Product Details

• Actors: Broderick Crawford, James Wainwright, Michael Parks, José Ferrer, Celeste Holm
• Directors: Larry Cohen
• Writers: Larry Cohen
• Producers: Larry Cohen, Arthur Mandelberg, Janelle Webb
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: MGM/UA Video
• VHS Release Date: February 20, 2001
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000059ZXS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,794 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fact and Fiction Mixed--But Closer to Truth Than Most, February 14, 2002

By 

Lee A.Hardison,III (Germantown, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (Amazon.com Exclusive) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie is informative with fiction added.The suspense of the movie is portrayed by the facts presented. It's the closest thing to what is likely the truth about J.Edgar Hoover's life you'll find---especially given the onslaught of one-sided written and movie attacks on one (Hoover) who gave a great deal more than most to the country he loved. While many did their best to destroy Hoover's reputation in the aftermath of his death,here,Broderick Crawford portrays Hoover as a great American but human--with his own skeletons in the closet (no pun intended) and who made his share of mistakes. The movie also touches on the lives of other great Americans--John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. One sees that they,just as Hoover,were human,made mistakes and had their skeletons just as we all do. (See the movie's version of the Kennedys and Marilyn Monroe). Although much of what we would like to know went to their graves with Hoover,King,the Kennedys and others,this movie is,in many respects,the closest to the truth about Hoover and,to a lesser extent,the Kennedys and King that's been attempted. It will probably anger all who see it,whatever their political slant,to some extent at least,and that fact alone points to the best reason to get this movie and watch it with an open mind.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Life Of America's First Top Cop, March 4, 2001

By 

Jay Fenton (Washington, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (Amazon.com Exclusive) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Casting Broderick Crawford as Hoover was a stroke of genius on the part of the casting director of this film. He's perfect for the part. He brings out the gruffness and arrogance of the character, while simultaneously showing the insecure, low self-esteem inner man that Hoover is portrayed as being.

We see him first as a young idealist, working in the Justice Department, wanting to protect the legal rights of immigrants and fighting the internal corruption of the FBI in the 1920's. Then he becomes the "Top Cop" of the nation and a publicity seeker with the help of Walter Winchell. And finally as an old man jeolously guarding his power and firmly entrenched in the political system. But more importantly, we see the dual nature of his morality: on the one hand, his fastidious approach to sexuality and his ego crushing sensitivity to his own unattractiveness; and on the other hand, his sessions-------bottle in hand--------listening to the sexual encounters on FBI surveillance tapes.

The film is not without humor, however. Look for a scene about disposing of a fly in Hoover's office.

In some ways, a waxworks of a film with actors looking and sounding like famous political leaders, but more importantly a record------part fact, part fiction------of a very complex man, who's personality and inner demons helped to form the concept of justice in the American public's mind from the 1930's until his death.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Even Handed, October 30, 2011

By 

Martin L (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Private Files Of J. Edgar Hoover (MGM Limited Edition Collection) (DVD)

Talk about absolute power corrupting absolutely. The story of J. Edgar Hoover is the epitome of this saying. Hoover was a young man when he was tabbed to clean up the corrupt and ineffective "Bureau of Investigation" during the Coolidge Administration. His reforms made the FBI the premier law enforcement organization in the world. But over the years---as he came to accumulate information on many public figures, he became entrenched as head of the Bureau which he considered his personal domain. Some say that he "blackmailed" his way into this position, preying on the moral failings of politicians and entertainment people----all very public people with very private failings. The irony of course (as many now suspect), was that Hoover himself was gay----but his public stance on such an issue was quite different---some say hypocritical.

If there is a signficant professional failing--it was that Hoover refused to believe that there was organized crime- instead, he focused after the war on fighting communism, even to the extent of assuming that Civil Rights groups (including Martin Luther King) were communist front organizations. With the impending new Clint Eastwood movie on Hoover, there is renewed attention on the man's life and more attention will be paid on revisiting his actions.

As far as this film, Broderick Crawford is excellent as Hoover and the story told is surprisingly even handed. It was made only five years after Hoover's death--right on the heels of the Watergate Scandal. But the movie does give due credit to Hoover's accomplishments---as well as his failings.