The Best Man is a 1964 political drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a screenplay by Gore Vidal based on his play of the same title. Intellectual William Russell (Henry Fonda) and down-to-earth Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) are front runners for a party nomination that will almost certainly mean the Presidency. Cantwell is prepared to use anything to achieve his goal while Russell sees himself as a man of principle - though his philandering means he is relieved his wife is prepared to appear alongside him. Both men crucially need the support of the ailing President (Lee Tracy), and as the stakes become higher each team has to decide how dirty they are prepared to get. The supporting cast features Edie Adams, Margaret Leighton, Ann Sothern, Shelley Berman, Gene Raymond, and Kevin McCarthy. Tracy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this, his final film.


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