* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Was Rhodes a basically decent guy beaten down by life who was corrupted by fame and power? Or was he always a horrible person with [[PetTheDog some nice impulses]] whose real character was brought out when he got a platform to express it? There's evidence for both.
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The montage showing the interconnected rise in popularity of Lonesome Rhodes and Vitajex is done in an odd impressionistic style, complete with singing and animation, in contrast to the more naturalistic tone of the rest of the film
* JerkassWoobie: From what little we learn of Lonesome's background, it's clear he had a rotten life up until he became famous. His father was a con artist who walked out on his family when Lonesome was "knee high to a beer barrel", and his mother had a long succession of lovers whom she passed off as Lonesome's uncles, to the point that he seemed to have uncles in every town in Missouri and Arkansas.
* RetroactiveRecognition:
** As Creator/AndyGriffith's name became famous, a film of him mocking the very same warm, household stars he played as became quite notable.
** Barry Mills, the man Joey pitches to General Haynesworth as the next Lonesome Rhodes after Lonesome's downfall, is played by an uncredited Creator/RipTorn in his second feature film role (his first having been as a dentist in Kazan's previous film, ''Film/BabyDoll'').
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film is set in a time when rock-and-roll and television were obviously new national crazes, and when TV programming was mostly produced in New York and was dependably wholesome. Also features numerous cameos by television celebrities of the era.
* ValuesResonance: Let's just say the concept of a narcissist using mass media to manipulate the public never really went away after 1957.
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