Huey Pierce Long remains one of the best-known political figures in U.S. history. He is still widely remembered across the country, and especially in Louisiana, where he served as governor.
Several books have been written about Long. The most famous is Robert Penn Warren’s novel All the King’s Men. It was published in 1946, and in 1947 its author received the Pulitzer Prize.
Dozens of films were later made from the book. Among them was a Soviet adaptation under the same title, released in 1971. The role of Willie Stark, a character widely seen as modeled on Huey Long, was played by Georgy Zhzhonov.
The article notes, however, that in all of these books and films Long’s image was significantly embellished and does not fully match the man he was in real life.
According to the official biography kept at the U.S. Library of Congress, Long was born on August 30, 1893, into a farming family. He had two brothers and five sisters.
At the age of 17, he left school and began working as a traveling salesman. In 1913, Long married Rose McConnell.
Starting in 1914, he attended Baptist University and also took law courses in Oklahoma. Six months later he transferred to Tulane University in New Orleans, and in 1915 he passed his exams, earning the right to practice law.