Give 'em Hell, Harry! Reviews

This is the filmed version of Whitmore's one-man show that he has toured around the country for many seasons. Truman was a president who grew to meet the challenge of the most important position in the world. Looking back at his presidency through the failure of Johnson, the scandal of Nixon, the incompetence of Ford and Carter, and the imperious terms for Reagan, he is brought to life brilliantly by Whitmore (who did the same as Teddy Roosevelt and Will Rogers) under the guiding hand of director Binder, a TV veteran. Shot at a Seattle theater as two performances craftily edited together, Gallu's script crackles with wit. By the end of the evening, you'll feel that you spent it with a real, live Harry Truman, and that's the best compliment to give this movie. Whitmore is flawless as he jumps, glides, and bounces his way through Truman's life in a spirited display of acting techniques that young thespians would be wise to study. Whitmore earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination, but lost to Jack Nicholson for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.