The Great McGinty (1940) in Color — Starring Brian Donlevy & Muriel Angelus

The Great McGinty (1940) – Buy This Classic Political Comedy in Color

Experience the razor-sharp The Great McGinty (1940) in stunning colorized HD. Written and directed by Preston Sturges — his directorial debut — for Paramount Pictures, this brilliantly cynical political comedy stars Brian Donlevy as a tough, streetwise bum who rises from voting fraud to become state governor through the patronage of a corrupt political boss (Akim Tamiroff), only to discover that his one honest act will be his downfall. Muriel Angelus co-stars as the woman whose influence leads McGinty to attempt the fatal experiment of governing honestly. Preston Sturges won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, launching one of the most remarkable directorial careers in Hollywood history. Wickedly funny, politically astute, and as relevant today as it was in 1940, this is American political satire at its sharpest. Now available as a premium digital download for just €15.00 — DRM-free and yours to keep forever.

Plot Summary

Dan McGinty (Brian Donlevy) is a penniless drifter on the streets of an unnamed American city when he is recruited by a political machine to vote repeatedly in an election — standard practice in the corrupt world of urban politics. McGinty attracts the attention of the Boss (Akim Tamiroff), the crime lord who controls the city’s government from behind the scenes, by voting thirty-seven times in a single day — a display of initiative and stamina that impresses even the most cynical operator.

The Boss recognises in McGinty a useful combination of toughness, intelligence, and complete absence of moral scruple. He puts McGinty to work as an enforcer and debt collector, and McGinty’s natural talents propel him upward through the corrupt political hierarchy with remarkable speed. From ward heeler to alderman to mayor to — in the film’s audacious satirical stroke — governor of the state, McGinty rises on a foundation of graft, intimidation, and a finely tuned instinct for telling voters what they want to hear.

The complication arrives in the form of Catherine (Muriel Angelus), the decent, intelligent woman McGinty marries as part of the Boss’s plan to give his candidate a respectable domestic image. To McGinty’s surprise, he genuinely falls in love with his political prop — and Catherine, in turn, challenges him to consider something unprecedented: actually governing honestly. Using his power to help people rather than exploit them.

McGinty’s attempt at reform — building hospitals, schools, and public works instead of funnelling money to the machine — delights the public but infuriates the Boss, who sees honest government as a direct threat to his criminal empire. The conflict between McGinty’s newfound conscience and the machine that created him leads to a spectacular collision between the forces of corruption and the dangerous experiment of honesty — with results that are simultaneously hilarious and devastating.

Cast & Crew

Director: Preston Sturges
Stars: Brian Donlevy, Akim Tamiroff, Muriel Angelus, Allyn Joslyn, William Demarest, Louis Jean Heydt

Brian Donlevy is superb as McGinty — tough, pragmatic, and unexpectedly sympathetic despite his complete lack of moral foundation. Akim Tamiroff nearly steals the film as the Boss, creating a character who is simultaneously terrifying and hilarious — a crime lord with a philosopher’s understanding of human weakness. William Demarest — who would become a fixture of Sturges’s stock company — provides invaluable comic support.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The vibrant world of American political machinery — the smoke-filled back rooms, the bunting-draped campaign rallies, the contrast between the Boss’s opulent headquarters and the poverty of the wards he exploits — gains remarkable visual energy through expert colorization. The patriotic red-white-and-blue of campaign imagery takes on delicious ironic resonance when seen in full colour against the backdrop of corruption. Now also available in colour. Own Preston Sturges’s Oscar-winning directorial debut for just €15.00 — the greatest political comedy ever made.

Historical Significance

The Great McGinty launched the career of Preston Sturges as a writer-director — a career that would produce some of the greatest comedies in American cinema including Sullivan’s Travels, The Lady Eve, and The Palm Beach Story. Sturges’s Oscar for Best Original Screenplay was the first ever awarded in that category. The film’s bracingly cynical view of American democracy — where the machinery of government is openly acknowledged as a system of legalised corruption — was daring for 1940 and remains startlingly relevant. The film established Sturges’s signature style: rapid-fire dialogue, a stock company of brilliant character actors, and a worldview that combined deep cynicism about institutions with genuine affection for flawed human beings. Through colorization, this groundbreaking political satire has been preserved for modern audiences in a vivid new visual presentation.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Yes – professionally colorized from the original black-and-white
• Audio: Original English mono soundtrack
• Runtime: Approximately 82 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes – no restrictions on playback
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this really Preston Sturges’s first film as director?
A: Yes, and it won him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Few directors have debuted with such confidence and brilliance. The film announced Sturges as a major talent and launched one of Hollywood’s greatest creative streaks.

Q: Is the political satire still relevant?
A: Remarkably so. The film’s depiction of political machines, corrupt governance, and the relationship between money and power feels eerily contemporary. Sturges understood that the fundamental dynamics of political corruption are timeless.

Q: How does Akim Tamiroff’s Boss compare to other screen villains?
A: Tamiroff’s Boss is one of cinema’s great comic villains — intelligent, philosophical, and utterly amoral, yet so charming and self-aware that you cannot help but enjoy his company. He steals every scene he appears in.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as a high-quality MP4 file in 720p HD resolution, compatible with all major devices and media players.

Q: Is there DRM on this download?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free, meaning you can watch it on any device without restrictions or expiration dates.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchasing?
A: Your download link is available immediately after payment. You can start watching within minutes of completing your purchase.

Related Colorized Classics

• Quatermass 2 (1957)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
• The Lady Eve (1941)
• The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
• A Face in the Crowd (1957)