Once he got important enough to do such things Sinatra banned Suddenly (he blamed it for getting Kennedy shot) and this film (too close to his own life story). The former was released a few years ago and now, at last, this one. I first saw it on my honeymoon over 50 years ago and never again until now.
The plot has been filmed some thousands of times before - both the love affair and the shoot out (unarmed Sinatra kills two armed hoodlums) are ludicrous but Sinatra acts well and sings sublimely. Despite this being filmed when his career was going downhill the singing is positively the best he ever did on film so it gets its 9 score for this.
Forgetting the singing maybe 5 or 6 although Sinatras acting must be nearly up to his Maggio of a year later. Shelley Winters is o/k but many of the rest dire and there's some nice cameos - was that Ray Anthony on trumpet in Sinatras big time try-out? Buy the DVD even though for some reason there are no credits, extras or even scene selection spots on the version I purchased in the UK!
The plot has been filmed some thousands of times before - both the love affair and the shoot out (unarmed Sinatra kills two armed hoodlums) are ludicrous but Sinatra acts well and sings sublimely. Despite this being filmed when his career was going downhill the singing is positively the best he ever did on film so it gets its 9 score for this.
Forgetting the singing maybe 5 or 6 although Sinatras acting must be nearly up to his Maggio of a year later. Shelley Winters is o/k but many of the rest dire and there's some nice cameos - was that Ray Anthony on trumpet in Sinatras big time try-out? Buy the DVD even though for some reason there are no credits, extras or even scene selection spots on the version I purchased in the UK!