Que le meilleur l'emporte

Screenwriter and the film's source playwright Gore Vidal cheerfully admitted that he meant the character of William Russell (Henry Fonda) to remind people of Adlai Stevenson and that Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) was based on Richard Nixon. Stevenson and Nixon were, of course, in different American political parties, Democrat and Republican respectively. Similarly, the character of former President Art Hockstader played by Lee Tracy, bore resemblances to both former Republican U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and former Democrat U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

During the roll call, the chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation begins his announcement by saying "Mr Chairman, the State of Pennsylvania....". Pennsylvania is actually a Commonwealth, and any leading politician would refer to it as such.

During the opening credits, a picture of every single U.S. President appears in order, from George Washington to Lyndon Johnson.

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)