THE FBI STORY (1959) is a product of its time, as conservative a movie made in the 1950s or any other decade. The FBI is portrayed as the finest friend the American citizen has, fighting against the Ku Klux Klan, those who would defraud Native Americans, gangsters, Nazis and, of course, Communists. I'm no expert on American crime, but I know the FBI was hardly the halo-wearing bureau as presented here.
Alas, while THE FBI
STORY is not one of Jimmy Stewart's most memorable films, it does
utilize many aspects of the famed Stewart persona, and provides a
preview of his “befuddled” father character he would play in the
upcoming decade.
With Stewart's FBI
special agent Chip Hardesty character guiding us through many of the
most memorable crimes and outlaws of the 20th century,
there's a little something for every Jimmy Stewart fan.
You want Stewart as an
upstanding lawman upholding American values? You got it here.
You like seeing Jimmy
Stewart out west? Then you will likely enjoy a segment with Hardesty
in Oklahoma investigating the murders of members of the Osage Indians
and a plot to steal their oil-rich land. While the calendar says
1920s, it may as well be Stewart in the Old West, what with crooked
bankers and shady lawyers.
Others may enjoy
watching Stewart as family man. The family scenes get lots of footage
with wife Vera Miles sometimes resentful, but ultimately accepting,
of her husband's job and the responsibilities that come with it.
The casting of Miles is
interesting because it gives us a what-if idea of what their scenes
in VERTIGO (1958) would look like if Miles hadn't gotten pregnant and
been replaced by Kim Novak. There's a scene involving a family crisis
with close-ups of Stewart comforting Miles and one can't help but
think of VERTIGO's many memorable close-ups.
It may be one of the
most fortuitous pregnancies in movie history because as much as I
try, I can't see Vera Miles as Madeline (or Judy). Because THE FBI
STORY came one year after VERTIGO, I think it's easier to imagine the
VERTIGO possibilities than the other Stewart-Miles pairing in THE MAN
WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962), glamor-wise the complete antithesis
of VERTIGO. (I find Novak so perfectly cast I can't imagine anyone
else in the role.)
Stewart's scenes as the
father trying to connect with his children look ahead to his father
roles in such family friendly fare as TAKE HER SHE' S MINE (1963),
MR. HOBBS TAKES A VACATION (1962) and DEAR BRIGITTE (1965).
Personally, this is my least favorite Stewart persona, though I do
enjoy the Mr. Hobbs film. The family scenes are the worst part of THE
FBI STORY and help make the film an almost unendurable 149 minutes
long.
They also provide what
is, for me, the most painful scene in Stewart's career, where Chip
Hardesty, who has fought every type of villain under the sun, throws
a hissy fit because one of his kids used all the tissue paper to make
an angel costume for the school's Christmas pageant. Hardesty mopes,
yells and complains and its embarrassing to watch. The scene seems to
go on forever and it took awhile for me to re-adjust my sympathy back
to the Chip Hardesty character.
THE FBI STORY was
directed by Mervyn LeRoy, and, alas, his best days were behind him.
I'm not going to knock LeRoy, who directed several favorite films of
mine, including two 1930s classics, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG
(1932) and GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933. Equal parts scrappy, biting and
perceptive, these movies capture the 1930s as well as any documentary
could, while being supremely entertaining. But none of the pep of
these movies can be found in THE FBI STORY. A lumbering script, based
on a best-selling 1956 novel by Don Whitehead doesn't help, but I'm
not blaming LeRoy. He had less freedom on the film then any he did in
his career, what with being under the steely glare of FBI Director J.
Edgar Hoover for the length of the production.
According to “Official
and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover” by Anthony
Summers (G.P. Putnams Sons, 1993), Hoover cultivated Jack Warner for
years. Agents would greet Warner at airports and arranged quick exits
through the airport. If any studio was going to produce a love letter
to the FBI, it was Warner Bros. Hoover provided THE FBI STORY with
two special agents as technical advisors on government expense and
five additional agents appeared in the film as agents. I'm guessing
that in this case, technical advisors equals spies.
(The Warner Bros. TV
series, THE FBI was also produced under close scrutiny by the agency.
Hoover read all the scripts and an agent was on the set at all times
to ensure proper procedures were shown, scripts were never deviated
from and the bureau was always shown in the most positive light.)
