Drama

The Great Man

- Everybody loved the Great Man except those who hated his guts!

Joe Harris, preparing a eulogy for popular radio commentator Herb Fuller, finds that nobody has a good word to say about him.

Release Date : 1956-12-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal International Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Great Man

Cast

Character Name : Joe Harris

Original Name : José Ferrer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Philip Carleton

Original Name : Dean Jagger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sid Moore

Original Name : Keenan Wynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carol Larson

Original Name : Julie London

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ginny

Original Name : Joanne Gilbert

Gender : Female

Character Name : Paul Beaseley

Original Name : Ed Wynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nick Cellantano

Original Name : Jim Backus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eddie Brand

Original Name : Russ Morgan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. O'Conner (as Edward C. Platt)

Original Name : Edward Platt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mike Jackson

Original Name : Robert Foulk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Harry Connors

Original Name : Lyle Talbot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charley Carruthers

Original Name : Vinton Hayworth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Rieber

Original Name : Henny Backus

Gender : Female

Character Name : Receptionist

Original Name : Vikki Dougan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mailboy

Original Name : Robert Schwartz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mary Browne

Original Name : Janie Alexander

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-07

When national treasure "Fuller" dies, it falls to his erstwhile radio colleague "Joe"(José Ferrer) to put together the traditionally adulatory obituary programme, and so he routinely sets about gathering information and comments from the man's contemporaries. Quite quickly, though, he begins to discover that maybe this man wasn't as pure as the driven snow after all. Indeed, though people don't wish to speak ill of the dead to a microphone, there are soon no shortage of detractors assessing his character and posing quite a quandary for "Joe". Meantime, there's some internal politicking going at the station as his boss (Dean Jagger) sort of promises him the man's shoes if he delivers a positive, glowing, hour of tribute so "Joe" has to choose. Does he go with the flow or does he expose the man? Ferrer delivers competently enough here and the story is one that resonates quite potently across a society that never really feels comfortable being unkind to the dead - however fake their façade they'd presented. It all comes to an head using a conversation between "Joe" and "Beaseley" (Ed Wynn) who delivers us the best, most insightful, ten minutes of the film and poses some interesting questions about where we might draw our own lines. When it comes to the broadcast, what will "Joe" do?