There's an interview somewhere with Bette Davis enthusing about the skills of Claude Rains, and I think this is an example of just what she meant. He is the established senator ("Paine") who has taken the rather stoic view that representing big business some of the time allowing him to represent his electorate the rest of it is a path worth following. When his colleague suddenly dies, it falls to the very political machine he serves to find a replacement. The hapless governor (Guy Kibbee) couldn't make a decision if his life depended on it, but thanks to a lively family dinner alights on local... lees die res.