The Senator Was Indiscreet 1947
Directed by
George S. Kaufman
Made by
Universal Pictures
The Senator Was Indiscreet Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
In this satirical political comedy, Senator Melvin G. Ashton is an inept U.S. senator who dreams of the presidency. He leans on his tireless publicist, Lew Gibson, to stage attention-grabbing stunts that keep him in the headlines while his personal life grows messier. His girlfriend, a local newspaper reporter named Poppy McNaughton, hopes for a serious political future, but the constant publicity stunts strain their relationship as the campaign begins to loom larger than life.
When Ashton arrives at a hotel in New York City, a bold publicity gambit is proposed: join the Cherokee tribe for a publicity boost. He eagerly agrees, seeing the move as a clever way to cultivate a larger public image, even as the idea borders on the absurd. At the same time, Fred Houlihan, a seasoned political boss, pushes him to step down from the race, warning of risk and consequence. Ashton—undaunted—refuses, but then gives a long, defiant public speech in which he openly denies that he is running for president, embracing the chaos rather than steering away from it.
Into this turbulent mix steps Valerie Shepherd, who arrives to join the campaign and quickly makes an impression. Valerie Shepherd brings energy and ambition, and Lew finds himself drawn to her, adding another layer of tension to the political chessboard. The personal and political collide as Poppy, appalled by Ashton’s baffling incompetence, ends their relationship. Newspapers begin to publish articles tracing Ashton’s unlikely road to the presidency, and Houlihan doubles down, pressing him to withdraw while scheming behind the scenes.
Ashton’s star rises during a cross-country tour designed to win over voters, and he returns to address a packed Madison Square Garden, riding a wave of public support and momentum. Yet the story takes a sharper turn when Ashton discovers his diary—an explosive record of scandalous party activity spanning decades—has gone missing. He suspects a hotel room service clerk named Karl, while Lew accuses Poppy of the theft. In the meantime, Ashton’s former secretary, Robert Oakes, is found with the diary but insists that someone else stole it before he could get his hands on it. The investigation widens, and Lew uncovers a new lead: Valerie’s beau, Bill Fisher, is a political foe who has started a petition to dig into Ashton’s past in his home state. From a web of clues, Poppy deduces that Valerie herself is behind the diary’s disappearance.
With the diary’s contents potentially catastrophic, Houlihan again urges Ashton to step down, offering him a different, lucrative job if he agrees. The compromise seems like a practical escape hatch, and Ashton considers it. In a twist of fate, Poppy manages to retrieve the diary from Valerie but then loses it to Lew, who brings the good news to Ashton. Houlihan makes another push to pull Ashton back into the race, but Lew decides the truth must be revealed. He returns the diary to Poppy, and when the diary is finally published, Ashton and his bosses have no choice but to flee.
The fallout lands them on a remote South Sea island, where Ashton’s later fate becomes a farcical punchline: he ends up as the chief of the native population. The film tracks a spiral of publicity, power plays, and personal entanglements, all underscored by a wry sense of political satire.
The Senator Was Indiscreet Timeline
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Ashton's presidential ambitions begin
Senator Melvin G. Ashton reveals his intent to run for President. His publicist Lew Gibson pushes for attention-grabbing stunts to boost his image. Upon arriving in New York City, Gibson pitches a publicity gambit involving membership in the Cherokee tribe.
Cherokee tribe publicity stunt
Ashton eagerly agrees to join the Cherokee tribe for publicity. The move signals the campaign's cynical approach to fame over policy. Gibson orchestrates the publicity stunt to maximize headlines.
Pressure to quit and a public denial
Fred Houlihan publicly pressures Ashton to step down as a candidate. Ashton refuses, delivering a long speech where he denies running for president. The scene underscores his stubborn nature and the campaign's volatility.
Valerie Shepherd joins the campaign
Valerie Shepherd arrives and decides to join Ashton's campaign. Lew Gibson becomes attracted to her, complicating the campaign dynamics. Her presence adds glamour and new complications to the race.
Poppy breaks up with Lew
Appalled by Ashton's baffling incompetence, Poppy McNaughton ends her relationship with Lew Gibson. The breakup deepens the personal stakes surrounding the campaign. The media begin to more closely scrutinize the colorful cast of characters.
Media scrutiny and the cross-country tour begins
Articles about Ashton's path to the presidency appear, amplifying public attention. Houlihan continues to push Ashton to step down, while Ashton launches a cross-country tour to court voters. The tour helps him gain popularity with some voters.
Madison Square Garden rally
Ashton returns to New York and speaks at Madison Square Garden, drawing a large crowd. The rally marks a peak in his campaign momentum, though it is tempered by ongoing chaos around his team. Valerie and Lew watch as the spectacle unfolds.
The diary goes missing
Ashton discovers his diary is missing, triggering a scramble to recover it. Karl, the hotel room service clerk, is suspected, while Lew suspects Poppy. The diary's absence threatens to derail the campaign's carefully built narrative.
Oakes found with the diary
Ashton's former secretary, Robert Oakes, is found with the diary but claims someone else stole it before he got hold of it. The mystery deepens as competing theories circulate through campaign circles. Lew also learns that Valerie's beau, Bill Fisher, is an enemy working to undermine Ashton.
Poppy deduces Valerie's theft
From a trail of clues, Poppy deduces that Valerie stole the diary. The revelation reframes Valerie's role in the campaign and increases the pressure on all involved. The diary's theft becomes the fulcrum of the political turbulence surrounding Ashton.
A new job offer to end the bid
Houlihan offers Ashton a way out: resign in exchange for a prestigious job as commissioner of a professional sports league, with double the pay of the presidency. Ashton hesitates, weighing personal safety and power against public duty. The offer crystallizes the campaign's underlying motive: money and security over reform.
