Give em Hell, Harry Movie Summary and Review

70s Film Summary for Give em Hell, Harry

Give em Hell, Harry Movie Brief

Based on the one man play of the same name, Give Em Hell, Harry is a ‘70s movie about President Harry S. Truman.

Give em Hell, Harry Movie DVD Poster

Film Plot For Give em Hell, Harry

During the presidential campaign of Harry S. Truman, “Give Em Hell, Harry!” became the slogan of all his supporters. As the film documents, it came about when Truman was giving a speech in Illinois and one of his supporters yelled the phrase out. Truman responded by insisting that he did not give them (meaning his Republican enemies) hell; rather, he gave them the truth, and they regarded the truth as hell.

For his performance in the movie Give Em Hell, Harry, actor James Whitmore was nominated for Best Actor at that year’s Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. While this might not be the best known motion picture of the 1970s, it is certainly worth owning and watching, especially for those interested in politics and / or American history of the 20th century.