Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)

In Chicago, during the Prohibition, two rival gangs compete for control of the city's rackets.

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writer:

David R. Schwartz

Stars:

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Sinatra	...	Robbo
Dean Martin	...	John
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Will
Bing Crosby	...	Allen A. Dale
Peter Falk	...	Guy Gisborne
Barbara Rush	...	Marian
Victor Buono	...	Sheriff Potts
Hank Henry	...	Six Seconds
Robert Foulk	...	Sheriff Glick
Allen Jenkins	...	Vermin
Jack La Rue	...	Tomatoes (as Jack LaRue)
Robert Carricart	...	Blue Jaw
Joseph Ruskin	...	Twitch
Phil Arnold	...	Hatrack
Harry Swoger	...	Soupmeat

Storyline

In Prohibition-era Chicago, the murder of mob boss Big Jim Stevens leaves a vacuum at the top. As the murder was orchestrated by Gisborne - one of Big Jim's underlings - with the assistance of Sheriff Glick and Deputy Sheriff Potts, who were also in Big Jim's back pocket, Gisborne plans to take over. However, Big Jim would have wanted Robbo, who he treated like a son, to take over. As such, a gangland war ensues, with Robbo having among his men an Indiana pool hustler named Little John, and Will, a sharp shooter. What happens between the two gangs is affected by Marian Stevens, Big Jim's beautiful and sophisticated daughter, who inherited her father's ambition and has more criminal smarts than her father. Among Marian's wants is for her father's murder to be avenged. Marian's intervention into the matter leads to Robbo and his band of merry men gaining some legitimacy within the Chicago public mindset, he giving some of his profits and the profits of others to the less fortunate. But ...

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Plot Keywords:

dancing | singing | rat pack | bootlegger | crime boss | 

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Taglines:

Like we've taken the Robin Hood legend and changed the bows and arrows to machine guns! ... Like with songs yet! ... Like WILD!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Robin and the Seven Hoods

Filming Locations:

Rosedale Cemetary, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., P-C Productions, Essex Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording) (uncredited)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Making this film should have been fun. Instead, by more than one account, it was a waking nightmare for all involved. John F. Kennedy was assassinated soon after filming started, casting a pall over the entire set. Not long after that, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped from his dressing room at Lake Tahoe, Nevada (Upon payment of a large ransom, he was released, unharmed, a few days later). Victor Buono, who played Deputy Sheriff Alvin Potts, later observed that it was a minor miracle that filming was completed at all.

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Goofs

When Will (Sammy Davis Jr.) is shooting up the casino, he fires more shots than either gun holds (12 from one, 11 from the other).

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Quotes

Robbo: Big Jim's daughter, there's a big laugh. I thought when you were a kid you didn't have a doll to play with, you had a rattle. It was right on the end of your tail.

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Connections

Version of The Time Tunnel: The Revenge of Robin Hood (1966)

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Soundtracks

Style
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)
Performed by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin

User Reviews

ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS (Gordon Douglas, 1964) ***

To begin with, I recall catching the opening sequence of this one as a kid on a now-defunct Sicilian TV channel Considered the best of the Rat Pack films, this is a slick, likable and witty transposition of the Robin Hood legend to gangland Chicago. A generally bright outing, it loses steam towards the end, emerging as being decidedly overlong.

The stars are in their element – Frank Sinatra is Robin (called Robbo and clearly relishing the role, it’s hard not to be reminded of the star’s real-life mob connections), Dean Martin is Little John (their famous initial confrontation takes place over a game of pool!), Sammy Davis Jr. (who does a fair imitation of James Cagney) is Will Scarlett and Bing Crosby turns up half-way through as Allen A. Dale (this proved to be his last musical role). As for the villains, Peter Falk is wonderful as Guy Gisbourne (though he seemed stuck in gangster types during this time in his career) and heavy-set cocoa-drinking Victor Buono is the new Sheriff. However, I think it was a mistake to present Marian (Barbara Rush) as a femme fatale; appropriately, then, Edward G. Robinson (an icon of the gangster genre) cameos as Big Jim – the Richard the Lionheart figure. There are also notable bits by Hans Conried (as Robbo’s put-upon architect), Allen Jenkins (as a disgruntled partner of Falk’s) and Sig Ruman (as a leading citizen).

Though OCEAN’S 11 (1960) did provide a title tune sung by Davis, this is the only Rat Pack musical of the lot. Sinatra’s “My Kind Of Town” was nominated for an Oscar – but other songs are actually more memorably presented: Davis’ own energetic destruction (at the rhythm of a tap dance) of Falk’s gambling joint; “Style”, a momentous collaboration between Sinatra, Martin and Crosby (three of the best-loved crooners ever); and Crosby’s show-stopping “Mr. Booze” (at one point, to divert a police raid organized by rival Falk, Robin’s gang turns the joint into an impromptu temperance meeting!). With this in mind, the film has definite black comedy touches – particularly in the cornerstone-laying motif. However, the Christmasy finale in which the tables are once again turned in favor of Robbo and Rush is reformed (off-screen) by Crosby feels rushed.

Some trivia connected to the film: a kidnapping scene was dropped for hitting too close to home – Sinatra’s own kid had just been abducted and eventually ransomed for $250,000!; on the day JFK was shot dead, the scene of Robinson’s funeral was being filmed!; apparently, Sinatra’s old musical pal Gene Kelly was originally involved in the production as a dance director but left during its early stages after disagreeing with Sinatra (who also served here as producer) over the number of dance routines to be incorporated into the film.