Did this movie predict Trump’s rise?

Editor’s Note: Lewis Beale writes about culture and film for the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and other publications. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Donald Trump certainly isn’t the first media personality to have political ambitions – lest we forget, Ronald Reagan was initially a film star. But thanks to his bombast and apparent megalomania, Trump is certainly the first such personality to eerily echo Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes, the character played by Andy Griffith in the 1957 film “A Face in the Crowd.” Watch it and you’ll be amazed.

Lewis Beale

Director Elia Kazan’s picture is one of the first to trace the relationship between TV stardom and politics.

It features Griffith, best known for his TV role as Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor, as a drunken drifter plucked out of an Arkansas jail to sing on a local radio program. Folksy and charismatic, playing his straight-talking, good-old-boy shtick to the hilt, Rhodes soon lands his own Memphis TV show and then works his way up the ladder to a nationally syndicated program based in New York.

'Election' (1999) —

This political season has been... a lot. If you are suffering from election fatigue, we can help you escape into the world of make believe with a few political films. Reese Witherspoon gives a brilliant performance in "Election" as Tracy Flick, the overachiever who will do just about anything to win student body president. Anything. Matthew Broderick plays civics teacher Jim McAllister, who's determined to derail her "Pick Flick" campaign.

James Stewart stars as a a new politician who takes on corruption in the now classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as star as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they investigate the Watergate scandal in "All the President's Men."

"The American President" is a romantic drama/comedy starring Michael Douglas as the chief commander who falls in love with a lobbyist.

'The Ides of March' (2011) —

"The Ides of March" stars Ryan Gosling and George Clooney. The political drama, is based on Beau Willimon's "Farragut North" -- about the 2004 Democratic primary.

Daniel Day-Lewis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in "Lincoln" about the ill fated 16th president of the United States. The role as Abraham Lincoln won Day-Lewis a best actor Academy Award.

'Clear and Present Danger' (1994) —

Based on the book of the same name, "Clear and Present Danger" features Harrison Ford's Jack Ryan as the CIA deputy director. Ryan soon finds out that members of the CIA aren't to be trusted.

'Wag the Dog' (1997) —

Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro team up in "Wag the Dog" as a producer and spin doctor who create a fake war with Albania to distract the public from a presidential scandal. This dark comedy is a creative look at the manipulation of the mass media in politics.

'Lions for Lambs' (2007) —

"Lions for Lambs" tells the stories of a senator, a journalist and a college professor and their connection to soldiers serving in Afghanistan. It Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Tom Cruise.

'The Adjustment Bureau' (2011) —

Loosely based on the short story "Adjustment Team," "The Adjustment Bureau" is a romantic thriller which follows a New York congressman, David Norris (Matt Damon), and his relationship with a ballerina (Emily Blunt).

Denzel Washington stars in this 2004 remake of "Manchurian Candidate" based on Richard Condon's novel of the same name. He stars as a veteran who finds himself deeply involved in an insidious plot.

'Election' and 10 other great political flicks

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Rhodes soon becomes so powerful that a faltering presidential candidate comes to him for media advice, and with Rhodes’ help takes a lead in the national polls. With the candidate’s victory almost certain, Rhodes believes he will be appointed “Secretary for National Morale,” a position he assumes will make him the power behind the throne.

Imagine, say, a leering Blake Shelton with political ambition and a solar system-sized ego, and you get the drift here. But Rhodes’ messy personal life – he has wed a 17-year old cheerleader, despite being married to someone else – soon catches up with him. And after one of his rants, during which he mocks his audience by calling them “idiots, morons and pigs,” is inadvertently broadcast live over national TV, his life as a national celebrity is effectively over.

In his interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Donald Trump lashes out at a lawyer who had requested a break to pump breast milk in the middle of a deposition.

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Sound a bit like a full-of-himself New York real estate mogul? Messy personal life. Check. Trophy wife. Check. Huge ego. Check. Calling his audience dummies. Check (Trump calling Iowa voters “stupid” for favoring Ben Carson fits in here).

Sure, there are significant differences. Trump is a child of privilege, and Rhodes most certainly isn’t. And there is no question that the media scene in 1957, when there were only three TV networks and no such things as the Internet, cable TV, Twitter and cell phones, was a lot different than it is today.

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There is also this: Rhodes never appeals to racist or nativist sentiments, something which Trump has been wallowing in almost since the beginning of his candidacy. He has called Mexican immigrants “drug dealers,” “rapists” and “killers” and said that if elected president, he would “absolutely” require all Muslims in America to register in a database.

Trump has also tweeted false statistics about black murder rates whose original source appeared to be a neo-Nazi fan of Adolf Hitler and claimed that thousands of Muslims in Jersey City cheered the 9/11 attacks, a charge that was denied by police and religious leaders then and for which no evidence exists now.

But both men have the same the lust for power and use the mass media to get at it. Rhodes, whose bellowing soundbites have about as much substance as Trump’s, has the same apparent disdain for the intelligence of his audience as the billionaire financier.

