This above average political (campaign) drama by Daniel Mann, features Susan Hayward, whom he'd earlier directed in the Lillian Roth biography I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), in the title role. The film also stars Dean Martin, Wilfrid Hyde-White, in a very non-Colonel Pickering role four years before My Fair Lady (1964), Martin Balsam, and Ralph Meeker, among others.Martin plays a political novice, whose only qualifications are his looks and easy going nature which makes him good with people, that's elected Governor of a Southern state with the assistance of power broker Hyde-White, who pulls all the strings until Hayward, as Martin's newlywed "trollop" wife, intervenes. Balsam plays Martin's speech-writer, who shares the same humble beginnings, and Meeker plays a lecherous cop, who does Hyde-White's dirty work.The first 30 minutes or so introduces us to the characters: Bo Gillis (Martin) is a guitar playing, twice elected Sheriff of a small town (in an unnamed Southern state, probably Mississippi or Louisiana) who's running for Governor. We learn later that he was plucked out of a bar by Sylvester Marin (Hyde-White), an insider who controls the state legislature, to be the Reform party candidate running against the incumbent(s). Tabs are kept on Bo by Steve Jackson (Balsam), the now grown-up "smart kid" from his neighborhood who now acts as his speech-writer.After one rally, Alice Sweet (Connie Sawyer) provides a call girl for Bo's entertainment, who accepts against Steve's protestations. Actually, it's not made too clear whether Bo realizes that Ada (Hayward) had been "bought and paid for" him or not; Martin plays it as if he lured her with his own charm. In any case, on the lonely campaign trail, Ada is a breath of free air, and after three weeks, three weeks before the election as well, they elope.By now, Bo knows of her humble beginnings as the daughter of a sharecropper, and her struggles to get out of Alabama by being a friend to men for money. But, he doesn't care, and he genuinely seems to love her. It appears that she loves him too, that she's not just a gold digger looking for a leg up. However, that "fact" is called into question, at least by Bo, as events unfold. We meet Sylvester, who successfully hides Ada's background from the press while exposing the opposition candidate's wife as a drug addict, thanks to police Colonel Yancey (Meeker). Of course, Bo is elected.The rest of the film is about Bo as Governor, and the power struggles that ensue when Ada tells him that it is HE, and not Sylvester Marin, who was elected. It seems that being Governor isn't all that it's cracked up to be, to Bo. Everyone bypasses his office on the way to Sylvester's, who asks Bo to sign his name to dozens of pieces of paper each day, none of which Bo reads.It isn't until Ronnie Hallerton (Frank Maxwell), also from Bo's hometown and now Lieutenant Governor thanks to Sylvester, brings a "park bill" to Bo's attention that he thinks there is anything wrong. Bo learns that, thanks to his own signature, the State is going to pay large sums of money to Sylvester's friends, who invested in Bo's campaign, to build parks, the need for which is nebulous. The State, of course, will have to raise taxes to buy the land.Meanwhile, Ada has been propositioned by Yancey, who is now head of security for the Governor, and gotten Steve to get her invited to an "old money" tea party. In a scene that may have been done better, Hayward plays Ada as a woman who realizes the power of her newly elected husband, and demonstrates a desire to wield it as her own. She effectively "takes names" of the stuffy women obsessed with their own blue blood backgrounds, and later gets an opportunity to deliver their comeuppance.When Sylvester learns that it was Ronnie who woke up Bo as to what he'd been signing, he forces Hallerton to resign. Bo tells Ada about the whole goings on and she manipulates Sylvester into having her sworn in as Lieutenant Governor. Bo is not sure whether Ada is his partner or Sylvester's, but suspects the worse. His suspicions are confirmed, at least to him, when he is injured by a car bomb, allowing Ada to be sworn in as acting Governor while he recovers.When Sylvester learns that Ada is not his ally, but is Bo's instead, he uses Yancey, who uses Alice, to get what he needs to discredit Ada. Fortunately, there are some honest men (played by Larry Gates & Bill Zuckert, maybe Charles Watts) in the legislature who are willing to help Ada and stand up to Sylvester, "his" Speaker (Ford Rainey) and another "bought" Senator (Robert Simon). The final "showdown" scenes in the Capitol Building are surprisingly good and well choreographed.A few recognizable character actors appear uncredited: Emory Parnell plays the security guard at the Governor's office when Bo and Ada first see it; Mary Treen plays a woman that offers Ada pie at a rally before the election; Bill Walker plays the servant at the Governor's mansion.

