The President's Analyst

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The President's Analyst

Released Dec 21, 1967

1h 43m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

In this lively satire, psychiatrist Sidney Schaefer (James Coburn) is recruited by the U.S. government to serve as the president's own top-secret psychoanalyst. On call at all hours and privy to the leader's most private thoughts, Schaefer develops paranoia, which turns out to be warranted, since numerous international agencies are out to get him for his highly classified knowledge. Aided by spy Don Masters (Godfrey Cambridge), Schaefer must survive the many attempts on his life.

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Critics Consensus

Its cynical satire of government bureaucracy and Cold War paranoia doesn't always land, but The President's Analyst makes a breakthrough with James Coburn's wry performance and Theodore J. Flicker's zippy direction.

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J. Hoberman

Village Voice

Theodore Flicker's genial exercise in comic paranoia re-emerges, for no apparent reason, a reasonably fit and funny artifact from the age of grooviness.

Jun 4, 2008

Full Review

Mark Bourne

Film.com

If Philip K. Dick had worked for Mad magazine, he might have come up with The President's Analyst.

Jan 18, 2008

Full Review

Variety

The President's Analyst is a superior satire on some sacred cows, principally the lightly camouflaged FBI, hippies, psychiatry, liberal and conservative politics -- and the telephone company.

Apr 2, 2007

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a dated and completely misbegotten piece of work that has little of relevance to say all these years later.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 9, 2021

Full Review

Giles M. Fowler

Kansas City Star

When it works, under the agitated, electric razzle-dazzle of Theodore J. Flicker's direction, it can be a screamingly funny (sometimes just plain screaming) experience.

Jun 26, 2020

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 3/5

Mar 9, 2008

Full Review

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Daniel C. M

A absurdist, Kafkaesque comedy mixed with sci-fi that also features heavy social and political satire. The comedic elements still holds up to this day and some would argue it's even more effective today; although it also provides a great look at the 60s political and social ambient and it's very endearing at that. This movie really got better with time and it shows.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/25

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Frank B

It nicely portrays the 60's. This is one of my favourite films because it is quirky funny and smart...I like it because it got the 60's feel right on and the way I remember the many beautiful women....great acting & characters...Is it a satire? Very relevant today ...a must watch

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

Full Review

Tom S

Sure, it's dated by some of the period details, but it's a clever satire whose main conceit has proven to be uncomfortably prescient some 55 years later...a blandly malevolent AI controls the corporation that has a monopoly over telecommunications in the United States and it doesn't have humanities best interest in it's cold robotic hands.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

Full Review

Steve D

I found nothing the least bit convincing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This one is my husband's favorite, and I finally watched it with him after we got our Covid shots and I "What are you trying to tell me, Honey? Spies like us all love the phone company?". It's a very happy ending. All the robot-aliens are virtually plugged into their favorite spies on screen, and everyone agrees we're all invested in the phone company, so, why bother being so paranoid about it? This film blasted this message out in 1967, so all the new conspiracy theories seem like classic cars compared to this film which must've always been a Tesla.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Dan X

Give this movie a shot, guarantee you've never seen anything like it

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/21

Full Review

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Theodore J. Flicker

Director

James Coburn

Dr. Sidney Schaefer

Godfrey Cambridge

Don Masters, CEA Agent

William Daniels

Wynn Quantrill

Severn Darden

V.I. Kydor Kropotkin

Joan Delaney

Nan Butler

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - The Science of Microelectronics

1:51

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - Don't Say Lousy, It's Impolite

0:46

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - A Childhood Memory

2:05

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - Please, No Russian - I'm Spying!

1:52

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - Meet the Quantrills

2:02

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - Changes

2:13

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - You Can Actually Legally Kill Someone?

2:13

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - I'm All Right... Or Am I?

2:08

The President's Analyst: Official Clip - On Call

2:05

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Synopsis

In this lively satire, psychiatrist Sidney Schaefer (James Coburn) is recruited by the U.S. government to serve as the president's own top-secret psychoanalyst. On call at all hours and privy to the leader's most private thoughts, Schaefer develops paranoia, which turns out to be warranted, since numerous international agencies are out to get him for his highly classified knowledge. Aided by spy Don Masters (Godfrey Cambridge), Schaefer must survive the many attempts on his life.

Director: Theodore J. Flicker
Producer: Stanley Rubin
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount, Panpiper Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1967, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 21, 2010
Runtime: 1h 43m

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