Harvard University police said they were investigating a possible hate crime at the law school after someone covered portraits of black faculty members in tape, according to university officials. Some photographs were defaced with strips of black tape and discovered on November 19. Take a look at other events that brought discussions of race relations and identity to the forefront in 2015.

Tim Wolfe, president of the University of Missouri, resigned from his post on November 9, 2015, amid a controversy regarding race relations at the school. Wolfe and the rest of the school's administration had been accused of taking little to no action after several racial incidents on campus. A day before the resignation, black players on the school's football team said they would essentially go on strike until Wolfe resigned or was fired.

In September, 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for making what appeared to be a bomb. The "bomb" was actually a clock he had made on his own. "I built a clock to impress my teacher but when I showed it to her, she thought it was a threat to her," Ahmed said. Outrage over the incident lit up social media as #IStandWithAhmed started trending worldwide on Twitter. Ahmed got an invitation to the White House after the incident.

On July 23, the WWE terminated its contract with legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan after the National Enquirer released a transcript of statements he made that included racial slurs. The remarks were recorded in an "unauthorized sex tape," according to the Enquirer, and included the N-word in reference to the dating life of his daughter, Brooke. Hogan apologized for the offensive language.

Officer Ray Tensing fatally shot Samuel Dubose, 43, on July 19 after a struggle at a traffic stop over a missing license tag, Cincinnati police said. Dubose was driving away when Tensing shot him in the head, police said. Tensing said he feared for his life. However, prosecutors said DuBose was not acting aggressively. The case quickly drew attention from "Black Lives Matter" protesters, who accused the white officer of using excessive force on Dubose, who was black. Tensing, who's been charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter, has pleaded not guilty.

Sandra Bland died at Waller County Jail in Texas on July 13, three days after being arrested for allegedly making an improper lane change. During the traffic stop, authorities say she was belligerent. Authorities say there was no foul play involved in her death. They say Bland hanged herself with a trash bag from a metal barrier that separated the bathroom from the rest of her cell. Her family has said the idea that she committed suicide is unthinkable. Before her death, Bland spoke out frequently on social media about racism and police brutality.

After flying for 54 years on South Carolina's Capitol grounds, it took only a moment to take down the Confederate flag on July 10, 2015. Years of deep-rooted controversy over the banner gained steam after the June massacre of nine black churchgoers in Charleston. "This flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state," Gov. Nikki Haley said as she called for its removal.

In June, multiple fires at predominantly African-American churches in several Southern states were in the spotlight. The fires came in the wake of the massacre at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised speculation about arson and hate crimes.

PBS said on June 24 that it would postpone the third season of "Finding Your Roots" after an internal review that concluded actor Ben Affleck improperly influenced the show to omit the fact that his ancestors owned slaves. The investigation stemmed from reports in April that Affleck had asked the show to edit out the fact that his family history involved slave ownership. Affleck admitted on Facebook to making the request soon after the controversy spilled into the public.

During an interview released on June 22, Obama dropped the N-word. Obama used the word during an interview for the podcast "WTF with Marc Maron" to make the point that racism is still a problem in our society.

Nine people died when a gunman opened fire on a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17. A law enforcement official said witnesses told authorities the gunman stood up and said he was there "to shoot black people." Dylann Roof, 21, pleaded not guilty to 33 federal charges, including federal hate crime and firearms charges.

After Donald Trump described some Mexicans who come to the United States illegally as "killers" and "rapists" in June, Univision, NBC and Macy's later cut ties with the Republican presidential candidate. Jorge Ramos, a prominent Univision host, called Trump's remarks "absurd" and "prejudiced." Trump has stood by his comments and continued his push for a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Rachel Dolezal stepped down as the head of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP on June 15 amid allegations she lied about her race. Dolezal, is white, but has said she identifies as black. The idea someone might misrepresent themselves by claiming they were black, then earn a leadership position in one of the nation's top advocacy groups for African-Americans, stirred a social media firestorm when the news broke.

Edgar Antillon, co-owner of Rubbin' Buttz BBQ and Country Cafe in Milliken, Colorado, drew criticism for offering a "White Appreciation Day" discount on June 11. What started as a joke about how there's no holiday that celebrates "the white community" was been misinterpreted as a racially charged promotion, Antillon said.

Officer Eric Casebolt resigned on June 9, days after a YouTube video showing his response to reports of fighting at a McKinney, Texas, pool party sparked swift allegations of racism. Critics decried the white officer for cursing at several black teenagers, unholstering and waving his gun at boys and throwing a 14-year-old girl to the ground, his knees pressed down on her back. Casebolt's attorney said race had nothing to do with how the officer responded.

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez apologized on May 17 for an ethnically touchy gaffe that was caught on cell phone video. Sanchez was ad-libbing at a California Democratic Party convention when she made a stereotypical Native American "war cry."
"I'm going to his office, thinkin' that I'm gonna go meet with woo-woo-woo-woo, right? 'Cause he said 'Indian-American,'" she said, using the gesture to try to discern between Indian-Americans -- with ancestry from India's subcontinent -- and Native Americans. Many in the audience at the Indian-American caucus reacted with silence.

