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

The Guy Gisborne character laments, "They made this guy Robbo famous, like a Mickey Mouse." This dates the period. Mickey Mouse made his first appearance on November 18, 1928 in a Steamboat Willie cartoon.

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Goofs

When the cornerstone for the police station is being dedicated, and again when the pretzel factory cornerstone is being dedicated, mountains can be briefly seen over the rooftops of the buildings in the background. There are no mountains in Chicago.

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Quotes

Little John: [referring to Marian] Where did he dig that up?
Six Seconds: At the cemetery.

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Connections

Featured in Bullets Over Hollywood (2005)

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Soundtracks

Don't be a Do-Badder
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)
Performed by Bing Crosby & The Mitchell Boy singers

User Reviews

solid entertainment

I was expecting less, as I once saw this referred to somewhere as a "self-indulgent" effort from The Chairman of the Board. I found it, au contraire, to be a solidly entertaining, well-made comedic effort with high production values, beautifully shot (the film really needs letterbox to show it off; catch it on American Movie Classics). Good work from all the leads, Peter Falk in particular, as well as the many familiar charcter actors. It is interesting how Frank's outfit never seems to quite fit into the 1928 setting - he always seems ready to step off the screen into 1964 Las Vegas. The nostagically vaudevillian number "Style", sung by Frank, Dean, and Bing, is worth the whole movie. Well worth a see.