Ocean's Eleven (1960)

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

Harry Brown (screenplay) &
Charles Lederer (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 August 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Music

Tagline:

You wouldn't call it a gang. Just Danny Ocean and his 11 pals - the night they blew all the lights in Las Vegas!...

Plot:

Danny Ocean gathers a group of his World War II compatriots to pull off the ultimate Las Vegas heist. Together the eleven friends plan to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night.

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Heart Attack | Money | Robbery | New Year's Eve

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Danny Ocean
Dean Martin	...	Sam Harmon
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Josh Howard
Peter Lawford	...	Jimmy Foster
Angie Dickinson	...	Beatrice Ocean
Richard Conte	...	Anthony Bergdorf
Cesar Romero	...	Duke Santos
Patrice Wymore	...	Adele Ekstrom
Joey Bishop	...	'Mushy' O'Connors
Akim Tamiroff	...	Spyros Acebos
Henry Silva	...	Roger Corneal
Ilka Chase	...	Mrs. Restes
Buddy Lester	...	Vince Massler
Richard Benedict	...	'Curly' Steffans
Jean Willes	...	Mrs. Bergdorf
Norman Fell	...	Peter Rheimer
Clem Harvey	...	Louis Jackson
Hank Henry	...	Mr. Kelly - Mortician
Lew Gallo	...	Adele's Date
Robert Foulk	...	Sheriff Wimmer
Red Skelton	...	Gambler
George Raft	...	Jack Strager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Bice	...	Deputy (scenes deleted)
John Holland	...	Undetermined Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Pinky Lee	...	Himself (scenes deleted)
Murray Alper	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Don 'Red' Barry	...	McCoy (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Mrs. Allenby (uncredited)
Rummy Bishop	...	Castleman (uncredited)
Nicky Blair	...	Mourner at Cremation (uncredited)
Richard Boone	...	Voice of Minister (voice) (uncredited)
Norman Brooks	...	Himself (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Cop (uncredited)
David Carlile	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Laura Cornell	...	Honeyface - Massler's Wife (uncredited)
John Craven	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Ronnie Dapo	...	Timmy Bergdorf (uncredited)
Jerry Dodgion	...	Saxophone Player (uncredited)
George Fenneman	...	On Phone Talking to Sheriff Wimmer (voice) (uncredited)
West Gale	...	Red Cap (uncredited)
Gregory Gaye	...	Freeman - Casino Owner (uncredited)
Chief Leonard George	...	Police Operator (uncredited)
John George	...	Midget (uncredited)
Jay Gerard	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Hoot Gibson	...	Roadblock Deputy (uncredited)
Bob Gilbreath	...	Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Pit Boss (uncredited)
Dick Hudkins	...	Drunk (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Texan (uncredited)
Jessica James	...	Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
Helen Jay	...	Girl (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers	...	Casino Patron (uncredited)
William Justine	...	Parelli (uncredited)
Sparky Kaye	...	Riviera Manager (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	American Legionnaire at Funeral Service (uncredited)
David Landfield	...	Flamingo MC (uncredited)
Forrest Lederer	...	Sands Manager (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Doctor / Specialist (uncredited)
David Leonard	...	Rabbi (uncredited)
Shirley MacLaine	...	Tipsy Girl (uncredited)
Charles Meredith	...	Mr. Cohen - Mortician (uncredited)
Tom Middleton	...	Don Murphy - TV Newscaster (uncredited)
Anne Neyland	...	Dolores (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter at Burlesque Club (uncredited)
Ted Otis	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton	...	Major Taylor (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Carmen Phillips	...	Hungry Girl (uncredited)
Louis Quinn	...	DeWolfe (uncredited)
Red Norvo Quintet	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Myrna Ross	...	Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Barber (uncredited)
Robert 'Buddy' Shaw	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Shiva	...	Snake Dancer (uncredited)
Al Silvani	...	Burlesque Club Manager (uncredited)
Richard Sinatra	...	Attendant (uncredited)
John Slosser	...	Squad Leader (uncredited)
Joan Staley	...	Helen (uncredited)
Barbara Sterling	...	Girl (uncredited)
George E. Stone	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
H.T. Tsiang	...	Houseboy (uncredited)
Jerry Velasco	...	Harmonica-Playing Garbageman (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
James Waters	...	Disposal Attendant (uncredited)
Dave White	...	Burlesque Club Stagehand (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Bystander / Casino Customer (uncredited)
Norma Yost	...	Airline Hostess (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Milestone