Fury erupted in May over incoming Boston University sociology and African-American studies professor Saida Grundy's tweets about white men, race and slavery. Her personal Twitter account was made private, but the Boston Globe reported some of the tweets: "why is white america so reluctant to identify white college males as a problem population?" and "every MLK week i commit myself to not spending a dime in white-owned businesses. and every year i find it nearly impossible." A few days after the debate went into overdrive, Grundy made a statement to the Boston Globe.
"I regret that my personal passion about issues surrounding these events led me to speak about them indelicately," she said.

Loretta Lynch was sworn in as the U.S. attorney general on April 27. The nomination of Lynch, the country's first African-American woman to serve in the role, was held up more than five months over politicking in the Senate. Democrats claimed the voting delay was racially motivated, despite GOP protestations otherwise.

Freddie Gray died on April 19 after allegedly suffering a devastating spinal injury while in police custody. Six Baltimore police officers have been indicted on charges connected with the African-American man's death. All have pleaded not guilty. Activists have claimed race played a role in Gray's arrest and the way officers treated him. Protests and riots broke out in Baltimore on the day of Gray's funeral.

North Charleston police officer Michael Slager was fired from his job and then charged with murder in the shooting of 50-year-old Walter Scott. Slager pulled over Scott on April 4, reportedly for a broken brake light. Scott was later shot in the back by Slager as he was running away. Scott was black and Slager is white. A bystander recorded the shooting, and the graphic footage sparked outrage and reignited a national conversation around race and policing. Slager's attorney has said that there was a violent struggle before the officer opened fire, that his client plans to plead not guilty and that race has nothing to do with the case. Prosecutors say Slager showed malice of forethought and "executed" Scott. The family of Scott and the city of North Charleston have reached a $6.5 million settlement.

While Mindy Kaling was working on her Fox sitcom, "The Mindy Project," her brother, Vijay Chokal-Ingam, admitted he pretended to be black to get into medical school. The revelation came in April as Chokal-Ingam, who is of Indian descent, was pitching a book about his experiences as a "hard-partying college frat boy who discovered the seriousness and complexity of America's racial problems while posing as a black man."

On April 1, a noose was found hanging from a tree at Duke University. Social media pictures spread quickly, causing outrage on campus. Later that day, the Black Student Alliance hosted a march across campus. Hundreds of students of all races marched, chanting, "We are not afraid. We stand together."

In March, Starbucks received mix responses to its "Race Together" campaign. The company ran full-page ads in The New York Times and USA Today announcing the initiative. Starbucks held open forums for workers to talk about race, and baristas in cities where forums were held began writing the slogan on customers' cups, aiming to spark a dialogue.

Thousands of people marked the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama. President Obama made a rousing speech on racial progress in a diverse country. "Our march is not yet finished. But we are getting closer," he said. The violent confrontation with police and state troops on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, marked a pivotal point in the Civil Rights Movement.

The University of Oklahoma severed ties with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity in March. A video anonymously sent to the school's newspaper on March 7 showed the fraternity chanting, "There will never be a ni**** SAE. You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me." Two members who were leading the chant were expelled. "The song is horrific and does not at all reflect our values as an organization," said Blaine Ayers, executive director of SAE.

Uproar broke out when White Pride Radio put up a billboard reading, "It's NOT racist to love your people" in Harrison, Arkansas. Thomas Robb, the national director of Knights of the KKK, said there was no racist intent with the billboard. "If anybody sees racism in that billboard, then they themselves are racist," Robb told CNN in January.

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In one blistering scene in the film, for example, Rhodes says that when it comes to his fans, “I could take chicken fertilizer and sell it to them as caviar. I could make them eat dog food and think it was steak.” In another rant, he declares his audience is “mine. I own ‘em. They think like I do. Only they’re even more stupid than I am, so I gotta think for ‘em.”

In this sense, Trump’s simplistic solutions to almost everything – building a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border, bombing ISIS into submission and then taking its oil, vague policy proposals involving jobs creation and health care – make it obvious he, like Rhodes, is appealing to the lowest common denominator voter, the one who thinks that over-the-top self-confidence substitutes for thought.

But Trump is a whole lot scarier than Rhodes, since his supporters don’t seem to mind his racist pronouncements, lies, bullying and dangerous pomposity.

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In fact, in “A Face in the Crowd,” it’s one open mic moment that destroys Lonesome Rhodes’ career. But even after Trump’s epic 95-minute tirade in Iowa earlier this month, in which he went off on everyone from Marco Rubio to Hillary Clinton to Iowa voters, his poll numbers have improved.

But he’s no shoe-in, not matter how much he’d like Americans to think he is.

Reality check: A new Quinnipiac poll shows that 75% of Republican voters likely to participate in Iowa’s February 1 caucuses would vote for someone besides Trump. And to slice Trump’s Rhodes-like bravado even further down to size, consider, too, that nationally only about 25% of the electorate identify as Republicans.

It’s very early to predict what will happen. “A Face in the Crowd” seems to be saying that the American public has the sense to turn away from a charlatan when they see one.

But so far, Donald Trump’s success clashes with the truth of that fictional story. And that’s a very scary thought.

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