High Society (1956)

A dumb guy who works at a service station becomes an unwitting accomplice … wait, no. Socialite Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly) is getting remarried and is worried that her ex-husband C.K. Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby), in town for the Newport Jazz Festival, might spoil the mood. Additionally, Spy magazine sends a writer (Frank Sinatra) and photographer (Celeste Holm) to cover the event in return for not publishing a scandalous story about her father’s affair.

High Society is a remake to The Philadelphia Story (1940) and bares no resemblance to High Society (1955). The major beats of the story are more or less intact as is most of the memorable dialog. The biggest difference is VistaVision color and musical numbers padding the film to just under two hours. Also, much of the subtext that was revealed in the first act of the original is spelled out on the outset.

Changes were made from the original story, and I don’t take issue with any of them. The biggest change is the music, which works for some people. The star power is every bit the 1940 version, but the script was uniquely Kathrine Hepburn’s. Kelly, as wonderful as she was, feels miscast. Hepburn’s dialog coming out of Kelly’s mouth simply doesn’t land the same.

Lydia Reed was almost as charming as Virginia Weidler was as Tracy’s little sister, no small feat. It’s curious they didn’t have her sing “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady”. That feels like a missed opportunity. Louis Armstrong and his orchestra appear briefly. This was Kelly’s last film, as was Louis Calhern’s. He died on the set of his next film.

The Philadelphia story is widely regarded as the better film. Still, High Society was a box office success and not hard to watch. Still, I wish Kelly could have ended her Hollywood career on a higher note. AMRU 3.

Ocean’s Eleven (1960)

Veterans of the 82nd Airborne reunite to pull an audacious heist: rob five Las Vegas casinos at the same time, on new year’s. It’ll take a lot of people to pull something like this off. Offhand, I’d say ... ee oh, eleven people.

You will find better heist movies. The planning details are pretty nonsensical, and the film spends understandably little time explaining them. You will also find better comedies. It was amusing in parts, but you won't vocalize a chuckle. What you do find is the entirety of Sinatra’s Rat Pack together in one film, including associate members Shirley MacLaine, Caesar Romero, and Angie Dickinson. Sinatra apparently had a falling out with Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis, Jr, but that was patched up for production. Frank and Peter would fall out again later.

They didn’t give Angie Dickinson much to do. She played Danny Ocean’s (Sinatra) off-put wife who loves him still. The resolution to their differences was left dangling, as were other plot points. Steve McQueen, who appeared with Sinatra and Lawford in Never So Few (1959), was offered a role, but he declined on the advice of friend Hedda Hopper who told him not to become one of Sinatra’s flunkies.

Ocean’s Eleven is a pure vanity project. If watching the Rat Pack pal around and giving knowing nods to inside jokes isn’t your thing, then there isn’t much here for you. If you want a great heist film, watch Kubrick’s The Killing (1956). For a better ensemble comedy, try It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). But it is a piece of history, with too many cameos to count, and interesting enough to hold my attention. AMRU 3.

Guys and Dolls (1955)

Gangster Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) is trying to organize an underground poker game, but for some reason can’t afford the rent on a location. So he makes a bet with high-roller Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando) that he can’t go on a “date” with a woman of his choosing. Sky agrees and Nathan chooses  the prudish do-gooder, Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons).

What is hyper-realistic, non-singing Marlon Brando doing in a hyper-stylized musical? I understand Sinatra was annoyed at losing the lead to Brando, whom he called Mumbles. I’m strongly in Sinatra’s camp here. Brando seemed like he was in a different movie.

Old friend Sheldon Leonard is here. I have realized that his and the other gangsters’ non-use of contractions is used by the legitimate businessmen in The Simpsons. In fact, Fat Tony is a dead-on impersonation of Sheldon’s Harry the Horse. Jean Simmons is new to me and I found her quite charming.

Guys and Dolls is has a pretty nonsensical story. Some of the musical numbers were tedious and I found the distinct and unique style was a bit off-putting, but in the end I came around, mostly. The numbers that worked, worked. I find my view softening the more time that passes since I watched it. I really want to give it a 3, but, what the hell. AMRU 3.5.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Korean war heroes return home but soon realize that something isn’t right. Major Marco (Frank Sinatra) slowly figures out that they all were brainwashed with some nefarious goal in mind. Oh, and Janet Leigh is here for some reason.

Six foot 2 Henry Silva played Korean man-servant Chunjin. He has a fight scene that apparently broke Sinatra’s hand. Angela Lansbury plays our brain-washed main character’s less-than-motherly mother, despite being only three years his senior. Inspector Luger (James Gregory) is his McCarthyesque step-dad.

The Manchurian Candidate is a fantastic film, but not without its flaws. Characters would sometimes behave illogically and Janet Leigh’s character made no sense at all. But it deserves its reputation and stands the test of time.

Avoidance of spoilers keeps me from discussing further. The brainwashing is established early on but there still are mysteries to solve. Sinatra again proves he was a real actor and Lansbury was, well, amazing. It's a slow burn with a solid finale. It should have been higher on my priority list. Oh, and if anyone asks, my uncle did not appear in this film. AMRU 4.

From Here to Eternity (1953)

Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) transfers from his bugle corp to a fighting unit in Hawaii. He was a boxer and doesn't want to box anymore, personal reasons. He is reunited with old friend, forty year old buck private Maggio (Frank Sinatra). His new CO is Captain Holmes, but the unit is run by hard-ass Sargent Warden (Burt Lancaster).

It seems Captain Holmes needs another boxer and won't take no for an answer. Prewitt takes all the abuse he can dish out. While off duty, Prewitt and Maggio seek out the company of the ladies. And by "company", we mean "have polite conversation with while they wear overly complicated dresses", nudge nudge, wink wink. Prewitt falls for one such lady (Donna Reed) even though her bland conversation and total lack of exposed skin is available to any man willing to pay for it.

Well, Maggio strikes up a great friendship with Sargent Fatso (Ernest Bognine, Mermaid Man, boys and girls!), Sargent Warden falls for single girl "Mrs. Captain Holmes" (Deborah Kerr), Prewitt learns to play nice, some young Japanese gentlemen stop by for a picnic, and everyone lives happily ever after. Except the people who die.

So, the question is this. Is From Here to Eternity a war movie masquerading as a love story, or a love story masquerading as a war movie? More on that later.

Montgomery Clift was totally miscast as Prewitt. I didn't believe him as a soldier, let alone a boxer. The fact that he got nominated for an acting Oscar either means academy voters were enthralled with this movie or I don't know anything about acting. I'm open to either interpretation.

The famous scene, you know the one, with Lancaster and Kerr (not a cur!) making out on the beach totally didn't play out as I expected. They run into the surf, wash ashore while kissing, run to their blankets, and Lancaster accuses her of being a slut. Not what I expected.

It won a ton of Oscars, and deserved them I would guess. It is a very well made movie with some good acting. Sinatra was good in his role. Oscar worthy, I don't know, but good. AMRU 3.5.

And to answer my question, totally the latter.