Reviews and commentary for movies with Frank Sinatra.
Thursday, October 9th 2008
Grade: B-
Synopsis: A womanizing nightclub singer (Frank Sinatra) finds a meal ticket in a rich widow (Rita Hayworth) but can’t shake his attraction to a chorus girl (Kim Novak).
Pal Joey is a solid musical drama, boosted by great performances from its three leads, particularly Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak.
Though it’s sold as a musical, it’s really more of a drama. With the exception of one ill-advised number by Rita Hayworth and another awkward bit by Sinatra toward the film’s end, no character breaks out into song for no apparent reason. In fact, all the songs are sung by performers playing singers, and thus they feel like a natural part of the story. Further, some of the numbers, like Sinatra’s private performance of “The Lady is a Tramp” for Hayworth’s character are real highlights. MORE »
Posted at 1:06 PM in Movie Reviews and Frank Sinatra.
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Tuesday, October 7th 2008
Grade: D-
Synopsis: An outlaw (Frank Sinatra) and a sheriff (George Kennedy) tangle over a strongbox, Indians, and a schoolteacher.
Dirty Dingus Magee is a would-be slapstick western in the vein of director Burt Kennedy’s earlier success, Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) that unfortunately, never works.
For starters, the film is more bawdy cartoon then comedy, as most of its gags seem to rely on their (at the time) outlandishness for laughs. Viewed today, the film just feels flat and lazy, with lead Frank Sinatra sleepwalking though a ridiculous script. Costar George Kennedy does what he can, but he’s no leading man, and it isn’t until Jack Elam shows up near the film’s finale that the film gets its first real laughs. MORE »
Posted at 3:45 PM in Movie Reviews and Frank Sinatra.
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Tuesday, October 7th 2008
Grade: D
Synopsis: In Miami, a man (Frank Sinatra) struggles to reconcile his big dreams, run-down hotel, free-spirited girlfriend (Carolyn Jones), 12-year-old-son, and stodgy older brother (Edward G. Robinson) with his dwindling finances.
A Hole in the Head is an oddly title collaboration between star Frank Sinatra and director Frank Capra. Based on the Broadway play of the same name, the film features Sinatra as half swinging bachelor and half widowed family man. The plot, or what little there is, concerns Sinatra’s character’s schemes to make ends meet while raising his young son. The problem is that, despite a two hour running time, nothing actually happens. MORE »
Posted at 12:29 PM in Movie Reviews and Frank Sinatra.
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Monday, October 6th 2008
Grade: D+
Synopsis: A family man (Frank Sinatra) with a neglected wife (Deborah Kerr) swaps roles with his bachelor buddy (Dean Martin) after a disastrous second honeymoon trip to Mexico.
Marriage on the Rocks is an overlong and underwhelming comedy, despite its top-notch cast.
The movie plays and feels like a sitcom, albeit an all-star one, with family man Frank Sinatra winding up a bachelor after his wife, played by Deborah Kerr, divorces him and marries his best friend, played by Dean Martin, following a series of misunderstandings in Mexico. The big problem here is that sitcoms clock in at 20 minutes, while Marriage on the Rocks runs 109. MORE »
Posted at 12:13 PM in Movie Reviews and Frank Sinatra.
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Tuesday, September 30th 2008
Grade: C
Synopsis: American and Japanese soldiers form an uneasy truce while stranded on a small island in the Pacific during World War II.
None But the Brave is notable chiefly as the only film directed by Frank Sinatra. Despite a nearly 60-year film career, this was the only time Ol’ Blue Eyes stepped behind the camera, and while he’s certainly no David Lean, Sinatra doesn’t embarrass himself either.
The story takes place on a small, remote island in the Pacific occupied by a small group of Japanese soldiers, cut off from their supply lines, and essentially marooned. They soon have company however, once an American plane full of marines fresh out of boot camp crash-lands on the opposite side of the island. MORE »
Posted at 5:43 PM in Movie Reviews and Frank Sinatra.
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