The 1972 film, “The Man” is Back! Douglass Dilman Announces His Candidacy for President

WHAT: National Geographic “Tuesdays at Noon”- “The Man” (1972)
WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 7 at 12 noon – National Geographic Society, 1600 M Street, NW

“The Man” kicks off the 2012 presidential election year and National Geographic’s “Tuesdays at Noon’s” Black History month events. A discussion on uncovering lost films of the black experience and preservation with Clayton LeBouef (“Something the Lord Made,” “Homicide: Life On the Street,” “The Wire”) will follow the screening.

The screenplay for “The Man,” written by Rod Serling (“The Twilight Zone,” “Requiem for a Heavyweight”) and directed by Joseph Sargent (“Something the Lord Made,” “A Lesson Before Dying”), is based on the novel of the same name by Irving Wallace.

Intended to debut as a television movie, “The Man” received a short theatrical release in 1972. In addition to James Earl Jones, the film features actors from television and film’s “Golden Age”: Burgess Meredith, Jack Benny (in a cameo), Janet MacLachlan, George Stanford Brown, Martin Balsam, Barbara Rush, and William Windom.

In “The Man,” Senator Douglass Dilman (James Earl Jones) through the law of succession suddenly becomes the first black man to occupy the Oval Office. “The Man” remains unique in that the film presents the black president as the central dramatic character confronting the political and social weights of his position.

His [Dilman] intention is to be president of all the people. He has no axes to grind, even racial axes. He simply cares for the national good.
James Earl Jones
1999 Introduction to “The Man” by Wallace Irving

Over the past 10 years, “The Man” appears to have vanished into obscurity. To date there has been no DVD, video stream, or other release of “The Man” except for a handful of screenings at small festivals. The novel has been out of print since 1999. A Kindle version of the novel was released in May 2011.

VOTE!

Douglass Dillman’s campaign begins with a vote — on Turner Classic Movies. The overview page for “The Man” includes a link to vote for the film to be released on DVD. And you don’t have to register to vote on TCM.

Vote for “The Man.” See “The Man” for yourself February 7 at National Geographic “Tuesdays at Noon.” Additional screenings (including outside DC) are TBA.

The “Tuesdays at Noon” screening of “The Man” is presented by National Geographic Society with the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation, and Michon Boston Group Ltd.