Eugene J. McCarthy: Muses and Mementos

2006 | Run Time: 35 minutes

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About the Film:

A fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of the most interesting public figures of the twentieth century. As a presidential candidate in 1968, McCarthy was an unlikely politician who stood bravely against the Vietnam war. He was also a writer, poet, scholar and satirist. In two interviews with filmmaker Mick Caouette, March of 1996 and March of 2000, McCarthy explores a wide range of subjects — from his early years to Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War. The film blends new archival footage with McCarthy’s poetry and recollections, and it reveals a rare wit and intellect that set him apart from his congressional colleagues of the 1950s and 1960s.

Eugene J. McCarthy moves from topic to topic as swiftly as a PowerPoint demonstration, from the Cold War to Cuba to the Middle East to Vietnam. McCarthy’s recollections add little to the historical record of post-World War II America, although they often serve as a reminder of the tense atmosphere on the American Left following the war… Eugene J. McCarthy will be a useful resource for future biographers of the maverick senator from Minnesota and a supplemental tool for courses in postwar American history.

David Luhrssen

Shepherd Express

  • Sandbrook, Dominick. (2004). Eugene McCarthy: The Rise and Fall of Postwar American Liberalism. New York: Anchor.
  • McCarthy, Eugene. (1969). The Year of the People. Garden City: Doubleday.

Eugene J McCarthy: I’m Sorry, I was right I Mike Hazzard I The Center for International Education

Eugene J McCarthy Papers I The University of Minnesota Libraries

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