Beau James (1957)

Right from the outset, Bob Hope seemed to be an odd choice of casting to depict the political rise of New York mayor Jimmy Walker in the late 1920s. Indeed, it all starts quite inauspiciously when he starts singing and dancing on the hustings for his first mayoral campaign. History tells us that he romped that election and now, ostensibly empowered to do good for his city, he discovers that his power is but a mirage. Soon, he realises not just that strings are being pulled around him, but that he, too, can pull strings - something he does rather shamelessly to ensure his girlfriend Betty (Vera Miles) gets top billing in a music show. Hope is actually quite engaging here. He has a nice but dim look to him that would appear to play well to the real appraisals of the man who was widely believed to be more dumb that duplicitous in real life. His charismatic style also illustrates quite well how the real Walker managed, as politicians continue to do to this day, to engage with the electorate using humour, sarcasm and a charm offensive that belied the lack of any real policy or political clout or acumen. This may well be my favourite role for Hope and Vera Miles, Willis Bouchey and Richard Shannon all contribute well to create an affable biopic of a man who symbolised so much of post depression hope and optimism in the Big Apple.