The rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. Marcia Jeffries is the innocent Sarah Lawrence girl who discovers the great man in a back-country jail and is the first to fall under his spell.
| Camera | Gayne Rescher | Director of Photography |
| Writing | Budd Schulberg | Screenplay |
| Writing | Budd Schulberg | Story |
| Sound | Tom Glazer | Original Music Composer |
| Directing | Elia Kazan | Director |
| Production | Elia Kazan | Producer |
| Camera | Harry Stradling Sr. | Director of Photography |
| Editing | Gene Milford | Editor |
| Art | Paul Sylbert | Art Direction |
| Costume & Make-Up | Willis Hanchett | Hairstylist |
| Costume & Make-Up | Anna Hill Johnstone | Costume Design |
| Art | Richard Sylbert | Art Direction |
| Production | George Justin | Production Manager |
| Costume & Make-Up | Robert Jiras | Makeup Artist |
| Sound | Don Olson | Sound Editor |
| Sound | Ernest Zatorsky | Sound |
| Directing | Don Kranze | Assistant Director |
