Elmer Gantry (1960)

Second viewing; the first was on August 5, 1990.

A traveling salesman persuades a group of revivalists to take him in as a preacher, and he becomes an instant sensation.

I cannot think of much to say about this film. I liked it a little less than I had on my previous viewing. Within certain limits, it is a correct film, which exposes some social phenomena of America in the 1920s. The title character is an interesting one, and I think the film does a good job of portraying him with his many dimensions. But some of the dramatic developments are simply not convincing enough, particularly the episode with the prostitute, and other ones are a bit dull or too caricatural. I guess the revival ceremonies are the highlights of the movie, and some are quite well done. The "good cop, bad cop" reference was a smart insight about Christianism.

Rating: 67 (down from 88)