I write this review to complain of the easy and simple comparisons of Cantwell to Nixon. This doesn't fully hold up, as the two competing candidates in the film are from the same party (evidently the Democrats, judging by the other characters). Rather, Cantwell bears several stunning resemblances to Bobby Kennedy, whom Vidal had particularly disparaged in an Esquire article, in which he criticized the Kennedy family in general and Bobby in particular. Vidal was related to President John Kennedy's wife, Jackie. In another article (a review of a book by William Manchester, "Death of a President"), Vidal had called the Kennedys "ruthless and not very lovable after all." The character Cantwell has a very openly cozy and loving relationship with his wife (reminding us of Ethel) and in the film is also known for his several children. More of a clue, he's a former Attorney General who was known for going after the mob and communists, and also a Senator. People forget that Joseph McCarthy was close to the Kennedy family, and had hired Bobby as counsel for his investigative committee (Bobby later resigned due to clashes with McCarthy and Roy Cohn). The characters are clearly composites, but Vidal didn't leave out his antipathy for real politicians, and for RFK in particular. It's not surprising there would also be comparisons to Nixon; Vidal was an equal opportunity critic of politicians and that certainly included Richard Nixon as well.

"The Best Man" is the kind of verbally rich, visually spare docudrama that was released every few years in the late 1950s and early 1960s, most of them signaling their intellectual seriousness with black-and-white cinematography and Henry Fonda. (See "Twelve Angry Men" and "Fail Safe" for other entries in this genre.) And here is Henry again, barely disguised as Adlai Stevenson -- he's a brainy former Secretary of State running for President. As a classic Hollywood leading man, Henry had an honorable career playing various versions of himself. In "The Best Man" he is Flawed But Decent Henry, a charming but depressive liberal stuck in a bad marriage, and he's even more convincing than usual, since this version might be closer to the real man than many of the nobler characters he played. Henry's foil is a wild-eyed, perfectly coiffed Cliff Robertson as a ruthless Senator who is vying for the nomination at the nominating convention of the unnamed party to which they belong. The stars do just fine, but the best performance is given by Lee Tracy (whoever the hell he was) as a dying former president whose folksy, Truman-esque (as in Harry, not Capote) demeanor masks a devious insight into men's characters and psychology. The women in the movie are mainly decorative, as befits a movie called "The Best Man" -- they all wear ridiculous blonde bouffants and dutifully step aside when it's time to talk politics. At least Margaret Leighton, as Fonda's estranged wife, is allowed to some depth, although she's a bit of a stereotypical mid-century neurotic housewife, albeit one with a fairly soft edge.Gore Vidal wrote "The Best Man," and as a film, it's okay . . . genuinely suspenseful, and there's a nice contrast of dialogue between Fonda's glib eloquence, Tracy's homespun sophistry and Robertson's clipped aggressiveness. However, the camera work is bland and the use of stock footage and music is awkward to the point of jarring. As an analysis of American politics in 1964, it's pretty decent . . . Vidal has spent his life around this stuff, so he efficiently but effectively portrays the horse-trading and hypocrisy endemic to the profession. But "The Best Man" is most moving as an elegy. The kind of divided convention depicted in "The Best Man" is impossible today thanks to the Primary system. Also, Vidal is eulogizing the kind of public intellectual that Stevenson epitomized -- the cancer-stricken old President is named "Hockstader" in an apparent homage to the great American political writer Richard Hofstadter, and Henry's closest adviser, played by Kevin McCarthy, sports the bow tie and blazer that symbolize Ivy League credentials. Robertson's simian Senator seems to be the bastard child of John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, a handsome but unscrupulous Red-baiter with a beautiful but stupid wife (Vidal was no fan of Jackie Kennedy, to whom he was related). "The Best Man" captures the brief moment in American politics when it seemed possible that intellect would triumph over populism, a possibility that Vidal realized is unlikely since he's smarter than Aaron Sorkin.

As a party goes into convention to nominate its presidential candidate, two potential nominees with very different approaches go toe to toe, trying to force the other out of the race and claim the prize for himself. Joe Cantwell (played by Cliff Robertson) is a tough as nails senator who's quite willing to get down and dirty and do whatever he has to do to get the nomination. William Russell (played by Henry Fonda) is the Secretary of State; an idealist who hates the rough and tumble of politics and wants to concentrate on issues alone. Cantwell has a medical report identifying Russell as a manic depressive that he's quite willing to release to the delegates. In the meantime, Russell's campaign stumbles upon an accusation that Cantwell is a homosexual but Russell doesn't want to use it. As we watch the political manoeuvring going on, it really isn't clear how this is going to turn out. In the mix is a performance by Lee Tracy as the former president, whose endorsement is considered crucial, who doesn't particularly like Cantwell but who also sees Russell as weak and indecisive.The movie is believable - the backroom feel of the convention seemingly quite authentic. The tension of the political realist vs. the political idealist is also well portrayed, and the ending comes as a surprise. I had thought of various ways the thing could turn out, but the actual result did not come into my mind - perhaps because it didn't strike me as believable once I saw it! Robertson was good in his role, although a bit tame perhaps by modern political standards. Fonda's role was a typical Fonda role - the liberal good guy. (I say that with no disdain at all; it's just stating a fact.) Both characters, though, were more complex than mere caricatures. It was noteworthy that Russell also in his own way represented the hypocrisy so many see in the political game of personal attack - he sells himself as the good guy, and yet his marriage is falling apart because (as the movie implies) of his own infidelities. Meanwhile, Cantwell (the down and dirty political operator) seems to have a solid marriage to which he's faithful. So while - for all his political idealism - Russell is the public good guy, Cantwell - as willing as he is to climb into the political gutter - is the private good guy. These men are more complex than you might think at first glance.In the end I found the resolution to the problem unrealistic. Maybe this is my cynicism about the political process coming out, but it didn't strike me as believable that political idealism could triumph. Yes - it didn't triumph in the expected way, but it still triumphed. Still, it's an interesting movie with a definite feel of authenticity to it.

The funniest thing here is reading the contorted, puzzled attempt to assert that Robertson's character is based on Nixon, but why would "Nixon" be running for the Democratic nomination against "Adlai Stevenson." The reason is that Robertson's character was based on John F. Kennedy (not Nixon) of that close family friend of the Kennedys, Sen. Joe McCarthy.Now, doesn't it make more sense? Jack Kennedy, in the late 1950s, still parroting the line of his old man (who was a Hitler fan), was the coldest warrior ever to seek the White House.Of course, getting his brains blown out has martyred & deified him, but he was once a tough-titty anti-commie.So, if you do a little research, you can find sources that say Joe Cantwell = Jack Kennedy. It's not a perfect match, Just as William Russell is a womanizer where Adlai Stevenson was dogged by degenerate rumors, but JFK was said to be Vidal's inspiration for Cantwell.