[gambit]

Andy Griffith made this movie work, and that surprised me. I did not expect him to be so energetic, charming, and controlling in that country bumpkin sort of way. That and he was, like b.miller said, an asshole, which added about a dozen more layers to his character. Unlike the other 1957 movie we watched, this one held my attention better and works better today, I think. I liked some of the scenes here, especially where Rhodes, at the end, was ranting and raving to the applause machine and all we see is his shadow.

But a few things bugged me. First off, Rhodes invents an applause machine? I'm assuming they meant he paid someone to make it, but the way they said it in the film, he made it himself. Second, I know Rhodes is an influential guy and all, but I don't buy that he could make so many groups of people do whatever he wants after one or two radio/tv shows. It just doesn't work. And maybe this is just my modern movie tastes, I didn't like the fades at the end of many of the scenes. It's probably the method back in the day, but I don't care for it.

Otherwise, thumbs up.