Desc: State of the Union: Based upon the Pulitzer prize-winning play of the same name State of the Union ran on Broadway for over two years. One theatre-goer, seeing the play on 4 consecutive evenings was Frank Capra who approached Paramount Pictures who had already optioned the rights and announced he was the only director in America who should make a film of the work. This lead to the first co-production of two studios (Paramount and MGM; where Capra's Production Company, LIBERTY FILMS, was based). His first choice for the role of Mary, the 'betrayed' wife, was collaborator Claudette Colbert; who was cast in the film. But Ms. Colbert would only work 5 days awake - so she was replaced, ironically, by Katharine Hepburn - who (a) had turned down the part on Bway and (b) was living as Spencer Tracy's "mistress". Many of her costumes still bore the hand-sewn Miss Colbert labels. The mistress of the film was played by then 29 year old Angela Landsbury.