Hoover could not have
been more pleased with the film. He wrote to director LeRoy:
“Dear Mervyn: As I
told you yesterday, words cannot express my complete delight at
seeing THE FBI STORY. I felt certain the picture would be a great
credit to the FBI but what I saw and heard was beyond my greatest
expectations. Your treatment of the development and growth of our
bureau, interwoven with a warm family story, will have a great impact
on the American public. It was down with great warmth, humility and
dignity...It can be truly be said you are one of us.”
According to
“Puppetmaster: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover” by Richard
Hack (New Millennium Press, 2004), Hoover received $50,000 in
unreported income for his services on the film as a technical
consultant. No wonder he loved the film so much.
I've always thought THE
FBI STORY came about due to the enormous success of THE UNTOUCHABLES
television show, but that show premiered in 1959 as well. There
seemed to be some sort of nostalgia boom in the late 1950s and early
1960s for the 1920s, especially its lawless years.
While THE FBI STORY
shows the bureau tracking down Pretty Boy Floyd, Ma Barker, John
Dillinger and Machine Gun Kelly, each of these famous characters, and
others, received their own movies. Mickey Rooney shot up the screen
as BABY FACE NELSON (1957), Rod Steiger was a memorable AL CAPONE
(1959), Charles Bronson was a violent MACHINE GUN KELLY (1958),
Lurene Tuttle scowled her way through MA BARKER'S KILLER BROOD
(1960), Dorothy Provine was no Faye Dunaway in THE BONNIE PARKER
STORY (1958), John Ericson played PRETTY BOY FLOYD (1960), and Ray
Danton impressed in THE RISE AND FALL OF LEGS DIAMOND (1960). Even
Robert Taylor got into the act as a 1920s gangland lawyer in the
superb PARTY GIRL (1958). And of course, we can't forget Josephine
and Daphne hiding from gangsters in SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959).
Sociologists more
familiar than me with this fascination with the 1920s could provide a
better explanation than me. Most of the above are of the B movie
variety and have much more energy and zip than the often lethargic,
though higher budget, THE FBI STORY.
But for its use of many
facets of past Jimmy Stewart characterizations, and the first of his
father vs. the generation gap characterizations, THE FBI STORY is
worth watching for the Stewart admirer.
This post is part of
the James Stewart Blogathon hosted by the Classic Film & TV Cafe.
You can view the complete blogathon schedule here:
http://www.classicfilmtvcafe.com/2014/03/announcing-james-stewart-blogathon.html)
Lots of great films to
be covered by a lot of terrific writers. It's going to be a great
week.
12 comments:
I have not seen this film, but it sounds interesting to me...kind of like a collage of a bunch of different stories, as the FBI agent's long career is brought to life.
It's always fun to learn of others who might have taken on a role. For the most part, the person who actually played the part is the only one we can ever imagine playing it. Rarely do we wish the "first choice" had gotten the role. So I'm sure your thought about preferring Kim Novak to Vera Miles is quite universal. As for this gal...I have no thought on the subject, because I have never seen "Vertigo." (Shocking, I know, but true.)
I remember seeing "The FBI Story" once as a kid. It seemed to take the whole Sunday afternoon to get through it, including commercials. I've never had the gumption to try to tackle it again. Jimmy or no Jimmy.
Funny thing, my sister and I were speaking about "Vertigo" this morning and how much we admire Kim Novak in that picture. The more often I see the film the more far-fetched it seems to imagine anyone else in her roles.
Kevin, I must agree with you about THE F.B.I. STORY being rather like, as you put it so well, "kind of like a collage of a bunch of different stories." Vera Miles is an excellent actress, but I think her part pretty much amounts to being the worried wife, but hey, a gal's gotta eat! I do like her in Psycho and and The Wrong Man (not a happy film, but her performance moved me to tears) and I found her quite delightful in William Castle's nutzoid horror-comedy THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, as well as Henry Hathaway's thriller 23 PACES TO BAKER STREET. Great job, Kevin, and best wishes to you and yours!
Hi Patti: There's sometimes I can first choice people in a role. I can picture Anita Louise as Marian in THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. She would have been fine in the role, but no Olivia. But I can see why they would consider her. I like Vera Miles just fine, but I can't picture her in VERTIGO. But Hitchcock must have something in her, because he really wanted her for the role.
