TONY ROME (1967)

Tony Rome
Directed by Gordon Douglas

Blackmail, lies, murder - It's just another day in paradise.

I've got a large DVD collection - many titles I've bought because I'd heard of the movie, or I liked the look of the blurb or sometimes simply because it was an old movie. I'm a sucker for old films and will often pick up anything I find, figuring I'll watch it one day. This has resulted in me owning a fair few DVD's that I've never as yet watched - And so in the mood to crash with a bottle of wine and a movie I went through my collection. I fancied something light, easy to watch and so I pulled out Tony Rome, a Sinatra movie from 1967 which is on disc as part of the budget priced Studio Classic series. No extra features but a pristine cut of the movie.


The film starts with one of those corny 1960's themes that all of these neo-noir movies seem to possess. This one sung by the Nancy Sinatra is cool in a kitsch kind of way. The movie itself sees Frankie playing Tony Rome, an ex-cop turned PI who lives on a houseboat. He's up to his neck in all kinds of trouble as he searched for a girl's diamond pin. Sinatra play a kind of Bogart character and whilst he can't quite match Bogie's thuggish cool he does do a very good job. I wasn't expecting to like this movie but I must say I enjoyed it immensely. It reminded me of Harper (Interestingly Sinatra lost out in that role to Paul Newman) and other films of that ilk. But it was solidly done with a plot that makes perfect sense.

The movie was successful enough to spawn a follow up, The Lady in Cement which I also have in my collection and will probably get around to viewing soon. The supporting cast is headed up by the lovely Jill St. John who would soon provide the glamour in the Bond movie, Diamonds are forever. Though is this movie she shows far more flesh and the sluttish character she plays here is many miles removed from the dizzy Tiffany Case.


It's actually a neat detective movie and well worth a couple of hours of anybody's time.

DIRTY FRANKIE DOES IT HIS WAY

It's pretty much common knowledge that Frank Sinatra was the man originally chosen to play Dirty Harry and that Irvin Kersher was to direct. But I'd never seen this pic of Sinatra in the role - the pic was published in the NOV 9TH 1970 issue of Box Office magazine which reported on the then in production picture.

I love Frank, think he did some great films, but I couldn't imagine he'd have nailed Harry the way Clint did. But man, it's fun to wonder what this film would have been like had it been completed.


There's an interesting Eastwood interview HERE in which he talks about replacing Sinatra who had a problem with a weak wrist and couldn't hold the large gun.