Gabriel Over the White House (1933)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Expected more

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is downright scary %$#@ in light of the results of the 2016 Presidential Election. It lurched around, swinging left and right, and it ended up so far right it fell over. Franchot Tone is charming here; you can see why the ladies were fighting over him. Karen Morley is lovely and effective, and Walter Huston is presidential and makes a good transition from intellectual lightweight to wise savior of the world. High production standards, too. It's pre-code, but lots of 1930s hokiness here, too.I still have the shakes after the election results, and I probably should have watched some lightweight distraction rather than this.

This film has caused many divided opinions over the years and continues to do so to this day. An industry insider introduced me to this curio, as a film made at MGM while Louis B. Mayor was on Vacation. His stand-in as studio production exec (and writer) at this time was: Cary Wilson (also known as narrator of the above average "Miniatures" series of classic shorts from Metro) Both he and the films Producer: Walter Wanger, wanted this film made and knew it had to be done in the absence of Mayor! Wanger at the time was known for intelligent socially provocative works, some may remember him for titles such as: "Scarlet Street" '45 ~ "Joan Of Arc" '48 ~ "I Want To Live" '58. To give 'Gabriel' a quality look, he sort financial backing from media giant, William Randolph Hearst. Rightly or wrongly, this film is often sited as a propaganda piece for Franklin D. Roosevelt, but it seems the film was actually produced in 1932, during the Hoover years - more about that later... At one stage during its basic story (credited to an 'Anonymous' novel) the working class poor stage a mass march on the White House as protest against impossible conditions. This event was based on the infamous march on Washington by returned WW1 vet's seeking their unpaid government bonuses...the rally ended badly when Hoover sent in US troops who, under the lead of General Douglass MacArthur attacked them with tanks and tear gas!Hearst was appalled by this act and made his views known via his publications. He then threw his full media support on contender, Roosevelt's campaign (although his support eventually fell away). The film's story go's on to suggest that perhaps, a fascist state under a benevolent dictator, may offer rational answers to quell some very real social ill's. In the poverty stricken 1930s, with world wide political systems that were not solving the problems of the day (and before the lessons of WW11) it becomes rather easy to see merit for this scenario - - but turn the pages of history back to Rome, and forward to Germany, Italy, etc, etc, it begs the question: who can you trust at the top with this level of power?! -- L.B.Mayor finally found out about this film while attending a preview in California. Much displeased, he held up its release, and many changes were made to the final release. No matter what your political views, or how you choose to interpret the propaganda slant of this movie, it makes one hugely important statement...that if mankind is going to bring about international peace, then it will need an out-of-this-world personality to head a government strong enough to maintain absolute integrity. No mere mortal throughout all of history, has proved to have any of the 'lasting' qualities necessary to achieve this, and as the world has seen time over time (especially today) I doubt any mortal will. The demolition demonstration, with comments regarding the 'monstrous' world wide spending on machines of war ~ vast amounts of massively expensive equipment that all becomes rapidly redundant, are based in logic and admirable.With it's truly impressive long list of committed veteran professionals in front of camera and behind, the film looks and sounds quite superb, and highly recommended to lovers of thoughtful vintage works of high integrity. Thanks to a very good friend, I now have a fine re-mastered Warner Archive DVD to enjoy all over again....KR

I'm not always a big fan of movie remakes, but every once in a while a film comes along that is just screaming out to be remade...and it seems to me that this is one of those films. The primary reason I think that is because the historical perspective that allows this film to make sense is missing. Few Americans today know of the Wilson-era march on Washington by WWI soldiers, as well as a number of other events that helped frame this movie when it was made back in 1933.Other reviews here outline some of the tapestry of the time -- FDR, the New Deal, and William Randolf Hearst -- so I won't go into that pertinent history, but I do recommend that you read one of the historical blurbs about this film BEFORE watching it...that will clear up a lot of confusion about exactly what's going on here. The Wikipedia synopsis of the film does this quite well, as one example.Another problem with this film, was that it is like so many Pre-Code films where production values were not very sophisticated. Here you will see too-long silences where today they might be some background music.This is not to say that this film will not interest movie lovers, but a modern audience may find it a bit stodgy. I enjoyed it because I have long felt that Walter Huston is a much-forgotten fine actor. Most who do recognize him today see him more as a character actor, but he was a true star at one time, and his performances are almost always quite stellar (including here). It's never totally clear in the film whether the President is receiving divine guidance from Gabriel (or God), or not...though it is clearly implied...and certainly has a sinister note to it...but then again, you must consider William Randolph Hearst's influence here. Spooky!

This in an interesting parable that is not well understood by those who refuse to read history. There is no such thing as a truly conservative fascist because us small government types do not want control. Rather the dream of ultimate power is the dream of the left. Hey guys, Nazi means National Socialist, not Republican and if ever we have reason to fear the appetite of the left for power it is now. in the world of the left, all is either prohibited or mandatory, the only thing you have a choice over is the flavor of the koolade you get to guzzle. Be afraid of the smiley faced fascists on the left. They are the ones we should fear.