Diary retrieved, then lost again
Poppy manages to retrieve the diary from Valerie but loses it to Lew, who brings the good news to Ashton. The diary's fate now lies with Lew, who plays both ally and agent of truth. The tension mounts as the campaign careens toward its finale.
Publication forces exile
Lew decides that the truth must come out, and he returns the diary to Poppy. When the diary is published, Ashton and his bosses are forced to flee to a South Sea island. The dream of the White House collapses into farce as they escape the consequences of their actions.
A new, bizarre fate on a South Sea island
On the island, Ashton becomes chief of the native population, a comically inverted ending for a politician who sought power at any cost. The film concludes by flipping expectations, leaving Ashton's ambitions in a farcical, island-bound form.
The Senator Was Indiscreet Characters
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Senator Melvin G. Ashton (William Powell)
An inept, publicity-hungry senator who longs for the presidency. He eagerly joins the Cherokee tribe for publicity and delivers long speeches denying he’s running, even as the campaign grows around him. His diary of scandalous party activity provides the leverage that drives the plot toward crisis and flight.
Lew Gibson (Peter Lind Hayes)
Ashton's eager publicist, always pursuing attention-grabbing stunts to boost the campaign. He becomes entangled with Valerie and is central to the diary-related machinations that propel the plot. His pragmatic ruthlessness makes him a key driver of publicity and strategy.
Poppy McNaughton (Ella Raines)
A reporter who grows disenchanted with the campaign’s theatrics and pursues the truth. She breaks up with Lew, tracks the diary’s disappearance, and ultimately helps uncover who stole it, keeping the investigation focused on the stakes of political scandal.
Valerie Shepherd (Arleen Whelan)
A glamorous campaign entrant who joins Ashton’s bid and becomes a focal point of intrigue. She is involved with the diary drama, and Poppy’s suspicion of her theft adds to the campaign’s volatile dynamic.
Robert Oakes (Whit Bissell)
Ashton's former secretary who appears with the diary and asserts he did not steal it, shifting suspicion elsewhere. He embodies the tension between loyalty and exposure within the campaign machinery.
The Senator Was Indiscreet Settings
Learn where and when The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
1940s
The plot unfolds against a mid-20th-century political media landscape, where public appearances and newspaper coverage shape a candidate’s fortunes. Campaign stunts, public speeches, and televised-style rallies reflect the era’s emphasis on image over policy. The tour moves from New York City to a cross-country journey and ends with an ironic twist on exile.
Location
New York City, South Sea island
New York City provides the campaign backdrop with hotels, press rooms, and Madison Square Garden where rallies take place. The story then shifts to a remote South Sea island where Ashton and the campaign’s fallout play out in a comic exile, highlighting a clash between urban politics and faraway consequences. The two settings underscore the film’s satirical view of publicity-driven power and its ultimate absurd payoff.
The Senator Was Indiscreet Themes
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Publicity & Power
A bumbling senator’s bid for the presidency becomes a spectacle of staged events and publicity stunts. The publicist Lew uses appearances, declarations, and a leverage diary to manipulate public perception. The diary’s existence exposes vulnerabilities in a political system built on image rather than substance. The ending turns on the idea that fame can mask insecurity but cannot escape consequences.
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Media & Reputation
Newspaper coverage and sensational storytelling drive the campaign’s momentum, shaping who is seen as a candidate and what is believed. Characters maneuver for favorable headlines, while Valerie and Poppy interpret and weaponize information. The diary’s theft and the resulting revelations show how media can propel a fall from grace as quickly as a rise to power.
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Exile & Irony
Ashton's public arc ends not in the White House but on a remote island where he becomes a chief, a reversal that magnifies the story’s satire. The inland island setting contrasts with the urban hustle, turning political ascent into comic exile. The finale underlines the irony of political fame ending in an exile that echoes the absurdity of the entire campaign.
The Senator Was Indiscreet Spoiler-Free Summary
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In a world where the line between governance and show business blurs into a gleaming, endless reel, a flamboyant newcomer to the silver‑screen spotlight tries to turn his Southern drawl into national gravitas. Senator Melvin G. Ashton is a long‑winded, self‑confident politician whose ambition crackles louder than his ability to stay on script. The film bathes his entourage in the bright, garish hue of media hype, turning every press conference into a staged performance and every campaign rally into a carnival of absurdity. The tone is a biting satire that gleefully exposes how fame can inflate a crooked horse into a dark‑horse presidential hopeful.
Hovering at his side is a tireless publicist whose ingenuity borders on the theatrical. Lew Gibson engineers publicity stunts that keep the senator perpetually in the headlines, while a determined local reporter, Poppy McNaughton, struggles to reconcile her affection for Ashton with the mounting chaos of his ambition. The seasoned political boss, Fred Houlihan, offers sobering counsel, warning that the senator’s reckless ascent could implode at any moment. Meanwhile, a magnetic newcomer, Valerie Shepherd, adds fresh energy to the campaign, sparking both professional intrigue and personal tension among the inner circle. Their interactions pulse with a blend of wit, desperation, and the relentless pressure of a nation watching every misstep.
Amid the whirlwind of staged events and whispered rumors, a single, intimate record of the senator’s most scandalous moments vanishes, igniting panic throughout the party. The missing diary threatens to unravel the carefully constructed façade, turning the already volatile quest for the presidency into a high‑stakes game of secrecy and suspicion. This premise sets the stage for a rollicking, sardonic journey through the corridors of power, where every smile hides a scheme and every revelation could rewrite the political landscape.
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