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Last week's Movie Quiz winners, and a happy 80th birthday to Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal himself has said that The Best Man is the only time a work of his was turned into a really good movie. Most of the other adaptations of his scripts and novels were disasters: Myra Breckinridge, Visit to a Small Planet with Jerry Lewis, and Caligula, just to name three. For The Best Man, however, Vidal was in control, picking the actors and director. (GV and Frank Capra have funny, mutually belittling recollections in their autobios about their one and only meeting.) He even gave himself an acting job in it, a momentary walk-through as a Congressman, and come to think of it, it may be his finest performance, too. (Gattica-- ouch!)

The Best Man will probably always be the best movie ever made about a presidential primary. Vidal claims that the liberal character played by Henry Fonda was not Adlai Stevenson and Cliff Robertson's steely right-winger was equally not Richard Nixon. And Wayne Palmer brings up how odd it is to have two such extreme politcal opposites in the same party. The political dirty tricks that develop as the race goes on are surprisingly dirty for a movie released in 1964-- the allusions to gay sex in the military must have gotten some pretty shocked gasps in most theaters.

So congratulations to the following winners: Vince Tuss, Hank Parmer, Wayne Palmer, Steve Perry, Mark Gisleson, and E. Yarber.

Since we can't give Mr. Vidal anything for his birthday, instead here's something for his fans: audio of the Vidal-Buckley blowout on ABC in 1968. The most explosive minute or so has been around for awhile, but this is a longer clip which puts the scuffle in context. It is not for casual listening-- it goes on for over 10 minutes, and you'll be amazed how long they allow both men to talk on network TV-- but it is well worth hearing. Old Gore really lets him have it.

Happy birthday, Mr. Vidal!

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 3, 2005 4:23 AM

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