Customer Reviews

Life and Assassination of the Kingfish, The (1977) [VHS]

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LIFE AND ASSASSINATION OF THE KINGFISH (1977)
directed by Robert E Collins
approx. 1 hour 37 minutes

This is a somewhat romantic telling of the life of Huey P Long. Ed Asner stars as the controversial Louisiana politician.

The movie starts out with Long in the hospital following the shooting in the state capitol. He is visited by his wife, his brother and his associates who all try to see what condition he is in. Those nearest to the kingfish remember various events in his career, which are shown in flashback sequences. Included are his campaigns, his clashes with rivals and his speeches while in office. A yankee reporter arrives on the scene trying to understand the people's attachment to Long and the facts about his death. We also see the somewhat acrimonious relationship between Huey and his brother Earl, who was later elected Governor as well. Of course we are made to wonder whether Huey could've fulfilled his dream to become President of the United States.

The movie is enjoyable and Ed Asner is great. The theme song "Kingfish" is written and performed by Randy Newman. The only criticism I have is that Long is mostly shown as an angel, whereas part of what makes him a compelling figure is that he could be also be ruthless and deceptive. My interpretation is that since the movie is told in flashback by those closest to him, what we are seeing here is their own subjective memories of Huey at his best. With that said, this movie is still more complete than the 1995 movie KINGFISH. I don't think either one of them has been released on DVD yet.