Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine are perfectly cast as the embittered, street-wise/intellectual "black sheep" and the floozie with a heart of gold. As the 2 1/2 hour drama unfolds, the viewer learns that the "respectable people" are often hypocrites, shielding their shame behind money and power. More concerned about "what the papers will print" than about how human beings are affected by misfortunes and embarrassing incidents.
The tragic ending hints at a re-birth of human compassion in a Payton Place-like town where the haves and the have-nots are in contrast of each other. The Frank Sinatra character evolves from embittered teenager who is shipped off to boarding school by a newlywed adult brother, to respected author (exposing the hypocrisies of his hometown with his thinly disguised autobiographical novels), to revenge seeking released military man/gambler. The street girl who falls in unanswered love with him, sticks by him to the end. Unanswered questions are left to the viewer's interpretation.
This film, though quite lengthy, is captivating and entertaining. Vincent Minnelli's first stab at directing a drama is certainly remarkable. The emphasis on Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra as hard drinking and brawling gamblers can be off-putting. Viewed in the dated context (the story is set in the late 1940s, although the film was produced in 1959), viewers may consider the times, where similar situations were commonplace. Shirley MacLaine's performance is among her very best. This is an engaging character study that held my attention throughout.
