Ada (film)
| Ada | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster | |
| Directed by | Daniel Mann |
| Produced by | Lawrence Weingarten |
| Screenplay by |
Arthur Sheekman William Driskill |
| Based on |
Ada Dallas 1959 novel by Wirt Williams |
| Starring |
Susan Hayward Dean Martin Wilfrid Hyde-White Ralph Meeker Martin Balsam |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
| Cinematography | Joseph Ruttenberg |
| Edited by | Ralph E. Winters |
Production company |
Avon Productions Chalmar Inc. |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release dates | August 25, 1961 (USA) |
Running time | 109 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
Ada is a 1961 American political drama film made by Avon Productions and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Daniel Mann and produced by Lawrence Weingarten, with a screenplay by Arthur Sheekman and William Driskill based on the novel Ada Dallas by Wirt Williams. The musical score was by Bronislau Kaper and the cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. The art direction was by Edward Carfagno and George W. Davis and the costume design by Helen Rose.
The film stars Susan Hayward and Dean Martin along with Wilfrid Hyde-White, Ralph Meeker, and Martin Balsam.
Plot
Bo Gillis (Dean Martin) is a guitar-playing good old boy from a Southern state who is a candidate for governor there. He ends up elected after his opponent's wife is revealed to have a dark secret, a fact that Bo's campaign mastermind, Sylvester Marin (Wilfrid Hyde-White), makes sure becomes known to all.
Shortly before the election, Bo goes to a nightclub where he is introduced to Ada Dallas (Susan Hayward), a working girl. They share a similar upbringing and Bo feels an immediate bond. They elope, much to the chagrin of the candidate's speechwriter, Steve (Martin Balsam), and the cynical Sylvester, who wants the marriage annulled.
The Gillises resist and begin life as the state's first couple. Soon the governor finds that he is little more than a stooge, blindly signing whatever document Sylvester puts before him. His childhood friend Ronnie (Frank Maxwell) is dismissed as lieutenant governor for speaking out. Sylvester requests help from Ada in controlling her husband, but the state's ambitious First Lady demands something quite outrageous in return — to be named the new lieutenant governor.
Bo is furious. He wanted Ada to be his refuge from dirty politics, not a part of it. He continues to oppose Sylvester's methods, which leads to a bomb being placed in the governor's car. In the hospital, Bo tells Ada that he believes her to be a conspirator in his attack and insults her, causing her to angrily leave him.
Ada is sworn in as acting governor. Quickly, though, she goes to work against Sylvester, promoting her husband's ideas for honest government. On the day of a decisive vote at the state Capitol building, as Bo views from the gallery, Sylvester and his henchman Yancey (Ralph Meeker) try to sabotage Ada's plans by revealing evidence of her past as a prostitute. Bo speaks up on his wife's behalf. Sylvester is ruined, and Bo and Ada walk away from the Capitol side by side.
Cast
- Susan Hayward as Ada Gillis
- Dean Martin as Bo Gillis
- Wilfrid Hyde-White as Sylvester Marin
- Ralph Meeker as Col. Yancey
- Martin Balsam as Steve Jackson
- Frank Maxwell as Ronnie Hallerton
- Connie Sawyer as Alice Sweet
- Ford Rainey as Speaker
- Charles Watts as Al Winslow
- Larry Gates as Joe Adams
- Robert S. Simon as Natfield
- Bill Zuckert as Harry Davers
Reception
Box Office
According to MGM records the film lost $2,372,000.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ada (film). |
- Ada at the Internet Movie Database
- Ada at the TCM Movie Database
- Ada at AllMovie
- Ada at the British Film Institute's Film and TV Database
- Ada at the American Film Institute Catalog