Drama Cult Classic

Politics, ambition, and scandal collide as a modern woman navigates a senator's campaign.

THE CANDIDATE

1964 · 1h 24m · NR · Drama · IMDB TMDB

Ambitious politician Frank Carlton decides to run for a senatorial seat in Washington. Carlton puts his political career in serious jeopardy after he gets involved with English immigrant Angela Wallace. Meanwhile, his unscrupulous campaign manager Buddy Parker is having his own affair.

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Quick Answer

What is The Candidate about?

The Candidate is a 1964 American drama directed by Robert Angus about Samantha, a hardworking woman whose chance encounter with a senatorial candidate leads her into the tangled web of political ambition, relationships, and campaign intrigue.

Programmer's Pick

Mamie Van Doren trades pulp for politics in a drama where campaign buttons and bedroom eyes go hand in hand. Ted Knight ditches the newsroom for the campaign trail, but the real show is the messy web of ambition and desire backstage.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Samantha, portrayed by Mamie Van Doren, is a determined modern woman whose life takes a sharp turn after meeting senatorial hopeful Frank Carlton. When she is offered a position within Carlton's campaign by the scheming Eric (Buddy Parker), she accepts, setting off a chain of events that exposes the complex interplay of personal and professional relationships behind political ambition. As Samantha becomes entangled in the world of high-stakes campaigning, she witnesses how quickly alliances shift and how fragile the machinery of political power can be. The Candidate offers a look into the personal costs and moral gray areas of American politics in the 1960s, driven by vivid characters and behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Details & Specs

Director: Robert Angus
Writers: Frank Moceri, Joyce Ann Miller, Quentin Vale
Release: 1964
Runtime: 1h 24m
Country: United States of America
Genres: Drama

Why This Matters

This low-budget 1964 film features Mamie Van Doren and Ted Knight, highlighting the era's exploitation cinema and providing an early screen appearance for Knight, who would later become widely recognized for his television work.

— SassyFlix Curator