What Makes “The Best Man” Run

Gore Vidal is a clever-and-lucky fellow. Although he has played patsy for the slings and arrows of numerous outrageous critics, he manages, through chance and industry, to land on his feet. Not even the most acerbic observer could fault Vidal’s energy: at thirty-five, he has written eight novels, a book of short stories, thirty-odd television scripts, seven motion pictures (among them the script of Suddenly, Last Summer, dubbed by the wits Please Don’t Eat the Pansies), hundreds of magazine pieces, and two hit plays. So far in 1960—and we aren’t clear yet—he has announced for Congress and brought forth The Best Man, the highly entertaining comedy of political manners now at the Morosco.

A kind of yukked-up Liberal morality play, The Best Man takes place at a Presidential nominating convention. Because Mr. Vidal has never hampered himself with subtleties, the two main contenders for his never- never nomination are a Good Guy (“ex-Secretary of State Bill Russell,” modeled upon Liberal patron saint Adlai Stevenson) and a Bad Guy (“Senator Joe Cantwell,” who is Dick Nixon—“the Old Nixon”—down to the nines). Each seeks the beni- son of “ex-President Art Hockstader,” self-proclaimed “last of the great hicks.” (Guess who.)

NP

About the Author

Noel E. Parmentel Jr.

Gore Vidal is a clever-and-lucky fellow. Although he has played patsy for the slings and arrows of numerous outrageous critics, he manages, through chance and industry, to land on his feet. Not even the most acerbic observer could fault Vidal’s energy: at thirty-five, he has written eight novels, a book of short stories, thirty-odd television scripts, seven motion pictures (among them the script of Suddenly, Last Summer, dubbed by the wits Please Don’t Eat the Pansies), hundreds of magazine pieces, and two hit plays. So far in 1960—and we aren’t clear yet—he has announced for Congress and brought forth The Best Man, the highly entertaining comedy of political manners now at the Morosco.

A kind of yukked-up Liberal morality play, The Best Man takes place at a Presidential nominating convention. Because Mr. Vidal has never hampered himself with subtleties, the two main contenders for his never- never nomination are a Good Guy (“ex-Secretary of State Bill Russell,” modeled upon Liberal patron saint Adlai Stevenson) and a Bad Guy (“Senator Joe Cantwell,” who is Dick Nixon—“the Old Nixon”—down to the nines). Each seeks the beni- son of “ex-President Art Hockstader,” self-proclaimed “last of the great hicks.” (Guess who.)