BEAU JAMES, with the subheading The Life And Times Of Jimmy Walker, stars Bob Hope, in the last of his few runs at drama (with jokes attached, cuz it’s Bob, after all) and grossed $5,000,000 back in 1957, placing a soso 46th for the year. James J. Walker, 1881-1946, was an attorney, a songwriter and a Democratic politician who was Mayor of New York City from 1926 until 1932, when bribery and relationship scandals forced his resignation. Colorful & flamboyant, effective & careless, beloved & controversial, in 1949 Walker was the subject of a 380-page biography from journalist & screenwriter Gene Fowler, parsed  into the film’s screenplay by Jack Rose & Melville Shavelson, with Shavelson directing. They’d had a success two years earlier with Hope and another New Yorkish bio, The Seven Little Foys. So with less in the way of gags and music and a more interesting (and likable) subject, they aimed to stretch Hope’s range past the safety net of comedy and count paying votes at the ticket booths.

In 1925, New York governor Al Smith urges state senator Walker (he was 44, Bob 53) to run for the mayorship of New York City. His estranged wife ‘Allie’ (Alexis Smith) pretends marital harmony because she believes he’ll be a good governor, while Tammany Hall bigshot ‘Chris Nolan’ (Paul Douglas) wants t0 make sure the flashy, liberal-minded Jimmy will tow the line with appointments that keep the machine greased. Walker wins, and then is re-elected running against reformer Fiorello LaGuardia (shown in newsreel footage). A mix of public approval for his style and his ability to push thru improvements eventually runs into his weakness in caving to favoritism on the city’s dime and in his risk-it-all affair with Betty Compton (Vera Miles), a 22-year-old showgirl. Allie won’t get a divorce, the Stock Market crashes, Betty grows restless waiting to become a Mrs. Walker, eventually despairing enough to nearly pull a suicide, and high-ranking Democrat’s, fearing the effect on Franklin Roosevelt’s election chances, lower the boom. Bad news for freewheeling Jimmy and Herbert Hoover, a major break for the country and the world at large. *

Hope’s pretty good, but his persona (and way with delivering a wisecrack) are so ingrained that you’re always conscious that you’re seeing “Bob Hope doing something different” rather than fully accepting him as the character. Smith easily handles the chilled wife, bluff Douglas puffs entreaties and rebukes as the fixer behind the throne and the supporting cast is festooned with ‘city types’. Appearing as themselves in cameos are Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny and George Jessel. Walter Winchell narrates, his rat-a-tat delivery familiar to audiences of the day from hearing him on the radio; this was two years before he’d get a new round of recognition from TVs The Untouchables.

Period atmosphere is acceptable, and there are ample views of New York City, though later in the movie some truly lame process shots futz the appeal. Marketed as a showpiece for Hope, it’s much more so for Vera Miles, 28 and sparkling as the singer girlfriend. Those who are familiar with her from a half-dozen ‘wholesome’ Disney items, or, better, in frontier garb for classics The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, or perhaps as Janet Leigh’s snooping sis in Psycho, can see a much sexier Vera in this movie, displaying a killer pair of legs that any showgirl would envy. She also reveals a nice singing voice.

With Darren McGavin, Joe Mantell, Horace McMahon, Willis Bouchey, Sid Melton, Walter Catlett, Russ Bender, James Flavin, Mickey Finn, Sandra Gould, Bing Ryssell, Joe Turkel, Philip Van Zandt. 105 minutes.

* Walker and Compton would marry in 1933. It lasted until 1941. Married twice before Walker and once after, she passed away three years later, just 38. Jimmy went two years after at 65. Polls of historians historians rank Walker as The Big Apple’s worst Mayor, with La Guardia, who took the job from 1934 to 1946, as the best. Until he finally went to where memories are eternally thanked Bob Hope was tireless about working—movies, TV specials, emcee gigs, everything appearance venue but hiding out on Apollo 11 and landing on the Moon —he didn’t try any more straight dramas, and after this—apart from putting some effort into 1960’s The Facts Of Life—the remainder of his movie vehicles were tired and phoned in. As this review was written, Vera Miles is with us at ninety-five.

Publicity layout, and, yes, you’re welcome

Another publicity shot I felt compelled to include.