Behind the scenes of "The Best Man"
Released in 1964, The Best Man is an American political drama that offers a gripping insight into the intrigues of a national party convention. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on a screenplay by Gore Vidal — based on his own successful Broadway play — the film features a stellar cast, including Henry Fonda as the liberal William Russell and Cliff Robertson as the unscrupulous Joe Cantwell. The realistic portrayal of dirty politics earned the film not only positive reviews, but also Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for supporting actors Lee Tracy and Ann Sothern.
Mahalia Jackson's special performance
The legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson has a special moment in this political drama. She played one of only four roles in her career in this film. Mahalia Jackson traveled to California in February 1964 to rehearse and record her part in the luxurious Ambassador Hotel.
During filming, a memorable event occurred that was unfortunately missed by the cameras: when Harry Belafonte hugged Mahalia, an "organized chaos" broke out among the several hundred extras. This spontaneous, screaming chaos was described as the "best scene" in the film, but it could not be captured on camera.
There were conflicting reports regarding their specific role.
One source describes it as a cameo singing role, while another incorrectly referred to it as "suicide." Given that Mahalia Jackson's film roles have often been misinterpreted in the past — such as her role in "Imitation of Life," which was mistakenly portrayed as a "mammy" caricature, even though it was a song performed at a funeral — the description of a cameo singing role is clearly the correct one.
Her brief but impressive appearance not only underscored her importance in American culture, but also added a special musical touch to the film.
©Thilo Plaesser
