The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
The Bower Family Band petitions the Democratic National Committee to sing a Grover Cleveland rally song at the 1888 convention, but decide instead to move to the Dakota territory on the urging of a suitor to their eldest daughter. There, Grampa Bower causes trouble with his pro-Cleveland ideas, as Dakota residents are overwhelmingly Republican, and hope to get the territory admitted as two states (North and South Dakota) rather than one in order to send four Republican senators to Washington. Cleveland opposed this plan, refusing to refer to Congress the plan to organize the Dakotas this way. When Cleveland wins the popular vote, but Harrison the presidency due to the electoral college votes, the Dakotans (particularly the feuding young couple) resolve to live together in peace, and Cleveland grants statehood to the two Dakotas before he leaves office (along with two Democrat-voting states, evening the gains for both parties).
- Michael O'Herlihy
- Lowell S. Hawley
- Laura Bower Van Nuys
- Lowell S. Hawley
Rating: 6.3/10 by 21 users
Alternative Title:
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 50 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: presidential election, brass band, black hills, based on memoir or autobiography, south dakota, 19th century
Close to being a good watch, but ends up being more boring than entertaining for me. 'The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band' has positives and negatives. I mostly enjoyed Walter Brennan and Buddy Ebsen in their roles, while Lesley Ann Warren is likeable too. A young Kurt Russell and future wife Goldie Hawn are in there, also. Some of the songs, meanwhile, are catchy. However, my main negatives are the plot and the pacing. The story isn't that interesting and is more political than I was expecting; that's not a bad thing in itself, but it just turns into a shouting match towards the end - realistic I guess, given politics, but as a film it's not enjoyable to see unfold. They could've shaved 20mins off the run time, as well. As noted, I did almost like this. It's the ending which kinda cemented it into the rating I've given. It isn't a bad film overall, mind.
