the strike on this movie, the stage actors with the help of musicians won.She can be seen in a documentary about Broadawy hosted by Julie Andrews. Check on YouTube.
- Quotes
Hattie Burns: You must be pretty proud of yourself, breaking up our meeting like that.
Peter Higgins: After that, you couldn't run for a streetcar!
- Crazy creditsThis story is dedicated to women - who have been fighting for their rights ever since Adam and Eve started the loose-leaf system.
- ConnectionsReferences The Stolen Jools (1931)
- SoundtracksA Bird in a Gilded Cage
(1900) (uncredited)
Music by Harry von Tilzer
Lyrics by Arthur J. Lamb
Sung a cappella by Marie Dressler as she plucks a chicken
Featured review
Lysistrata Redux
This sprightly programmer, starring Marie Dressler, transforms the story to modern politics ca. 1931. Dressler and the women are anxious to close the speakeasies -- this was made during Prohibition. There is a strong cast of women, including Polly Moran, Joan Marsh and Karen Morley. The men are played by supporting comics, including Roscoe Ates, on whose voice Porky Pig was modeled.
Dressler was an interesting character. A big legitimate stage star, she was one of the leaders of the strike that formed Actor's Equity. By the late 1920s, she was washed up, until screenwriter Frances Marion wrote a role for her, and by 1931, she was MGM's biggest star. Her character was a fat, good-intentioned, foul-mouthed harridan, and she could tread the line between comedy and drama as surefootedly as anyone in the industry.
Charles Reisner directs without much visual flair in this movie. He relies mostly on cuts to move the story along, moving the camera only slightly to maintain composition.
POLITICS is pretty well dated, but it remains a fascinating film, if only for the performance of Miss Dressler.
Dressler was an interesting character. A big legitimate stage star, she was one of the leaders of the strike that formed Actor's Equity. By the late 1920s, she was washed up, until screenwriter Frances Marion wrote a role for her, and by 1931, she was MGM's biggest star. Her character was a fat, good-intentioned, foul-mouthed harridan, and she could tread the line between comedy and drama as surefootedly as anyone in the industry.
Charles Reisner directs without much visual flair in this movie. He relies mostly on cuts to move the story along, moving the camera only slightly to maintain composition.
POLITICS is pretty well dated, but it remains a fascinating film, if only for the performance of Miss Dressler.
helpful•22
- boblipton
- Apr 29, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Hell Bent for Election
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 13 minutes
- Color
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