The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947)

The Senator Was Indiscreet might have been a better film had it been written, rather than directed, by George S. Kaufman. Kaufman had an incisive wit, which would have given this political satire a bit more bite and personality. Not that Senator is without its funny moments; there are quite a few, some drawn from some decent wordplay and verbal sparring, others from the expert comic pomposity of William Powell, as well as a sterling supporting cast. But the targets of the satire are a bit unfocused, possibly because the filmmakers were a bit hesitant to bite the governmental hand in a more specific manner at the time. In addition, Kaufman is not, on the evidence of this movie, a natural film director. Although his pacing is generally snappy, there's not enough invention or imagination in his approach, and visually the film is fairly undistinguished. Fortunately, Powell and friends help to make up for deficiencies in the writing and direction with the star's combination of stuffiness and imbecility wringing out quite a few laughs. Peter Lind Hayes is a trifle weak as the press agent, but Ella Raines, looking quite beautiful, is solid as his inamorata, and such able players as Hans Conried, Charles D. Brown, and Allen Jenkins add to the fun. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide