The President's Analyst

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The President's Analyst

1967

1h 43m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

79%

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

Jun 4, 2008

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.

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Mark Bourne

Film.com

Jan 18, 2008

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

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Derek Adams

Time Out

Jun 24, 2006

Overall it's hilarious stuff, held together by Coburn's tongue-in-cheek performance, one of his best.

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Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

Sep 27, 2026

The real off-kilter brilliance of the film is in the way it presents politics not as a cynical game, or a patriotic duty, but as a kind of whacked-out psychic weight.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jan 9, 2021

1.5/4

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

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Giles M. Fowler

Kansas City Star

Jun 26, 2020

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.

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Mike W

@MikeW269 Dec 3, 2025

I enjoyed this comedy and it's 60s theme. Coburn and his fellow cast did very well. I have not seen Coburn in a movie similar to this.

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Daniel C. M

@RT91944882 Jan 14, 2025

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.

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Frank B

@RT28767711 Dec 20, 2024

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

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Steve D

@RT35616104 Jul 27, 2023

I found nothing the least bit convincing.

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Jun 5, 2021

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.

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Dan X

@RT26585284 Jan 19, 2021

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

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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

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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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