***SPOILERS*** The film is obviously based on the notorious and mobbed up Tom Pendergast Missouri political machine that got future president of the United States Harry S. Truman, played by Joe Flynn using the name Ernie Jackson in the movie, elected senator. "The Boss" follows the career of a crooked politician Matt Brady, John Payne, from running the state of Missouri, that's never mentioned in the film, to running from the law and ending up spending his golden years in a federal penitentiary.
Coming back home from WWI as a decorated US Army captain Brady was uninterested in following his older brother Tim, Roy Roberts, footsteps in taking over the city's Third Ward. It was after a night of drinking and fighting with his best friend Bob Herrick, William Bishop, and while barley sober marrying a complete stranger Lorry Reed, Gloria McGhehee, that Brady finally came to his senses. It was also after being dumped by his girlfriend, who would later marry his best friend Bob, Elsie Reyonolds-Doe Avedow- and his brother Tim suddenly dropping dead, after having a violent argument with him, that changed Brady's way of thinking. Changing it for the worst not the better.
Being the top political king maker Brady controlled every politician in the state from Governor Beck, Harry Cheshire, on down to the local dog catcher. Ruthless and vindictive at anyone who as much as meekly disagreed with him Brady nurtured a slew of enemies who, when the time came, descended upon him like vultures on a dying corpse in the wild.
Brady went so far as getting involved with the mob who's head man Johnny Mazia, Robin Morse, he helped out, from going to jail, when he was a teenager. This happened when Brady got wiped out in the stock market and was deeply in debt to Mazia's gang in him losing over $200,000.00 in his gambling with Mazia's illegal bookies. With Brady having no choice but letting Mazia's gang have their way they turn the entire state of Missouri into a den of political corruption and mob drive-by shootouts and sponsored hit-jobs.
The final shoe to drop is when Brady gave the go ahead for Mazia to whack former gang member Morris Lazetti, John Mansfield, who was to turn states evidence against both him and Mazia in their criminal activities. This lead to what is now known as the "Kansas City Massacre" that cost the lives of a number of FBI Agents who were taking Lazetti, who was also killed, to Washington to testify.
With public outrage reaching its hight the city fathers lead by newly elected District Attorney Stanley Millard, Rhys Williams, have Brady kicked out of his position as head of the Third Ward. On top of all that there's also a federal charge in the murder of the FBI Agents, as well as fixing both federal and state elections, also hanging over Brady's head.
In the end even Bob Herrick, Brady's best friend, turned on him perjuring himself-in order to save his own hide-by falsely testifying that Brady took over a million dollars in kickbacks from a number of city insurance companies. What hurt Brady most is that he risked his life in saving Bob from being murdered by the Mazia mob! And this is the gratitude he ended up getting from him!
In the end a beaten and broken man ,looking at least twenty older then he actually is, Matt Brady who even his long suffering and abused wife Lorry couldn't quite bring herself to feel sorry for is seen walking into the state penitentiary- Leavenworth- with his trademark Cuban Cigar dropping to the ground as he prepares himself to spend the rest of his life behind prison bars.
Coming back home from WWI as a decorated US Army captain Brady was uninterested in following his older brother Tim, Roy Roberts, footsteps in taking over the city's Third Ward. It was after a night of drinking and fighting with his best friend Bob Herrick, William Bishop, and while barley sober marrying a complete stranger Lorry Reed, Gloria McGhehee, that Brady finally came to his senses. It was also after being dumped by his girlfriend, who would later marry his best friend Bob, Elsie Reyonolds-Doe Avedow- and his brother Tim suddenly dropping dead, after having a violent argument with him, that changed Brady's way of thinking. Changing it for the worst not the better.
Being the top political king maker Brady controlled every politician in the state from Governor Beck, Harry Cheshire, on down to the local dog catcher. Ruthless and vindictive at anyone who as much as meekly disagreed with him Brady nurtured a slew of enemies who, when the time came, descended upon him like vultures on a dying corpse in the wild.
Brady went so far as getting involved with the mob who's head man Johnny Mazia, Robin Morse, he helped out, from going to jail, when he was a teenager. This happened when Brady got wiped out in the stock market and was deeply in debt to Mazia's gang in him losing over $200,000.00 in his gambling with Mazia's illegal bookies. With Brady having no choice but letting Mazia's gang have their way they turn the entire state of Missouri into a den of political corruption and mob drive-by shootouts and sponsored hit-jobs.
The final shoe to drop is when Brady gave the go ahead for Mazia to whack former gang member Morris Lazetti, John Mansfield, who was to turn states evidence against both him and Mazia in their criminal activities. This lead to what is now known as the "Kansas City Massacre" that cost the lives of a number of FBI Agents who were taking Lazetti, who was also killed, to Washington to testify.
With public outrage reaching its hight the city fathers lead by newly elected District Attorney Stanley Millard, Rhys Williams, have Brady kicked out of his position as head of the Third Ward. On top of all that there's also a federal charge in the murder of the FBI Agents, as well as fixing both federal and state elections, also hanging over Brady's head.
In the end even Bob Herrick, Brady's best friend, turned on him perjuring himself-in order to save his own hide-by falsely testifying that Brady took over a million dollars in kickbacks from a number of city insurance companies. What hurt Brady most is that he risked his life in saving Bob from being murdered by the Mazia mob! And this is the gratitude he ended up getting from him!
In the end a beaten and broken man ,looking at least twenty older then he actually is, Matt Brady who even his long suffering and abused wife Lorry couldn't quite bring herself to feel sorry for is seen walking into the state penitentiary- Leavenworth- with his trademark Cuban Cigar dropping to the ground as he prepares himself to spend the rest of his life behind prison bars.