CW, I remember THE FBI STORY from my youth with some fondness, and my liking of period gangster movies helped my decision to pick it for the Stewart blogathon. But I'm older and wiser now, and it was a tough slog for me this time.
Dorian, "kind of like a collage of a bunch of different stories"? Good Lord, that's a lot of prepositional phrases. I'm usually better than that and was a asleep at the switch when editing that paragraph. Yikes. I need to see the Castle and Hathaway films. I like her in Liberty Valance quite a bit too. All the best to you, too and everyone at the HQ.
I like your analysis of this film, which I've not seen, but probably would take a crack at it just for the various aspects -- maybe even including the embarrassing scene--you described. Your mention of the Vera Miles matchup and how this film might help us to imagine their paring in VERTIGO was interesting, but I laughed at this: "It may be one of the most fortuitous pregnancies in movie history because as much as I try, I can't see Vera Miles as Madeline (or Judy)."
Great review.
Kevin, I've haven't seen THE FBI STORY in years, but remember enjoying it for the most part. While not one of James Stewart's best, it certainly is an ambitious film as it attempts to cover three-plus decades of the Bureau's history. I don't buy the contention by those who claim it's pure government propaganda. It true that the FBI is portrayed in a positive, sometimes noble, light. However, Stewart's agent buys into Hoover's agenda almost too enthusiastically, even at the expense of his family (he puts himself in harm's way an awful lot!). Stewart is solid in the lead; I don't think the film would work at all without him. That said, I need to watch it again to see what I'd think of the tissue paper scene now! Your excellent review (with references no less) makes for engrossing reading!
Kevin, It's been years since I have seen this but honestly, it sounds as if it was a paid advertisement for Herb Hoover boys. You're right thought, it was a product of its times, when the U.S. was still all white picket fences and mama was in the kitchen. Enjoyed your take on it!
I really like how you pulled the various Stewart screen personas into your post. I "kind of" like The FBI Story, but enjoy some vignettes better than others, while a few leave me twiddling my thumbs hoping the next one is better! You're dead on about the family stuff slowing it down.
Jacqueline, I found the family scenes in THE FBI STORY more than a little bland, which is why I was making the VERTIGO connections in my mind. Obviously not what LeRoy wanted.
Rick, I agree. I can't picture anyone but Stewart in this role. He's always worth watching, even when the material doesn't help him.
John, paid advertisement sounds about right. One can only imagine what the LeRoy of the 1930s could have given us. I'll guess we have to settle for William Keighley's G-MEN, which is one of my favorite gangster films ever.
Cliff, I did enjoy the Indian segment quite a bit. The communism sequence amused me, if only I find these Cold War capers fascinating on a historic level. They're tracking the spies to Yankee Stadium and one of the Commies has the nerve to eat that most All American of foods - a hot dog with mustard. The nerve and what a slap in the face to America.
This is a wonderful review. I think I've only seen the movie once and it seems that a lot of it hasn't stayed with me; likely I was too young to appreciate a lot of it. I love how there's a bit of every kind of 'Stewart' in it, that's something I get with a lot of his movies. I'm not sure if it's because he's so ordinary that he's so easy to relate to, or if there's some kind of Jimmy secret we've never been let in on.
Also, I had COMPLETELY forgotten that Miles was scheduled to play in Vertigo, and I can't imagine her in the role now.
I have to admit that I loved this film when I saw it ages ago. I am not sure I would feel the same now, but I was and am always a Stewart fan, so there you go. Imagine how disappointed I was to learn that Hoover was such a creep.
Girls, thanks for your nice note. Like I said, Hitchcock may have worked his magic with Vera Miles in VERTIGO, but I think Kim Novak is sublime. I liked your comment about a little bit of Jimmy in all his roles. Even when he's playing the most obsessive stalker in movie history in VERTIGO, he's so sincere that the audience's sympathy is with him, even though what he is doing is monstrous.
FlickChick, I hadn't seen THE FBI STORY in years and remember liking it, one of the reasons I picked it for the blogathon. But your tastes change as you get older, and this time I found it a tough slog to get through. Thanks for writing.
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