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Sinatra Turns Sleuth for Tony Rome and Lady In Cement
There was, by the 60's, a daylight Frank and a darker Sinatra of the night, this according to those who worked with him on this pair of detecting thrillers where FS put on his Bogart hat and tried for series status as road-worn gumshoe. Fascination with him rests still with the music, of course, but there's also Frank as font of personal quirks that saw kindness on one hand, unchecked hostility the next. Bios are easy to get lost in. There's a two-volume epic by James Kaplan that I'd nominate best-ever at summing up Sinatra life. Kaplan spoke to players who told glowingly of FS as most patient and generous of colleagues, but then comes apparent reign of terror as conducted by Sinatra and hangers-on at dark environs of
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Sinatra's screen image was approaching an uncool place as he passed fifty. This was age unseemly to lead a rat pack, or seemed so, and Frank looked more establishment as he thickened and the hairpieces stood out more. Cohort Dean, on the other hand, still had a lion's mane and hatful of jaunty dissipation. Junky as the Matt Helms were, he'd lend them contempt they deserved (I actually walked out on The Wrecking Crew in 1968, unheard flip-off when time in theatres was most precious). Telling was Sinatra as beleaguered family man to Martin's swinger office partner in Marriage On The Rocks, one that showed starkly how winds would henceforth blow. Was the
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Heavy weight on the Romes was to reach younger crowds, Sinatra now the stuff of Mom or Dad's enthusiasm. One and maybe an only way of tapping fountains of youth was to use glam that had been in hipper movies of late, like Jill St. John, Sue Lyon, or Raquel Welch. To my fourteen-year-old mind, Lady In Cement was best served by Welch and novelty casting of "Hoss" Dan Blocker, Sinatra OK but more old-shoe comfy and less likely to stir their kind of excitement. Now we know these for hooks they were to widen an aging star's reach. Lady In Cement grossed slightly better than Tony Rome, and I'd guess Welch was what sold those extra tickets. Estimation at the time, for me at least, gave Dean Martin an edge for westerns he kept doing as Sinatra stayed more-less with modern dress (though exceptions None But The Brave and Von Ryan's Express pleased well). By all account, Martin admired westerns and did at least one per annum through mid-to-late 60's otherwise festered with the Helms. He played straighter on a horse and didn't look down to the genre. As result, his westerns are not dated and neither are his performances in them (sample good ones: Rough Night In Jericho and Bandolero!). The cop/private dick trio Sinatra made (The Detective, more serious, came between the Romes) were probably Frank's action answer to success Dean had with outdoor work, and to that purpose, they'd serve well. These are in several ways most enjoyable vehicles the Chairman got out during era-of-change that was the 60's.