Though entertaining enough, "Ada" does not belong in the top tier of Susan Hayward showcases. She's terrific as always, in a role that suits her, but too much in this stretches credibility and lacks proper transitioning. I blame the script, plus Susan and Dean Martin don't especially click together. The film is set in the South and, even though it says Ada comes from Alabama originally, its never made clear which state the action occurs in. The period is also not spelled out, though at the beginning, as Martin is campaigning, he passes a movie theater showing "Escapade", a 1935 William Powell vehicle. Yet, the clothing and hairstyles are definitely not 30's style. Two fine character actors, Martin Balsam and Ralph Meeker, are not given enough to do in support, while Wilfred Hyde-White never seems quite right as wily power-behind-the-scenes Sylvester Marin, his British accent out of place even with a layer of Southern drawl superimposed over it. All in all, you'll be entertained by this combination of "All the King's Men" and "A Face in the Crowd" with sudsy soap opera, but don't expect greatness.

For me, this film started off with a leg up because of the two stars. I'm a huge Dean Martin fan, and Susan Hayward has always been a favorite. Having said that, I still think this film is under-appreciated.I've heard people say that the plot's not really believable. It's about as believable as the plots of most films. And, it's loosely based on some real southern history -- multiple times in fact, and most recently in the case of Lurleen Wallace, wife to George Wallace. However -- despite the modernity of Hayward's attire in the film -- this film was set during the Great Depression...and in the deep South. So I think the basic plot is quite believable.As much as I enjoy Dean on film, a better southern accent would have helped (which he certainly achieved in "Some Came Running"). However, he's supposed to be a bit of a bumpkin in this role, and I think he plays it as needed. Susan Hayward...well, she has "spunk", and it really showed in this film. When you went to a Susan Hayward film, this is exactly the kind of portrayal you wanted to see.There are also a couple of superb supporting performances. Wilfred Hyde-White is brilliant as the dirty politician. True, his British accent showed through a tad, but his delight in playing the villainous role more than made up for that. An actor I usually don't really appreciate -- Ralph Meeker -- ably portrays the sleazy "colonel" in the state police and militia -- a wonderful performance. Martin Balsam is also very good as the speech writer/college boy working for the governor, but his role needed to be expanded just a bit. Balsam was one of those reliable character actors throughout much of the latter half of the 1900s. Frank Maxwell also has a good role as the lieutenant governor here, and joins a number of recognizable character actors in support of the primary cast.I also have to mention the direction of the film. It would have been very easy to overdo it with the southern aspect of the film, and shove that southern malaise down our throats (as Lillian Hellman sometimes did). Director Daniel Mann resisted that temptation, and also "the South" was always there, it didn't overwhelm the story.The Warner Archives has recently (2012) released this film, although it has not been restored. My biggest complaint with the DVD is a lack of crispness (though not bad), and variations in skin tone throughout the film...often too red. But, it's still nice to have it out in reasonable quality.Yup, I'm a bit prejudiced here, but this has always been a particular favorite of mine. I highly recommend it, soap-sudsy as it may seem.

Move over Hilary Clinton and Condi Rice. You had Ada to contend with before your true political aspirations become known.Bo Gillis is running for governor. He is introduced to trollop Ada, and after a whirlwind romance, they wed. Ada is played by Susan Hayward, always at the top of her game. Even with her red hair ablaze, Hayward looked haggard and not in the best of health when she made this flick.Of course, Bo, (Dean Martin) is a fool duped to run for governor by political boss Sylvester, (a not so charming Wilfrid Hyde-White,) who does quit well in his part of a vicious back-room character who controls the state of business and will go as far as murder to make sure that he rules.Bo quickly realizes that something is wrong when a governor is just called upon to sign bills. The Lt. Governor tells him all about the Parks legislation. Sylvester makes sure that the Lt.Governor resigns. Suddenly, Ada is determined to be his replacement.When Bo is ready to buck Sylvester, he is nearly killed in a bomb placed in his car. As Ada had volunteered to be the lieutenant, Bo thinks that she is in with Sylvester.Along for the ride is Ralph Meeker, who plays the head of the police. He is as corrupt as they come. He even makes a play for Ada. Why didn't she try to unload him right there and then?What is amazing in all this is that Ada becomes very intelligent regarding the workings of government and legislation very, very quickly. She has her own ideas in mind to rid the state of Sylvester's bossism. She confronts certain ladies at a tea party and reminds them of their husbands ties to the state, thanks to the legislation on the books that allows them to do business with the state.Suddenly, in a scene change, Sylvester is shown in a wheelchair. What happened Syl? True though, you're as sly as ever.Bo is released from the hospital and in the capitol gallery views the showdown between Ada and Sylvester. Sylvester's old tricks will not prevail.Good for its depiction of corruption. Fairly good performances but storyline is so predictable.