Rob Baldwin David Fillingim HUM 122 Southern Culture Reflection Paper: All The Kings Men All

The Kings Men is a film that is loosely based on the radical, populist real-life Louisiana governor Huey Long. The main character in the film is Willie Stark. In the movie, he begins as a former backwoods hick and stereotypical ideologue. Throughout the movie he morphs into an aggressive and energetic gubernatorial candidate, claiming to represent the little guy in a grand battle against people by whom they feel threatened. His populist rhetoric on the campaign trail helps him rise through the Louisiana political landscape to become governor. In the film we see a vivid depiction of how the populist political tradition Willie embraces is shaped by social class and race. Also, the female characters in the movie did not always seem to fit what one might expect as traditional female gender roles for the era. During the 1930s most single women would have worked for a living in jobs such as a sales clerk, teacher, nurse or secretary. Most women gave up working once they married. These married women would have stayed home to look after the children. The exception would have been poor married women who would have continued to work for economic reasons or women in middle class families who were trying to take advantage of the economic benefits of being a two income household. It appeared that Willie and his wife fit the latter category. However, there did not seem to be any evidence that they led a frantic lifestyle, or that there was any resentment on Willies part that his wife worked. Both of those would have been typical characteristics of a middle class, two income household. The absence of those characteristics could be due in part to the fact that they either had no children or at least they never showed any type of home

relationship in the Stark family. Despite the lack of evidence of a frantic lifestyle and resentment, they did seem destined for a marital breakup. This is a phenomenon that was increasing during this time period versus earlier periods, but for very different reasons. I think they were on their way to breakup primarily because of Willies political distractions and infidelity. The movie failed to make the reasoning clear. The only evidence of a marital problem came from a change in Willies attitude towards his wife throughout the movie. Early in the movie, when Willie was meeting Tiny for the first time, Willie declined Tinys offer for a drink stating that his wife didnt favor drinking. This was clear indication to me that he valued his wife and her opinion. Later in the movie, we see Willie drinking from a flask with Jack out by the pig pen at his Dads house. Jack makes a comment to Willie that he thought his wife didnt take kindly to him drinking. Jack responds he doesnt know much anymore about what his wife likes. That was a clear indication to me that they were no longer close and he had lost a level of respect and reverence for her. Sadie Burke, who we learn late in the movie, is having an affair with Jack, does not fit the typical characteristics of a woman of that era either. While her role is officially Willies secretary, she is really much more. Being a single woman, it would come as no surprise that she is a secretary. However, she is also a tough political power broker behind the scenes. This is a function that women, in the era of this film, would have never performed. It was not until later in the century that middle class folk like her embraced changes to traditional gender roles that would have allowed her to play such a large part in the political influence arena. In short, Willies wife and Sadie Burke were anything but a traditional wife and single woman of that time. Willie, however, was every bit the typical populist politician. There is a scene in the movie where Willie Stark explains to the reporter, Jack Burden, how the contract to build the school ended up going to a higher bidder. He said it was simple; all

the political power brokers had to do was point out the fact that the low bid contractor was using blacks for his labor force and consequently they would be making more money than the whites. That caused people to insist that the school go to the contractor that was not using blacks. Jack went on to explain that despite the fact that he tried to show people the numbers indicating that they were better off with the lower bid contractor, he was shunned. These hicks, as he called them repeatedly in the movie, were hard working middle class people who resented the fact that the black laborers may be earning more income than them. His crusade to point out the corruption, cost him his political position as treasurer, and his wife her job as a teacher. But, he remained optimistic that in time, everyone would see the corruption for what it was and he would be vindicated. This seed that was planted would eventually cause him to grow into a populist politician. Just like Huey Long, Willie Stark wanted to be viewed as a hick to better identify with the working class people. In the most memorable scene in the movie, Willie Stark is giving his first speech without using his prepared remarks. Jack Burden has convinced him that he needs to tell the people of Louisiana why he should be Governor without giving them a bunch of facts and figures. He convinced him to use his passion instead. Stark begins by telling the people at the carnival that he doesnt need to tell them what they need. All they have to do is look at the knees of their pants, their crops and their kids. He said youve got holes, rot and ignorant offspring because of the state. He went on to tell a story that he felt would appeal to people like them, redneck hicks. He told them the story of the corruption that led to the building of the school. It was really a speech that would appeal to poor rednecks. The success of this speech prompted him to change every speech he gave after that. He began to give speeches that would appeal to the lower class that he was speaking to. He constantly referred to them has hicks. He made

constant references to God. The crowds were clearly working class poor. The only people wearing suits in the crowd were Willie and Jack. Everyone else was dressed in overalls, baseball caps and train conductor hats. There were even some blacks in the crowd cheering for him occasionally. There was one speech he gave in front of a large working class crowd. In the background of the crowd you could clearly see the smoke stacks and water tower of a plant or mill. It was visual reinforcement and confirmation that this was a crowd of working class people he was appealing to. In essence, all of his speeches became all about making people feel better about themselves by telling them they were important, ratifying their values, and attacking and scorning people by whom they felt threatened. He eventually won the election by a landslide. However, the same hick characterization that won him the election would lead to the aristocracy treating Willie with disdain. After the gubernatorial election, Jack Burden tells a story about all the people that didnt vote for him. They were all part of the upper class. They consisted of Oil Executives, Supreme Court Justices, and others in the aristocracy. Much the same as it had been for Huey Long, He asserted that none of them would vote for him because his promises to the poor to build roads, bridges and schools were a declaration of war on the rich. The parallels between Huey Long and Willie Stark are striking. They were both viewed as hicks by the upper class, but this same characterization is what made them so appealing to the working and lower class. Neither of them had to resort to blatant racism to win election, yet social class clearly played a huge role in both of their candidacies. The movie did a great job presenting Willies character as a traditional populist, but the roles of the women on the movie were a little off base.