The Last Hurrah
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Founder | Edwin O'Connor |
| Products | Book |
The Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel authored by Edwin O'Connor, recognized as his most acclaimed work, in part due to its 1958 cinematic adaptation featuring Spencer Tracy. The book remained on the United States bestseller list for 20 weeks and was among the year's top-selling titles. It earned the 1955 Atlantic Prize Novel honor and was selected by both the Book-of-the-Month Club and Reader's Digest. Critics responded with great enthusiasm, including an "ecstatic" appraisal from the New York Times Book Review.
Plot summary
Set against the backdrop of a mayoral contest in an unnamed East Coast city—commonly interpreted as Boston—The Last Hurrah follows Frank Skeffington, an experienced Irish-American Democratic politician and former governor, often referred to simply as "Governor." Skeffington’s character draws inspiration from Boston Mayor and Massachusetts Governor James Michael Curley. The narrative is delivered in third person, occasionally through the perspective of Adam Caulfield, Skeffington’s nephew.
At the age of 72, Skeffington considers retirement but ultimately opts to run for another term. The novel provides a detailed portrayal of urban political machine dynamics during his campaign. His challenger, Kevin McCluskey, is a youthful and relatively inexperienced contender with notable World War II service who capitalizes on television advertising—a novel campaign technique at the time—to build support. Despite Skeffington’s seasoned political influence, McCluskey emerges victorious.
Adam’s acquaintance characterizes this election as "a last hurrah" for traditional machine politics, which has been overtaken by evolving voter demographics and the growing power of media after the New Deal period. Television advertising is highlighted as a crucial factor in this transformation.
Following his electoral loss, Skeffington experiences two severe heart attacks and passes away, leaving a city grieving a significant figure whose political era has concluded.
Characters
- Frank Skeffington serves as mayor of an unnamed city and is a former governor. He is widely regarded as being modeled after James Michael Curley, Boston’s mayor and Massachusetts governor, who lost re-election in 1949 at age 74.
- Frank Skeffington, Jr., the mayor’s son, fails to meet his father’s expectations due to his lack of ambition and preference for social life.
- Adam Caulfield, Skeffington’s 33-year-old nephew, works as a local newspaper cartoonist known for creating the comic strip "Little Simp."
- Maeve Caulfield, Adam’s 22-year-old wife, initially harbors distrust toward Skeffington shaped by her upbringing but gradually changes her perception over time.
- Roger Sugrue, Maeve’s father, is a stern critic of Skeffington who influences Maeve’s early attitudes.
- Amos Force, publisher of the city’s leading newspaper and member of the Protestant elite, opposes Skeffington due to personal, political, and sectarian motives and aims to see him defeated.
- Sam Weinberg, part of Skeffington’s close advisory group, is a Jewish political strategist worried about the mayor’s chances of re-election.
- John Gorman, an experienced ward boss and skilled political advisor to Skeffington, combines loyalty with practical realism; he is based on Martin Lomasney, a prominent Boston political figure.
- Ditto Boland is a devoted but intellectually limited supporter who mimics Skeffington’s mannerisms so closely that he earned the nickname "Ditto," likely inspired by Curley’s aide John (Up-Up) Kelly.
- The Cardinal, a Roman Catholic leader who grew up alongside Skeffington but now opposes him, believing that Skeffington tarnishes their faith and community.
- Kevin McCluskey is Skeffington’s youthful and attractive World War II veteran opponent with minimal political experience.
Connection to Curley
The similarities between Skeffington and Boston Mayor James Michael Curley are notable: their comparable ages, backgrounds, dedication to a deceased spouse, troubled sons, disputes with the Protestant establishment, and eventual loss to younger rivals all reflect Curley's experiences. Nevertheless, Edwin O'Connor, the author, denied that Skeffington was modeled after Curley. The novel’s unnamed metropolis is commonly understood to represent Boston, where O'Connor once resided.
At first, Curley declined to review the book, citing potential legal issues. Yet as Skeffington’s charisma captivated audiences, Curley publicly commended the novel and even referred to it as a de facto biography during a lecture at the University of New Hampshire, pointing out what he considered omissions.
Shifts in political landscape
The Last Hurrah portrays the waning influence of the "big-city politician" archetype embodied by Skeffington. His electoral defeat symbolizes the transformation initiated by the New Deal, which shifted social welfare responsibilities—such as funding, employment, healthcare, and housing—from municipal political machines to federal programs under Franklin D. Roosevelt. This change introduced new standards of accountability for candidates seeking mayoral office.
Some academics contend that numerous mayors benefited from New Deal assistance and highlight Roosevelt’s efforts to preserve local political alliances prior to the Hatch Act of 1939, which limited such influence.
A prominent motif is the emergence of television advertising in electoral politics. The McCluskey campaign’s controversial TV commercial that secured his win represents an early example of media’s expanding role in campaigns, positioning The Last Hurrah as a groundbreaking political novel.
Influence
Alongside works like Democracy (1880), All the King's Men (1946), and Advise and Consent (1959), The Last Hurrah stands as one of the most successful novels centered on American political life.
The phrase "The Last Hurrah" denotes a politician’s final electoral effort or farewell campaign. The novel’s popularity, coupled with Spencer Tracy’s portrayal of the Curley-inspired character "Skeffington" in the 1958 film adaptation, enhanced public perception of former mayor James Michael Curley, who was out of office at that time. Curley also pursued legal action against the film’s producers and was awarded $46,000; his legacy is now partially shaped by both the book and its cinematic rendition.
Adaptations
Under the direction of John Ford, the 1958 film featured numerous Irish-American performers from Ford's regular troupe, including Spencer Tracy, Pat O'Brien, and James Gleason. Columbia Pictures purchased adaptation rights from O'Connor for $150,000.
Additional versions
Besides the 1958 movie, a 1977 television adaptation starred Carroll O'Connor for the Hallmark Hall of Fame. In 1999, Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company produced a stage version directed by Eric Simonson. Furthermore, a two-act musical interpretation was developed at Northwestern University.
Further reading
- William M. Bulger, James Michael Curley: A Short Biography with Personal Reminiscences (Boston, 2009).
- Edwin O'Connor, The Last Hurrah (Boston, 1956), p. 330; Lyle W. Dorsett, The Pendergast Machine (New York, 1968), pp. 103–17.
- Dorsett, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the City Bosses (Port Washington, N.Y., 1977).
- Bruce M. Stave, The New Deal and the Last Hurrah: Pittsburgh Machine Politics (Pittsburgh, 1970).
- John M. Allswang, The New Deal and American Politics: A Study in Political Change (New York, 1978), pp. 68–87.
- Charles H. Trout, Boston, the Great Depression and the New Deal (New York, 1977).
- Sidney M. Milkis, "Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Transcendence of Partisan Politics", Political Science Quarterly, 100, 3 (Fall, 1985): 492-99.
- A. James Reichley, The Life of the Parties: A History of American Political Parties (New York, 1992), pp. 258–62.