trudyr_1999 I had heard about this movie for years and even knew how it ended, but I decided I should finally see it for myself--it was on TCM this past weekend. As a feminist, I was prepared to be offended, but parts of the movie pleasantly surprised me. President Leslie McCloud, well played by Polly Bergen, is a strong, smart woman more than capable of handling the duties of president. And Eli Wallach is very funny as the Castro-like dictator seeking aid for his country. Today the casting of a non-Latino actor in the role wouldn't go over, but Wallach, a gifted character actor, does a good job. The character is a bit stereotypical, but hey, he's a dictator-- we're not supposed to like him. Fred MacMurray's performance is OK--I prefer him cast against type, as in Double Indemnity and The Apartment--but his "first gentleman" character is such a bumbler, until he redeems himself in the congressional hearing, that it's hard to believe he was ever a successful businessman. And Edward Andrews, like Wallach a fine character actor, is excellent as the smarmy senator who had run against McCloud. But the movie finally does a cop-out on the idea of a woman president--she has to resign because she's pregnant! So for most of the film, the script takes the idea of a woman president seriously, and shows Leslie McCloud to be a serious, intelligent, competent one, but in the end biology dictates her destiny. So yes, we needed the women's movement and still do--even in 2016, a lot of Americans wouldn't vote for a woman for president, and don't tell me sexism had nothing to do with it. One more problem: Even though the movie was made at the height of the civil rights movement, the only black character who gets notable screen time is the White House butler.

JLRMovieReviews Polly Bergen has just been elected President of the United States. That makes husband Fred MacMurray first lady. Even though he had his own business, he forgoes that to stay at home and becomes bored with the duties that are usually given to ladies in that position: planning the banquets, what's for supper, guiding the tours, etc. I was afraid this was going to be lame, not funny, and dated. But I was pleasantly surprised to find myself getting into it. It helps that Eli Wallach is given a larger-than-life character as a foreign diplomat asking for financial aid for his country that he misuses. It helps if you like Fred MacMurray. Arlene Dahl is an ex-suitor who still has a yen for Fred. She tries to coax him into bringing his reputation to her business, but he eventually backs out. Even the children have Secret Service following them throughout the day and that has its repercussions. Granted, it has its predictable humor about Fred as "a fish out of water." And, I agree with another reviewer that Rosalind Russell would have been a better choice than Polly Bergen, but, if you like the actors here, then you'll have a pleasant two hours with friends in some extraordinary conditions.

kingarthurup This movie is about far more than the other reviewers would have you believe. There are spoilers here, but simply plot lines that I will not divulge the conclusion to.One particularly incompetent Obama voter equated this movie to a "one joke" pony. In reality, lets get real... Fred Macmurray is wonderful as usual. (Fred can be bouncing on flubber or simply planning the perfect insurance murder, and always issues a command performance).Polly Bergen turns in a strong yet human performance as the hard line president and the jealous wife. The other reviewers never mentioned the many subplots which include: Russian subterfuge including the positional posturing and underhanded maneuvering involved in country building.A foreign president modeled after Castro trying to get money from the United States.First Hubby McCloud slugging the same foreign President in a strip joint and the obvious "press" next morning follow-up.An ex-girlfriend undermining Fred's relationship with the President in several ways including taking advantage of Fred's lack of time with his wife and even offering him a "vice-presidency" in her corporation.A senate Majority leader Walsh (in the style of Dirty Harry Reid) attempts to muscle the president on an important bill, and even issues a subpoena to the first hubby.The son of the President makes a nuisance of himself in school to get attention. Real parenting issues that may exist within the white house are examined.A teenage daughter dating a young rascal named "sneaker" and flaunting the law all over Washington because she is the president's daughter.And an ending sure to anger all liberals... a woman that.... hmmmm can't say... watch the movie!I can go on and on, but suffice it to say that this is not a simple or boring 1 joke movie... In addition, if you are not a liberal democrat homosexual feminist; you will enjoy it too.

tomtac Easily made my list of most insultingly bad movies -- and I have tried to not be a negative guy. But, to put it all in one line, this film doesn't even seem to be an honest treatment of what actually is a good idea, and is a slap in the face of feminism and a slap in the face of the office of the presidency.Even considering that it predates the feminine revolution, it represents the worst of the pre-1968 culture that thought women were silly things that had to stay in the kitchen keeping pots and pans bright and shiny.If you wonder about a female president, read up instead about the presidential campaigns of folks like Patricia Schroeder, Hillary Clinton, or Elizabeth Dole. See "Commander-in-Chief" starring Geena Davis.If, instead, you wonder what it would be like to be First Husband, take a look at the life of Prince Philip, who has already lived this role in real life. Read about a powerful man who marries a princess, and finds himself given a free hand in raising the kids while his wife runs an empire.But you are still thinking of watching this movie? Here are my opinions. I will warn you when the spoilers start.* * * * *"A woman, Polly Bergen, as president?" I asked. "And a macho star like Fred MacMurray as First Lady?" This had all the signs of being a first class 'what-if'.And it could have been. Its first minutes seemed a really good take on "What Would Be Different?" She'd have to clutch her mink coat while taking the oath, she'd have trouble with a couple of bigots at least, and the husband would have some adjusting to do. There is a very nice scene in which the Vice-President commiserates with the First Husband about being on the sidelines.And there is then some really good stuff about "What Would Be The Same?" The Soviets give the new president some grief, and Polly Bergen (a successful businesswoman in real life) proceeds to kick Russian Communist butt -- the Soviets settle down, exactly as if she were Margaret Thatcher, or Golda Meir, or Indira Ghandi. The film seems to think a woman president could be great.But, then ... the writers seem to poop out. They run out of good ideas, and fall back upon really insultingly bad old-style stereotypes. And yes they change their stance, they seem to think a woman president would self-destruct immediately.Spoilers, Warning. As if they said "Oh the girls would really love this" the film dwells more and more on how neat it is to live in the White House with a full staff. Yes, butlers and maids running around with fancy suits and white gloves. A permanent vacation from housework, how could the female audience resist! (But you thought this was a film about democracy and government? So did I. Apparently Hollywood thought the average female would get bored with things like global crises.) The final shot, when the president has to leave the White House after resigning, is of the White House butlers and maids bowing deeply to the camera ... The End.What the ...? "Resigning"? Oh, yeah ... the first female president, according to 1964 Hollywood, would have to resign because she fainted. Yes, the woman fainted. And why did she faint? Because she got pregnant, of course she would faint, wouldn't she? And of course, you can't have a fainting, pregnant president, so she resigns and the butlers and maids bow to her as she leaves.Utterly unbelievable. Nobody becomes president who would willingly resign for such stupid reasons. We had almost two hundred years of government here before a president resigned. And women don't faint and give up when they get pregnant -- some women have had babies in the wild. Governor Jane Swift of Massachusetts went right through labor and had her kid without even turning over the office of governor temporarily.It's insulting even to modern day MEN like myself to think that a female president would pull a Victorian swoon and resign, after spending years of campaigning to cap a life's political career as president to just resign.Look ... I watched this movie because it might have been an interesting speculation about an American 'Queen Victoria'-type, but it turned into a horrible piece of sterotyping that defied belief. Really. It took me a while afterwards to pick my jaw off the floor. Monumental bad taste.