This week’s mystery movie has been the 1961 MGM picture “Ada,” starring Susan Hayward, Dean Martin, Wilfrid Hyde White, Ralph Meeker, Martin Balsam, Frank Maxwell, Connie Sawyer, Ford Rainey, Charles Watts, Larry Gates, Robert S. Simon and William Zuckert. Music was by Bronislau Kaper.
It was photographed with Panavision lenses in CinemaScope and Metrocolor by Joseph Ruttenberg.
The screenplay was by Arthur Sheekman and William Driskill from Wirt Williams’ novel “Ada Dallas.” An Avon Productions Chalamar Picture, the movie was directed by Daniel Mann.
A Feb. 12, 1961, article in the New York Times described filming certain scenes inside the California Capitol, and said it was the first time filming had been allowed inside the building.
Daily Variety (July 26, 1961) called it “a far-fetched story rescued by sharp dialogue.” The movie opened in Los Angeles on Aug. 17, 1961, and received a lukewarm review from Times critic Philip K. Scheuer, who said: “On the screen, it is a tall tale, hard to believe, a kind of ‘Elmer Gantry transferred from the religious to the political arena, from soul-saving to spoils-saving.”
“Ada” opened in New York on Aug. 25, 1961, but apparently was not reviewed in the New York Times.
Footnote: Ford Rainey is the father of Variety reporter (and former Los Angeles Times colleague) James Rainey.
The movie is available from Warner Archive for $19.49.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Emory Parnell.
OK, this isn’t really a mystery, but imagine my surprise to see it here.
For Tuesday, we have some mystery dowagers.
Update: This is Louise Lorimer, Kathryn Card and Helen Beverly.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery guest, wrong movie), Don Danard (mystery guest), Michael Ryerson (mystery guest) and Patrick (mystery guest).
And for Wednesday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Frank Maxwell.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mystery dowagers), Dewey Webb (mystery movie and mystery dowagers), Patrick (mystery movie and mystery dowager), Roget-L.A. (mystery dowager/wrong movie), Barbara Klein (mystery dowager/wrong movie) and LC (mystery movie and mystery guests).
For Thursday, we have another mystery gent.
Update: This is Wilfrid Hyde White
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Barbara Klein (mystery movie and mystery guests), Valley Dave (mystery movie, mystery dowagers and Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest).
And for Friday, we have a distinguished mystery legislator, left, and a mystery companion.
Update: This is Ford Rainey, left, and Herbert Lytton.
You were expecting, maybe, this rock ‘n’ roller?
And Dino himself. At the time “Ada” was in production, he said he was looking forward to making “Toys in the Attic.”
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and guests), Earl Boebert (Thursday’s mystery guest, but wrong production), Sheila (Thursday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (mystery movie and Monday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mystery guest), Chrisbo (Thursday’s mystery guest), Candy Cassell (Thursday’s mystery guest), Sarah (Thursday’s mystery guest), Victor H. Brown (Thursday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), Barbara Klein (Thursday’s mystery guest) and Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie, mystery dowager and Thursday’s mystery gent).
ladailymirror.com 
Emory Parnell in “Has Anybody Seen My Gal.” He’s related to the wonderful LA based artist and film enthusiast Jenny Lerew,
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Dan White
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Curt Jurgens
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Sorry, I’m afraid not.
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Today it’s Emory Parnell.
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Emory Parnell.
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Donald MacBride in “Two Tickets to Broadway”
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Looks like an old, Kenneth Tobey. For a guy who played in many fifties sci-fi works – often as a likeable proto-fascist – how odd that he had two first names.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Paul Birch.
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Alas, I’m afraid not
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Emory Parnell
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Maybe Cliff Clark?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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The Castle Green!
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It sure is. What a surprise to see it in this picture!
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“Ada” society dames: Louise Lorimer, Kathryn Card, Helen Beverly.
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Louise Lorimer, Kathryn Card in ADA
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Dowager in the middle is Kathryn Card; Ada from 1961.
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I recognize Kathryn Card as Dowager #2. Could this then be “All in a Night’s Work” (1961)? If so, then I’ll guess that Dowager #1 is Amy Douglass, Dowager #3 is Ezelle Poule, and Monday’s mystery cop is Carl Saxe.
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I think the movie is “All in a NIght’s Work”
Monday – could be Anthony de Mario
Tuesday – Amy Douglass, Kathryn Card, and Ezelle Poule (also, that could be Harriet MacGibbon in the background wearing the blue hat)
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Ada (1961) w/Susan Hayward, Dean Martin, Emory Parnell, Kathryn Card, Louise Lorimer…
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Frank Maxwell
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“Ada”
Emory Parnell, Louise Lorimer, Kathryn Card, maybe Peg La Centra, Frank Maxwell
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Tuesday: Louise Lorimer on left, Kathryn Card in the middle. Wednesday:
Frank Maxwell. Movie is “Ada.”
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Wednesday: Frank Maxwell. Mystery Movie: Ada (1961)
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Wilfred Hyde-White today. Those dowagers don’t look like the types that would go to the Castle.
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I think Thursday’s fellow is Wilfred Hyde-White, Monday is John Finnegan, which would make this the Columbo episode “Last Salute to the Commodore.”
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Wilfrid Hyde-White for Thursday.
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It’s Ada. Emory Parnell Monday, dowagers left to right on Tuesday Louise Larimer, Amy Douglass, and Peg La Centra.
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On Thursday, Wilfrid Hyde-White?
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My first guess was Emory Parnell and I did not go with it. Now I see it is him along with Frank Maxwell and today Wilfred Hyde White. Who are those ladies.
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Ha! Wilfrid Hyde-White today with an aging Emory Parnell on Monday. Maybe Ada (1961) with Dean Martin, Susan Hayward and Ralph Meeker upcoming Friday. Never saw it. Cheated. Sorry.
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Thursday: Wilfrid Hyde-White
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Wilfred Hyde-White Thursday?
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Wilfred Hyde White today.
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Thursday is Wilfred Hyde-White!
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Thursday. Wilfred Hyde-White.
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A Southern accented Wilfred Hyde-White.
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Wilfred Hyde-White
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Arthur Treacher on Thursday?
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Oh interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Our guess is “Ada”. We recognized Wilfred Hyde White and Kathryn Card.
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Dino today, looking somewhat like Andy Griffith in A FACE IN THE CROWD.
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Ford Rainey, Edgar Dearing (I think), George Washington, and Dean Martin
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Add Ford Rainey and Dean Martin to the cast.
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Paul Ford on Thursday.
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Interesting guess. But I’m afraid not.
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A little late with this but Thursday’s Mystery Guest is Wilfred Hyde White.
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Unusual costuming for ¨Mr. Cool¨ Dean Martin: very serious grey three piece suit, solid grey tie, stiff collared white shirt, along with his simple guitar, at what appears to be an evening outdoor political campaign event. Same movie as the others?
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Mystery man on bench is Ford Rainey. Not-so-mystery man with guitar is Dean Martin.
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Ford Rainey; Herbert Lytton; Dean Martin.
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