Writing credits
Harry Brown		(screenplay) &
Charles Lederer		(screenplay)
George Clayton Johnson		(story) &
Jack Golden Russell		(story)
Billy Wilder		uncredited

Produced by
Lewis Milestone	....	producer
Henry W. Sanicola	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Nelson Riddle

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Philip W. Anderson

Art Direction by
Nicolai Remisoff

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jack R. Berne	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	assistant director
Richard Lang	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
M.A. Merrick	....	sound
William Lambert	....	recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Franklyn Soldo	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Franklyn Soldo	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
Bob Gilbreath	....	aerial stunt pilot (uncredited)
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Richard Doran	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Carl Gibson	....	key grip (uncredited)
Lloyd Hill	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Bill Johnson	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Al Lane	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Floyd McCarty	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Burdell C. Schwiebert	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Florence Albert	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Morris Brown	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Bob Richards	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Nelson Riddle	....	conductor
Jimmy Wyble	....	musician: guitarist (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Richard Benedict	....	assistant to producer (as Dick Benedict)
William T. Hurtz	....	director: title sequence (uncredited)
Bob Irving	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Lois Kerst	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Eddie O'Carroll	....	production accountant: Las Vegas (uncredited)
George Reynolds	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Stanley Scheuer	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
R.K. Sheffer	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dorchester
• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1961) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (box set)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Sandrews (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (included in '4 Film Favorites: Ocean's Collection')
• Warner Bros. (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #19613) | West Germany:6 | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | USA:Unrated | Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Germany:6 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Dorchester

Trivia:

During Dean Martin's scene with Shirley MacLane, after she calls him "Ricky Nelson", Martin replies "I used to be Ricky Nelson but now I'm Perry Como." In real life, early in his singing career, music critics used to derisively refer to Martin as a knock off of Perry Como. In addition, Martin had just done "Rio Bravo" co-starring Ricky Nelson.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Key in the plot is that the stolen money is placed in the coffin along with the body of Bergdorf (Richard Conte) and cremated. The type coffin his body is in is never placed in a crematorium. The body would be transferred to a simple wooden container before being placed in the oven, in which case the mortuary workers would have discovered the cash.

Quotes:

Mrs. Restes:You'll miss my wedding!
Jimmy Foster:Mother, I have never missed one of your weddings.
Mrs. Restes:Yes, you did. My first one.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "American Dad!: Bar Mitzvah Hustle (#4.14)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

AIN'T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD

Ultimate Rat Pack Outing

Ocean's 11 never tries to be brilliant and is only sometimes good. The thin plot is a set up for the "boys" to look sharp (and they sometimes do), sing songs (which they do well) and to show off 1960 Las Vegas (which by today's standards looks pretty shabby).

This is a second rate heist story with a few gangsters thrown in. But after all, we have Sinatra and company. You can see that the excellent film, The Rat Pack, was very right on. Sinatra is his arrogant self. Martin is relaxed, Lawford is suave and the singing by Sammy Davis Jr. is great.

Ocean's 11 is a snap shot of what was "cool" in the ultimate era of coolness. It's all here, the clubs, the Marilyn Monroe look a likes, the flashy clothes and lots of money. It's better than imitations such as Swingers since Ocean's 11 is the source. Of course it includes the legendary bad treatment of women and African Americans. The actresses are either add-ons or pathetic martyrs (Angie Dickinson). As for Sammy, he puts up with the garbage man part, a racial slur (all in good fun of course!) and the self centeredness of these guys. I just admire him because he had to do it, so he could perform.

Back to the "fun". The boys get to be clever, then there's a surprise ending and finally we see them shuffle hung over in front of a casino. Every few years I check out Ocean's 11 not just to watch this silly movie but also to see the rats (or brats?) and chuckle (and wince) at an amazing time in the USA, baby.