Preston Sturges - The Great McGinty (1940)

Tending bar in a seedy club in an out of the way banana republic, Daniel McGinty recounts his recent rise and fall to one of the club's chorus girls and a down on his luck American with suicidal thoughts. The rise began back in the United States where, as a tough guy hobo, he caught the attention of a man simply known as The Boss for his ingenuity and chutzpah. The Boss rigged elections for the sole purpose of political grafting, this election for mayor. The Boss hired McGinty to be his muscle, then moved him directly into the political realm when he needed a candidate with no name and thus no background to question. That political realm started as alderman, and with each successive win became political offices with more power. As part of his outward show of respectability, McGinty entered into a marriage of convenience with his secretary, Catherine, which included a built-in family. McGinty's life with Catherine and his work for The Boss ended up being incompatible as McGinty, on Catherine's urging, wanted to go straight, while the law began to catch up with The Boss and anyone associated with him.