The Boss tries so hard to be a great All the King's Men kind of political cautionary tale that one wants to give it more credit than it actually deserves. This is especially so since the film showcases a truly memorable performance from John Payne, a stalwart actor whose work was often uneven. At his best, as in here, Payne registers very strongly, showing a range that is only hinted at in many of his other films. He seems galvanized by the part and grabs the many "big scene" opportunities and plays them for all they're worth, yet without crossing over into mere showboating. Payne is so good, in fact, that he almost makes the audience forget that we don't really know anything about the character he's playing. We're presented with a headstrong, insensitive, power-hungry, driven man, but not given enough details on how he got to be that way. A few words here and there are supposed to suffice when we want depth. Granted, writer Ben Perry (actually, the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo) and director Byron Haskin don't want to damage the film's forward thrust, but they needed to find a middle ground that would work. As it is, despite Payne and the fine work of William Bishop and Gloria McGhee, The Boss feels rushed and incomplete. It has power, but not substance -- ironically, much like the title character himself.