In
GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE, set in the Great Depression, Walter Huston plays newly elected president "Judd" Hammond, an affable but apathetic and mildly corrupt party hack with little else on his agenda besides coddling his nephew, romancing his secretary, and ignoring the plight of the unemployed. But when he is seriously injured in an auto accident and wakes from a coma, Hammond has been totally transformed by the angel Gabriel. The now driven President Hammond becomes an outspoken advocate of integrity and economic justice, regarded as a hero by some, a dictator by others. Unilaterally enacting strong measures, he makes powerful enemies, yet manages to right many wrongs before abruptly dying. To this day GABRIEL is controversial for its frank acknowledgment of political policies based on scripture and its association of policies too "liberal" by some and with religious beliefs too "conservative" for others (sound familiar?). Nonetheless, the film is astonishingly prophetic in its portrayal of the failures of Wall Street and government, and its sincere commitment to Biblical principles is fresh and interesting. (Trivia notes: Remember the dying sea captain in MALTESE FALCON who brings the Black Bird to Sam Spade?
That was Walter in an unbilled cameo in his son John's first directorial effort. He was also the grandfather of actress Angelica. Walter, John, Angelica Huston – three generations of Oscar winners of whose contributions to American cinema no critic ever said, "Hustons, we've got a problem!").
