As we all know, New York City and New York State has produced some colorful politicians. Spitzer, Giuliani, Koch, D'Amato, LaGuardia -- the Big Apple and Empire State has had its share of public servants with "personality." But they all pale in comparison to Jimmy Walker (no, not "DYNO-MITE!" Jimmy Walker) but James J Walker, "the Jazz Age Mayor" (1926 to 1932).
He was stylish, charming, debonair -- and corrupt as hell. According to this 1949 Time magazine book review, Beau James or Gentleman Jimmy (as he was alternatively known) didn't wake up until ten in the morning, didn't get to the office until noon, did two or three hours of work, then hit the nightclubs. Did he cheat on his wife? That's an understatement -- his affair with the actress Betty Compton was the talk and toast of the town (today I guess they'd be called "JamesBet" or something like that). Did this scandalous behavior make Mayor Walker unpopular? Uh huh. He was re-elected in 1929 in a landslide and only left office when forced to resign in a scandal.
No politician today would be so flagrantly corrupt or amoral as Beau James (not even Rudy) and that's probably a good thing. But he's sure fun to read about.
P.S. Bob Hope's only real dramatic role was the 1957 movie Beau James. If Jazz Age New York is your thing, you should check it out.
He was stylish, charming, debonair -- and corrupt as hell. According to this 1949 Time magazine book review, Beau James or Gentleman Jimmy (as he was alternatively known) didn't wake up until ten in the morning, didn't get to the office until noon, did two or three hours of work, then hit the nightclubs. Did he cheat on his wife? That's an understatement -- his affair with the actress Betty Compton was the talk and toast of the town (today I guess they'd be called "JamesBet" or something like that). Did this scandalous behavior make Mayor Walker unpopular? Uh huh. He was re-elected in 1929 in a landslide and only left office when forced to resign in a scandal.
No politician today would be so flagrantly corrupt or amoral as Beau James (not even Rudy) and that's probably a good thing. But he's sure fun to read about.
P.S. Bob Hope's only real dramatic role was the 1957 movie Beau James. If Jazz Age New York is your thing, you should check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep it civil, intelligent, and expletive-free. Otherwise, opine away.