The Remarkable Andrew is a charming and whimsical fantasy with strong Frank Capra like overtones. A pair of Andrews are involved here, the 7th president of the United States Andrew Jackson played by Brian Donlevy and Andrew Long a city bookkeeper in Shale City, Colorado whose ancestor saved Jackson's life at the Battle Of New Orleans.
William Holden plays Andrew Long who finds a discrepancy in the city books and he resists pressure to whitewash and cover up the discrepancy. For that he's framed to take the fall for the discrepancy.
The ghost of Andrew Jackson comes to pay an old debt which causes a few comical moments for the audience, not for Holden especially with his fiancé Ellen Drew. When Holden is jailed Jackson brings reinforcements with the ghosts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Benjamin Franklin, and Jesse James. Obviously Jesse has talents that can be put to use the others lack and does. And there is poor Private Henry Smith played by Jimmy Conlin who came along for the ride.
The courtroom scene is a classic reminding one so much of Mister Deeds Goes To Town when Gary Cooper's sanity is called into question. Or Jimmy Stewart fighting his expulsion from the Senate is Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.
In fact Bill Holden who said that he admired Spencer Tracy and Fredric March as actors gets to deliver a long Tracy like speech to the court. He did the same kind of speech at the board meeting climax scene in Executive Suite in the next decade. His ghostly friends provide him the ammunition to clear himself.
Directed by Stuart Heisler the script was adopted by Dalton Trumbo of the Hollywood 10 from his own novel. If this was the stuff that got him blacklisted it's a frightening prospect.
The Remarkable Andrew is a real gem among the early films of William Holden.
William Holden plays Andrew Long who finds a discrepancy in the city books and he resists pressure to whitewash and cover up the discrepancy. For that he's framed to take the fall for the discrepancy.
The ghost of Andrew Jackson comes to pay an old debt which causes a few comical moments for the audience, not for Holden especially with his fiancé Ellen Drew. When Holden is jailed Jackson brings reinforcements with the ghosts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, Benjamin Franklin, and Jesse James. Obviously Jesse has talents that can be put to use the others lack and does. And there is poor Private Henry Smith played by Jimmy Conlin who came along for the ride.
The courtroom scene is a classic reminding one so much of Mister Deeds Goes To Town when Gary Cooper's sanity is called into question. Or Jimmy Stewart fighting his expulsion from the Senate is Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.
In fact Bill Holden who said that he admired Spencer Tracy and Fredric March as actors gets to deliver a long Tracy like speech to the court. He did the same kind of speech at the board meeting climax scene in Executive Suite in the next decade. His ghostly friends provide him the ammunition to clear himself.
Directed by Stuart Heisler the script was adopted by Dalton Trumbo of the Hollywood 10 from his own novel. If this was the stuff that got him blacklisted it's a frightening prospect.
The Remarkable Andrew is a real gem among the early films of William Holden.