Ada

The stars of this movie caught my eye when I checked this out of my local library, otherwise, I probably would have avoided it since it was such an obscure title. I just watched it with my mom who enjoyed it. I did too though I noticed it skimped on some details concerning the way corruption is possibly handled in politics. But it's fun seeing Dean Martin, Susan Hayward, and Wilfrid Hyde-White spar on screen as well as Ralph Meeker and Martin Balsam also around when it comes time to pick the good guys and the bad. Don't know if Dean's character is based on anyone from my home state of Louisiana who was elected governor but it's interesting when he's compared to some of them in other reviews on this site. Anyway, that's a recommendation of Ada.

When Ada was shown on TCM this past weekend Robert Osborne remarked that Susan Hayward requested to see this film during her final bout with brain cancer. I remembered reading some years ago that she said in an article her three favorite leading men were Clark Gable, John Wayne, and Dean Martin. She must have liked those guys a lot because she sure didn't do her best work with them.

But Ada is vintage Susan Hayward and again the kind of stuff that should have been done as a prime time TV soap opera. That's what these characters are more suited for.

In fact Dean Martin as Bo Gillis and Hayward as Ada are based on a couple of real life southern politicians. Jimmie Davis was a country singer/songwriter whose writing of You Are My Sunshine got him elected Governor of Louisiana. As it turned out when Ada was in theaters, Davis was being re-elected Governor of Louisiana again.

Miriam "Ma" Ferguson pinch hit for her husband James E. Ferguson twice as Governor of Texas. Of course Ma Ferguson didn't quite have the trollop background of Ada.

Susan is working in a high class bordello when gubernatorial candidate Martin comes in for a little entertainment. Wouldn't you know it, they fall in love and marry.

By a wild set of circumstances, Hayward is also made Lieutenant Governor as well as First Lady. I'll bet Bill Clinton is cursing the day he didn't think of that instead of being stuck with that stiff he had for a Vice president.

Fans of Susan Hayward and I'm one of them will love Ada. But it really is a bit much to expect the audience to swallow the incredible plot this film has.

Depression-era politics in the Old South, as guitar-strummin' sheriff Dean Martin campaigns for Governor, meeting and marrying call-girl Susan Hayward on the trail. Soon they're dealing with legislation problems and greedy weasels with old money, but will Hayward's ambitious nature ruin her marriage as well as bring her past history to light? Well-produced but naive, rather plodding melodrama based on Wirt Williams' novel "Ada Dallas" gives all the juiciest scenes to Hayward; Martin, on the other, is shunted off to the side (they're quite a pair anyway: he drinks, she smokes). The atmosphere of Southern plantations and back alleys isn't captured with much distinction (we don't even know what state this is supposedly taking place in), but the production is certainly colorful, even if the human interaction is rote. ** from ****

Lavish MGM production, set circa 1936 but with clothes and makeup (especially Susan Hayward's) strictly 1961, this cumbersome drama wants to be a mix of political intrigue, marital soap opera, and star power, but it comes up a bit short. In a nameless Southern state (which the screenwriters awkwardly disguise by having characters say "the state" over and over and over), hooker Hayward fascinates and marries gubernatorial candidate Dean Martin, a passive good- guy sort who does the bidding of Wilfrid Hyde-White, the greedy, unethical local boss who siphons state projects to his buddies, shades of 45. She shoves her way into the lieutenant governor's position, then, when Martin's car is blown up (we never find out by whom), becomes acting governor and shakes off the passivity Martin has been practicing. There are minor subplots involving Martin's college buddy Martin Balsam and Ralph Meeker, who's good as a lackey of Hyde-White's who keeps trying to cozy up to the title character, but the emphasis is on Susan's hair, her clothes, and her tough-gal demeanor: When a character says, "Give my regards to the governor," she snarls back, "You're talking to the governor." Dean looks disinterested and hasn't much to play, and Hyde-White employs an odd accent that isn't quite Brit and isn't quite Dixie. We're supposed to cheer as he's brought down and the governor's marriage recovers, but it's a pretty simplistic view of politics, and a key plot point--the opposition has a taped confession of Hayward's prostitute past--is resolved in an unpersuasively offhand way. Enjoyable, and very nicely shot, but you'll forget it the minute it's over.

Susan Hayward right after her triumph in I Want To Live had a string of hit movies: Woman Obsessed, Marriage Go Round, Back Street and this film Ada. Ada was filmed at MGM with Hayward's favorite Director Daniel Mann at the helm and was produced by Hayward's Chalmar Production Company. The Hayward-Mann connection was responsible for Susan Hayward's favorite film I'll Cry Tomorrow also at MGM which won the Star the Cannes Film Festival Award and an Oscar nomination. This film lavishly produced by MGM centers around Ms. Hayward playing a tramp who marries the Governor of a Southern State played by Dean Martin, and eventually becomes Governor due to an assignation attempt on the Governor played by Dean Martin. Susan Hayward's skill as an actress and Dean Martin's fine leading Man work mesh well together.

Supporting players include Martin Balsam and Ralph Meeker both ably acquit themselves. I liked the scene where Meeker tries to blackmail La Hayward as the Governor's wife. Susan Hayward-ever in control simply slaps Meeker and moves on. ( In my opinion Meeker should have been a major star) Wlfrid Hyde White plays a very wily Southern politician.

For the record as is part of Susan Hayward legend, Of all Ms Hayward's classic films such as I Want To Live, Smash Up, My Foolish Heart, etc, Ada is the film Susan Hayward requested to see just before Ms Hayward died of brain cancer.

Also note that there are many scenes with bouquets of yellow Roses. said to be Ms Hayward's favorite flower, Susan Hayward carries a big bouquet of yellow roses to Mr. Hyde-White.

Ada is a Susan Hayward movie, if you like Ms. Hayward -and I do!- you will like this film.

The conclusion of the film is intelligent where Susan Hayward and Martin reconcile and walk out of the State Capitol as equals.