A Hole in the Head (1959)

Widower Tony is trying to keep a small Miami hotel afloat while raising a 12-year-old son. He's forced to ask his harried brother Mario for help, but he'll only bail Tony out if he quits his bohemian lifestyle and marries a sensible woman.

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Arnold Schulman (screenplay), Arnold Schulman (play)

Stars:

Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Eleanor Parker

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Sinatra	...	Tony Manetta
Edward G. Robinson	...	Mario Manetta
Eleanor Parker	...	Eloise Rogers
Carolyn Jones	...	Shirl
Thelma Ritter	...	Sophie Manetta
Keenan Wynn	...	Jerry Marks
Joi Lansing	...	Dorine
Connie Sawyer	...	Miss Wexler
James Komack	...	Julius Manetta (as Jimmy Komack)
Dub Taylor	...	Fred
George DeWitt	...	Mendy Yales
Benny Rubin	...	Abe Diamond
Ruby Dandridge	...	Sally
B.S. Pully	...	Hood
Joyce Nizzari	...	Alice

Storyline

Tony Manetta runs an unsuccessful Miami hotel, on which he can't meet the payments. Another liability is his weakness for dames (Shirl, his sexy current flame, is even less responsible than Tony). But a solid asset is Ally, his sensible 12-year-old son. When Tony wants stolid brother Mario to bail him out again, Mario makes conditions: give up Ally, or at least get married to a "nice, quiet little woman" of his selection. Tony and Ally just play along to be diplomatic, but when the woman in question proves to look like Eleanor Parker...

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Plot Keywords:

miami florida | bankrupt hotel | bare chested male | hairy chest | possessive female | 

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Taglines:

Open your heart! Here come the people who will fill it with joy!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Frank Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson share a birthday--December 12th.

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Goofs

When Shirl goes surfing at night, there is a tall island on the horizon. There is no such island offshore from Miami Beach, Florida. It is the Channel Islands, west of the actual filming location, Hollywood Beach, Oxnard, California.

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Quotes

Fred: Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Tony Manetta: Why ?
Fred: I don't know. I ain't a philosopher!

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Crazy Credits

The title and the names of Frank Capra and the leading actors appear as an aerial advertisement attached to the Goodyear blimp.

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Connections

Referenced in Adventures in Moviegoing: Josh and Bennie Safdie (2020)

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Soundtracks

Shirl's Theme (Cha-Cha)
(1959) (uncredited)
Written by Nelson Riddle
Performed by Carolyn Jones

User Reviews

An Underrated Gem

This is film is a rare commodity as a Hollywood product - a wonderful "little" film. By little, I mean unpretentious. Perhaps this is because Frank Capra had a talent for telling inspirational, uplifting or "message" stories without seeming to preach. We all know the Ralph Cramden character - the botched hero with "high hopes". This is Frank Sinatra's Tony Maneta. Unlike Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey in Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," Tony Maneta isn't beset by problems circumstantial so much as personal. Yet, whether the antagonist is an ungrateful world or a character flaw, Capra and playwright/screenwriter Arnold Schulman recognize the abiding nobility of the human spirit's determination to overcome the odds.

I love the setting in "Hole in the Head". It's a treat to see South Miami Beach during a period when formerly glamorous hotels had gone to seed, knowing that they would one day rise again. I don't think anyone would have given them a chance at the time of the story, just like Tony Maneta's prospects. But "Hole in the Head" makes us want to believe, that just by surviving, like South Beach, Tony will one day triumph.

By the way, there's a wonderful performance by the underappreciated Eddie Hodges, whose minor billing is unjustified, considering his character's major part in the story.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

All My Tomorrows

Filming Locations:

Fontainebleau Miami Beach - 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$11,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

SinCap Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1