History Theatre / StateOfTheUnion

Originally a 1945 stage play written by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay, ''State of the Union'' was adapted into a 1948 feature film by Creator/FrankCapra (the second and last film he directed for Liberty Films), starring Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/KatharineHepburn, and Van Johnson.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: A latter-day viewer may wonder why Conover is so monomaniacal about gaining the support of party power-brokers and is contemptuous of Grant's support with voters. The answer is that in those days, as had been the case throughout history and would still be true for a couple more decades, the party nominating process was controlled by power brokers. Party primaries did exist but in RealLife they were mostly beauty contests, and candidates were nominated by people controlling blocks of delegates at conventions, as suggested in this movie.

* SkunkStripe: Kay, the villain of the piece who is both corrupting Matthews politically and trying to take him away from Mary, has the standard white stripe in her hair.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Mary calls Kay a bitch.
--> "I think Kay would be more comfortable in a kennel."

Grant Matthews (Tracy) is an industrialist with an aircraft manufacturing business. His lover, newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke (Creator/AngelaLansbury), convinces him to run for the Republican nomination for President. While Thorndyke and her political guru Jim Conover (Adolphe Menjou) are initally nervous about just how Matthews' semi-estranged wife Mary (Hepburn) is going to react, Mary proves surprisingly enthusiastic about Grant's campaign, and grows even more so when Grant comes out shooting from the hip on the campaign trail, telling hard truths to labor interests and capital interests and whoever else will listen. This proves wildly popular with the common folk, but Conover and Thorndyke, who are worried about getting the nomination for Grant at the Republican convention, wind up convincing him to cast his principles aside and make a series of sleazy backdoor promises in order to win the nomination and the White House.

[[quoteright:287:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sotu1948.jpg]]

''State of the Union'' was originally a 1945 stage play written by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay. In 1948 it was adapted into a feature film by Creator/FrankCapra, the second and last film he directed for Liberty Films, starring Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/KatharineHepburn, and Van Johnson.

Grant Matthews (Tracy) is an industrialist with an aircraft manufacturing business. His lover, newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke (Creator/AngelaLansbury), convinces him to run for the Republican nomination for President. Thorndyke and her political guru Jim Conover (Adolphe Menjou) are initally nervous about how Matthews' semi-estranged wife Mary (Hepburn) is going to react. Mary proves surprisingly enthusiastic about Grant's campaign, and she grows even more so when Grant comes out shooting from the hip on the campaign trail, telling hard truths to labor interests and capital interests and whoever else will listen. This proves wildly popular with the common folk, but Conover and Thorndyke, who are worried about getting the nomination for Grant at the Republican convention, wind up convincing him to cast his principles aside and make a series of sleazy backdoor promises in order to win the nomination and the White House.

* YourCheatingHeart: Grant has been carrying on an affair with Kay for some time.

* DrinkOrder: Spike tells the Matthews' butler what drinks should be served: Judge Alexander (a Southerner) will "probably stick to straight bourbon"; his LadyDrunk wife requests Sazeracs and a lot of them.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: A latter-day viewer may wonder why Conover is so monomaniacal about gaining the support of party power-brokers and is contemptuous of Grant's support with voters. The answer is at in those days, as had been the case throughout history and would still be true for a couple more decades, the party nominating process was controlled by power brokers. Party primaries did exist but in RealLife candidates really were nominated by people controlling blocks of delegates at conventions.

* YourCheatingHeart: Grant has been carrying on an affair with Kay for some time.

''State of the Union'' was originally a 1945 stage play written by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay. In 1948 it was adapted into a feature film by Creator/FrankCapra, the second and last film he directed for Liberty Films, starring Creator/SpencerTracy and Creator/KatharineHepburn and Creator/VanJohnson.

Grant Matthews is an industrialist with an aircraft manufacturing business. His lover, newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke convinces him to run for the Republican nomination for President. Thorndyke and her political guru Jim Conover are initally nervous about how Matthews' semi-estranged wife Mary is going to react. Mary proves surprisingly enthusiastic about Grant's campaign, and she grows even more so when Grant comes out shooting from the hip on the campaign trail, telling hard truths to labor interests and capital interests and whoever else will listen. This proves wildly popular with the common folk, but Conover and Thorndyke, who are worried about getting the nomination for Grant at the Republican convention, wind up convincing him to cast his principles aside and make a series of sleazy backdoor promises in order to win the nomination and the White House.

''State of the Union'' was originally a 1945 stage play written by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay. In 1948 it was adapted into a feature film by Creator/FrankCapra, the second and last film he directed for Republic Pictures, starring Creator/SpencerTracy and Creator/KatharineHepburn and Creator/VanJohnson.

Grant Matthews (Tracy) is an industrialist with an aircraft manufacturing business. His lover, newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke (Lansbury) convinces him to run for the Republican nomination for President. Thorndyke and her political guru Jim Conover are initally nervous about how Matthews' semi-estranged wife Mary (Hepburn) is going to react. Mary proves surprisingly enthusiastic about Grant's campaign, and she grows even more so when Grant comes out shooting from the hip on the campaign trail, telling hard truths to labor interests and capital interests and whoever else will listen. This proves wildly popular with the common folk, but Conover and Thorndyke, who are worried about getting the nomination for Grant at the Republican convention, wind up convincing him to cast his principles aside and make a series of sleazy backdoor promises in order to win the nomination and the White House.

'''''State of the Union''''' was originally a 1945 stage play written by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay. In 1948 it was adapted into a feature film directed by Creator/FrankCapra, starring Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/KatharineHepburn, and Creator/AngelaLansbury.

* VicePresidentWho: An irritated Mary forces Grant to sleep on the floor, but not before sarcastically saying "Good night, Mr. President." The play's Act One ends on that line, but in the movie, Grant shoots back with "You mean Mr. Vice President, don't you?"

* VicePresidentWho: An irritated Mary forces Grant to sleep on the floor, but not before sarcastically saying "Good night, Mr. President." Grant shoots back with "You mean Mr. Vice President, don't you?"

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Conver's maid Norah (played by Margaret "[[Film/TheWizardOfOz Wicked Witch of the West]]" Hamilton) keeps casting moony glances at Spike, much to Spike's horror.

-> "You politicians have stayed professionals only because the voters have remained amateurs."

''State of the Union'' was originally a 1945 stage play written by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay. In 1948 it was adapted into a feature film directed by Creator/FrankCapra, starring Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/KatharineHepburn, and Creator/AngelaLansbury.

* TheDiseaseThatWillNotBeNamed: In the opening scene where Kay meets her dying father, he talks about something "eatin' my guts away", and he says a little bit later that he can't stand the pain anymore. The word "cancer" is not mentioned.