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John Payne always felt that he delivered his best screen performance in The Boss. Set in the years following WW1, the story concerns a small-town veteran named Matt Brady (John Payne), whose brother, machine politician Tim Brady (Roy Roberts), arranges for Matt to get a cushy government job. When Tim dies, Matt takes over his operation, eventually assuming control of the entire state (which judiciously remains unnamed in the film). Though a successful power broker, Matt is unable to win the woman he loves (Doe Avedon), so he settles for another (Gloria McGhee) whom he treats atrociously. A falling out with his best friend/severest critic Bob Herrick (William Bishop) sets the stage for the ruthless Brady's inevitable downfall. Though all the names were changed to protect the guilty, audiences in 1956 were quick to perceive that the film was a thinly disguised attack on the Pendergast machine of Kansas City, Missouri. Coproduced and cowritten by John Payne,
Original Release
08/22/1956
US Release
08/22/1956
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
William Bishop | Bob Herrick |
Gloria McGehee | Lorry Reed |
Doe Avedon | Elsie Reynolds |
Roy Roberts | Tim Brady |
Rhys Williams | Stanley Millard |
Joe Flynn | Ernie Jackson |
Robin Morse | Johnny Mazia |
William Phipps | Stitch |
Gil Lamb | Henry |
George Lynn | Tom Masterson |
Directors
Writers
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
William Bishop | Bob Herrick |
Gloria McGehee | Lorry Reed |
Doe Avedon | Elsie Reynolds |
Roy Roberts | Tim Brady |
Rhys Williams | Stanley Millard |
Joe Flynn | Ernie Jackson |
Robin Morse | Johnny Mazia |
William Phipps | Stitch |
Gil Lamb | Henry |
George Lynn | Tom Masterson |
Bob Morgan | Hamhead |
Abdullah Abbas | Gambler |
Fred Aldrich | Gunman |
Leon Alton | Parade Spectator |
Gertrude Astor | Woman at Dedication |
James Bacon | James Bacon |
Walter Bacon | Politician |
Danny Borzage | Courtroom Spectator |
Chet Brandenburg | Saloon Patron |
Jack Chefe | Servant |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
John Payne | Producer |
Frank N. Seltzer | Producer |
Walter Seltzer | Producer |