"The Great Man" (1956)

[KansDem]

For those of us following the travails of Bill O'Reilly, I would recommend a viewing of "The Great Man." Released in 1956, the movie traces the efforts of reporter Joe Harris (Jose Ferrer) who has been given the assignment of producing a one-hour documentary as tribute to the recently-deceased, popular radio-personality Herb Fuller, "The Great Man"--

From IMDB--

On the death of popular national radio commentator Herb Fuller, underling Joe Harris undertakes to prepare an hour long, eulogistic program featuring interviews with Fuller's friends. But, though Fuller was beloved by 150 million of what all the pros term the "great unwashed," all Harris can find is victims, cynical users, and outright enemies of Fuller. Is this where the magic of editing comes in?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049280/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3

One review gives a bit more detail about "The Great Man"--SPOILER ALERT

The world of broadcasting had lost one of it's greatest personalities as well as the champion of the American working man and women and besides giving Herb Fuller the send-off that he so rightfully deserves Joe is told that he's to give an hour long coast to coast broadcast on Fullers life that Friday. Joe goes about his business in finding out about the great Herb Fullers life and finds out a lot more then he expected. Fuller wasn't exactly the man of the people that he was made out to be over the last 23 years. In fact Fuller was a cheat liar drunk and wife beater; and those are just some of his good qualities.

Joe as hard as he tries can't find a good thing to say about Fuller from the many people that he interviews who knew the "Great Man". Fullers fellow broadcasters as well as his estranged wife singer Carol Larson, Julie London, paint a picture of him as a nasty and vindictive person who was only interested in himself and nobody else. It's even hinted in the movie that Fuller's accident wasn't exactly accidental; his car brakes were criminally tampered with to make sure that he slid off the road and killed himself.

The one thing in Fuller's favor was his timely broadcasts from the front lines in WWII pleading to the American people to give blood for the boys fighting the Nazis who were being ground down by them on the bloody Western Front in Europe. It turns out that even that was a fraud on Fullers part with him actually being in a Paris cat-house getting drunk and partying with the hookers instead of risking his life with the GI's on the front lines where he supposedly made his famous broadcasts.

Joe risking his job but not his integrity goes on the air to tell the American people the truth about their idol and champion Herb Fuller as the movie "The Great Man" ends. Joe himself was being manipulated by both Sid and the president of ABS Philip Carleton, Dean Jagger,to take Fuller's spot on the network broadcast as his both heir apparent and replacement. Joe coming clean on Fuller on the memorial broadcast that he was supposed to give destroyed Fullers legacy as the great man that he was supposed to be. It also destroyed Herb Fuller from being used to further the careers of those unscrupulous individuals, like Sid & Philp Carleton, who latched on to him and kept the secret of his sordid life and actions from the public who both loved and adored him.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049280/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

The boldfaced text sounds familiar. Hey, Bill! Have you seen "The Great Man?!"

[leveymg]

1. The Great Man was loosely based on Edward R. Murrow and his Boys at CBS. Bill O, you are no Murrow.

[KansDem]

2. Wasn't it was Arthur Godfrey?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Man

Here's "The Great Man" firing his singer, Julius Larosa, on the air!

But I agree with you, O'Reilly is no Murrow...

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Yes, most people say it was Godfrey, and that makes sense.....

'The Great Man' is a great film.