On G List of Movie Reviews

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Gabriel Over the White House (1933)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 2/21

GabrielWH
2/21: Yep, Gabriel Over the White House is one of the all-time great political fantasy pictures made.

It's like Dave but within the same person. What transpired in the film either has happened or will happen. A big fan of what's a hit piece against Herbert Hoover, FDR took advantage of many elements that would be part of his New Deal package. The warning at the end of what to expect with nuclear weapons was demonstrated twelve years later in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Most of President Hammond's views were expressed by William Randolph Hearst, the subject of pseudo-biopic Citizen Kane. Subtly, they smack of fascist dictatorship. Although the intentions are well-meaning, they'll backfire because of numerous gray areas. This type of rule didn't work in Germany, Italy, and Russia, leading to the horrible ruin of each country. Yet the message struck a chord for many people; hence, the film was a big box-office hit in 1933.

Back to Walter Huston, he's brilliant. For years, the actor thought he was wasting his time with inferior films and thus wanted meaty roles. He finally got his wish after being handed the script for Gabriel Over the White House, causing his career to take off. As a result, Walter Huston earned four Oscar nominations with a single win which went for his supporting role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

There are also great performances by Karen Morley and Franchot Tone. The costumes are nice, and the film moves briskly well with plenty of food for thought. It's like the philosophical The Day the Earth Stood Still which is about the restoration of balance in social order by correcting the obvious ills that were borne out of corruption. The name "Gabriel" in the title is to signify that the change in government had been approved by God.

All in all, Gabriel Over the White House will continue to stand the test of time.