Primary (1960)

Just what I expected

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Looking back over 50 years the brief and tragic presidency of John F. Kennedy it has an air of inevitability about it. But in my 13 year at the time there was nothing inevitable about it. The great Kennedy machine as it came to be known flexed its muscles first in the Wisconsin primary in 1960. The traditional first primary of New Hampshire was disregarded that year as it was conceded to New Englander John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Wisconsin which had the oldest of primaries with a mixed population, but next door to JFK's challenger Hubert Humphrey from Minnesota was the real test.Could a Catholic be elected President? That was the issue, the only one nominated by a major party Alfred E. Smith took a shellacking in 1928. However there were lots of differences between Al Smith and Jack Kennedy too numerous to mention. From 1956 to 1960 the wealthy Kennedy family organized a 50 state machine second to none. Poor Humphrey never had a chance.The film without a word of commentary shows the glamorous Kennedys and the excitement around them and Humphrey talking to small knots of people trying to retail votes. When JFK passes his first real test before the voters it's pretty obvious why.Primary is a real must for any student of the period.

Primary (1960) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Historically important documentary covers the 1960 Wisconsin primary featuring Hubert Humphrey going up against John F. Kennedy. Considering what would happen over the next three years, watching this film today is pretty remarkable because you can easily see why Kennedy would eventually become president. Just watching the two candidates work just shows an old school and new school and it's not hard to see why Kennedy would eventually get in the office. It's pretty interesting watching this today because of the fact that Kennedy would be assassinated three years after all of this was shot. It's hard not to see Kennedy and that smile of his and not feel sad because no one could have known what was to follow. Director Robert Drew does a very good job at really being fair to both men as I think the documentary shows both of them in a very good and positive light. I really liked the way the film was shot as the camera is more often than not right up on the men, the people meeting them and this look really makes you feel as if you're right there by these people. There's no question that the visual style of this film would have a major impact on future films including Bob Dylan's DON'T LOOK BACK. Running just under a hour, the film manages to be highly entertaining from start to finish but even more so because we know what the final result was.

Poor Hubert Humphrey. First he lost to John F. Kennedy. Then he lost to Richard Nixon. And finally, Jimmy Carter called him "Hubert Horatio Hornblower" at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. And that was AFTER he was dead — surely the final indignity. This film examines Humphrey's first presidential run, focusing specifically on the April 1960 Democratic primary in Wisconsin, which threatened to derail JFK's candidacy on the familiar shoals of inexperience, religious prejudice, and lack of interest in agricultural issues. The 1960 campaign marked the birth of the modern era of politics as mass media personality cult, and unfortunately for Humphrey, he couldn't hold a candle to the youthful, handsome, and wealthy Jack Kennedy. As a film, Primary looks ugly and amateurish-but as a document of how the modern political campaign evolved, it's absolutely priceless. Anyone remotely interested in American politics needs to see this film.

I would jump at the chance to see this one of kind look at AmericanPolitics at the crossroads. Before the media age had turned politicalcampaigns into impersonal commercials, even the stars (in this case,Kennedy and Humphrey) had to go out and press the flesh, hard. While Kennedy is slicker and seems to have the more organizedmachine behind him, he is still a saint of apprachability compared totoday's most folksie candidate. That's just how it was done before T.V.had compleatly eaten us alive. Some of the stuff with the affable, tireless Humphrey isparticuairly memorable. Speaking to a bunch of stone faced WisconsonFarmers, his giddy style takes on a real comic poniency, he's like acomic trying to loosen up Ed Gein. Yet, you get from both candidates, yes, corny as it may sound,they actually give a curse about the people they are talking to. If youthink that has all but vanished, as I do, you may find this film asstriking as I do. Some of the camera crew went on to "Don't Look Back"and "Gimmie Shelter". 8 out of 10.