"Meet Danny Wilson" is a pretty good film. However, it also makes its lead, Frank Sinatra, look like a bit of a jerk. So why did he take this role considering how famous he was at the time? Well, I assume it's because in 1952, despite his success as a a singer, Sinatra was widely seen as box office poison and his films had been flops or underperformed up until then. But, the following year, Sinatra turned around his movie career with "From Here to Eternity"....and his winning an Oscar for this performance. Had he been offered the script later, I truly don't believe he would have accepted it.
The first half of the movie is excellent and I have no complaints about it. Mike and Danny (Alex Nicol and Frank Sinatra) are struggling musicians...with Mike playing piano while Danny croons. Eventually, they get a break...a break with strings attached. Their new 'benefactor' (Raymond Burr) is a mobster who owns a nightclub...and it's his way or the pair will soon be assuming room temperature! Despite this, Danny does become a top star...first as a crooner and next as a movie star.
A little past the middle of the movie, the writing fell apart for me. First, Danny's girlfriend (Shelley Winters) suddenly, and with no real warning from the script, suddenly falls for Mike...even though this really didn't make a lot of sense. Had they shown a logical progression of this, it would have worked fine...but to suddenly have the pair in each other's arms just didn't make sense. Second, even before this, Danny became a complete and total jerk...a prima donna (a 'prima don'??) sort of jerk. He nearly throws away his movie career...for very little reason other than he's an insecure jerk. And, when he DOES learn about Mike and the girl, he takes his self-destruction to new heights! It just didn't make a lot of sense...and I wonder how many people left the theaters thinking Danny Wilson WAS Frank Sinatra...especially since some of his actions did mirror some of Sinatra's worst qualities in real life.
Overall, a film with some big pluses.... Sinatra sings most of his most iconic songs to date and the first portion really worked well. But the change in Danny seemed abrupt and too extreme to make this a truly successful movie. Worth seeing...but also disappointing.
The first half of the movie is excellent and I have no complaints about it. Mike and Danny (Alex Nicol and Frank Sinatra) are struggling musicians...with Mike playing piano while Danny croons. Eventually, they get a break...a break with strings attached. Their new 'benefactor' (Raymond Burr) is a mobster who owns a nightclub...and it's his way or the pair will soon be assuming room temperature! Despite this, Danny does become a top star...first as a crooner and next as a movie star.
A little past the middle of the movie, the writing fell apart for me. First, Danny's girlfriend (Shelley Winters) suddenly, and with no real warning from the script, suddenly falls for Mike...even though this really didn't make a lot of sense. Had they shown a logical progression of this, it would have worked fine...but to suddenly have the pair in each other's arms just didn't make sense. Second, even before this, Danny became a complete and total jerk...a prima donna (a 'prima don'??) sort of jerk. He nearly throws away his movie career...for very little reason other than he's an insecure jerk. And, when he DOES learn about Mike and the girl, he takes his self-destruction to new heights! It just didn't make a lot of sense...and I wonder how many people left the theaters thinking Danny Wilson WAS Frank Sinatra...especially since some of his actions did mirror some of Sinatra's worst qualities in real life.
Overall, a film with some big pluses.... Sinatra sings most of his most iconic songs to date and the first portion really worked well. But the change in Danny seemed abrupt and too extreme to make this a truly successful movie. Worth seeing...but also disappointing.