All the King's Men Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jack Burden

Arthur Penn Warren's book actually focused on the character of Jack Burden, and his growing disillusionment with the world of politics, but the movie shifts the focus, and makes him a narrator whose involvement in the events provides a reason for the exposition.

While this gives the film a clear focus, it does reduce the philosophical reflection. The movie starts with Jack Burden being assigned the task of covering the campaign of Willie Stark, who is running for County Commissioner in an unnamed state.

His first impression of Willie Stark is summed up in the headline of his story: WILLIE STARK, AN HONEST MAN. Events unfold from there. The role earned John Ireland an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Answer: Willie Stark

The novel is a study of the misuse of power by a corrupt demagogue. The movie, however, shows him as an idealist who is corrupted by power. After he loses the opening campaign, he discovers that his subsequent run for the governorship was actually an attempt by the political machine to use him as a pawn in their machinations.

This realisation leads him to deliver an impassioned speech (in a scene which is credited with earning actor Broderick Crawford his Academy Award for Best Actor) based on his populist principles.

Although he loses that election, he has developed a political profile that leads him to success the next time. Unfortunately, his career turns out to exemplify the adage that power corrupts.

Answer: Anne Stanton

We first meet Anne Stanton (played by Joanne Dru) early in the film, when Jack returns to his home at Burden's Landing, where he and she discuss their differing attitudes to his career. She later becomes Willie Stark's mistress, and foolishly gives him the evidence of her uncle's earlier misdeeds that Jack had uncovered and revealed to her during an argument about Willie's character.

His subsequent suicide is what provokes her brother Adam to shoot Willie Stark in the film's climactic scene.

Answer: Sadie Burke

Sadie Burke (portrayed by Mercedes McCambridge, who won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for the role) is initially presented as a calculating and cynical political assistant, who explains to Willie how he is being manipulated in his first attempt to be elected governor.

Inspired by his subsequent speech, she leaves the 'machine' and joins his campaign. She subsequently becomes his mistress, and feels bitterly betrayed when Anne Stanton arrives on the scene. Nevertheless, she is by his side as he delivers his dying words after being fatally shot outside the state capitol building.

Answer: Tiny Duffy

Tiny Duffy (played by Ralph Dumke) was the city boss who broke up Willie's speech railing against him and the other city leaders at the start of the film, and had him briefly arrested. Like so many others in the film, he falls under Willie's spell, and is recruited to being on the team for Willie's successful campaign for governor. Unlike some, he seems to have no issues with Willie's subsequent corruption, and is by his side as he dies after avoiding impeachment.

Answer: Helene Hale

Although she is only a minor character played by Helene Stanley, Helene's death following a car accident in which Willie Stark's stepson Tom was culpably involved (as the drunk driver of the car in which she was a passenger) sets up the scenario in which Willie makes sure the police records are falsified to protect Tom, who emerged from the accident with only minor injuries.

Her father insists that he will have the truth revealed, and then mysteriously disappears after Willie tells one of his henchmen, Sugar Boy, to follow him. We are left to draw the obvious conclusion as to his fate (supported by a subsequent radio report of the discovery of his badly-beaten body).

Answer: Tom Stark

Shortly after the disappearance of Helene Hale's father, Willie attends a college football game, and urges a still-recovering Tom (John Derek) to play in response to crowd pressure, and show them what a Stark man is made of. A heavy tackle leaves Tom permanently paralysed, despite the heroic surgical efforts of Adam Stanton, and Willie is forced to confront the fact that he is not omnipotent. Nevertheless, he manages to use a resentful Tom (along with his mother, Lucy) as props to drum up popular support in the impeachment proceedings which he is about to face.

Answer: Judge Stanton

Judge Monty Stanton (played by Raymond Greenleaf) is first seen in an early scene on Burden's Landing, where he is a highly respected member of the community. His niece Anne is Jack Burden's girlfriend, and his nephew Adam is a childhood friend of Jack's.

Their close family ties provide a critical plot point. When Judge Stanton is gathering the evidence to impeach Willie Stark, Jack comes across evidence that the Judge had been involved in blackmail many years earlier, and tells Anne about it.

After she tells Willie, he confronts the Judge and demands cooperation. Rather than do so, the judge kills himself.

Answer: Adam Stanton

Adam (Shepherd Strudwick) is the gifted surgeon who saves Tom Stark's life after the football accident that left him paralysed, and a longtime friend of Jack. Outraged that Willie has (in his eyes) despoiled his sister and driven his uncle to suicide, and is going to emerge triumphant from the failed impeachment proceedings, Adam shoots Willie Stark. Jack and Anne (now embittered by Willie's decision to abandon her and return to his wife) decide, over Adam's body, to try and make some sense of the tragedy by revealing to the world what Willie Stark is really like.

Answer: Sugar Boy

Sugar Boy (played by Walter Burke) may only be a minor character, but he is involved in a number of important actions. He originally worked as a goon for Tiny Duffy, before moving across to join Willie's team. He is present when Tom admits to his drunk driving, and is the one ordered to follow the departing Richard Hale and take care of things.

It is he who shoots Adam Stanton immediately after Willie has been shot, and he is one of those huddled around to hear Willie's final words: "It could have been whole world - Willie Stark.

The whole world - Willie Stark. Why does he do it to me - Willie Stark? Why?"