Robin and the 7 Hoods

ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS, last of the 'official' Rat Pack trilogy, was undeniably the best of the series (OCEAN'S ELEVEN, a glossy but ultimately standard 'B' movie about a Las Vegas casino heist had been filmed, between the Pack's nightclub appearances, in 1960, and SERGEANTS 3, a so-so comic Western cavalry remake of GUNGA DIN, appeared in 1963), and with tunes by the legendary Jimmy Van Heusen, it was the only film that gave it's legendary stars a chance to perform in the format best suited to them...an old-fashioned movie musical.

Set in Prohibition Chicago, the spoof of the Robin Hood legends offered Frank Sinatra as Robbo, favorite 'lieutenant' of murdered crime boss 'Big Jim' (unbilled Edward G. Robinson), who 'takes on' successor Guy Gisborne (a very funny Peter Falk) and his 'right-hand' man, Sheriff Alvin Potts (Victor Buono, also excellent), for control of the city. A likable gangster with a code of ethics, Robbo, and his pal, Will (Sammy Davis, Jr), are soon joined by 'new-in-town' grifter, Little John (Dean Martin), who easily beats Robbo in a game of pool (while harmonizing about being faithful to one's mother!). Meanwhile, a beautiful, mysterious woman (Barbara Rush) appears, introducing herself as Marian Stevens, with links to Big Jim, and an agenda of her own...

The arrival of milquetoast accountant Allen A. Dale (Bing Crosby, having a ball playing 'against type') with a scheme to turn public sentiment against Guy Gisborne and the Sheriff, through charity and 'good works', quickly brands Robbo as a hero who would steal from the rich to give to the poor, and Chicago adores him, driving Gisborne NUTS! As plots are hatched to discredit Robbo, body counts rise, and Marian proves the most duplicitous of all, in her quest to gain power.

While the plot summary doesn't sound particularly amusing, the film, with it's 'tongue-in-cheek' tone, is much closer in spirit to GUYS AND DOLLS than GOODFELLAS. With Sinatra, Crosby, Martin, and Davis crooning a rousing "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat"-style mission number, "Mr. Booze", Davis singing and dancing to machine-gun volleys, and Sinatra performing what would become one of his 'signature' tunes, "Chicago (My Kind of Town)", the music is all first-rate, with the dramatic elements all played for laughs.

As Marian ends up with a surprising new 'mob boss', and Frank, Dino, and Sammy are reduced to pan-handling (but happy) "Santa Clauses", ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS leaves viewers with a smile, and the Rat Pack with a film finally worthy of their considerable talents.

Not a bad legacy, at all!

After an emotional rendition of 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow' number one gangster, Big Jim, is shot dead at his own birthday party, and Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk) takes over the mob…

Robbo (Frank Sinatra), a rival gangster, warns Gisborne to stay out of the North Side… John (Dean Martin), a minor hood from Indiana, joins Robbo's gang just before Robbo and Gisborne destroy each other's nightclubs… Robbo rebuilds, outfitting his new gambling hall so that it becomes a new little modern casino at the touch of a button…

Marian (Barbara Rush), Big Jim's daughter, gives Robbo $50 grand to kill her father's murderers, but he orders Will (Sammy Davis, Jr.), his aide, to donate the money to an orphanage… Allan A. Dale (Bing Crosby), who runs the institution, crowns Robbo as a modern-day Robin Hood…

The action takes place in the gangland Chicago of 1928 instead of Sherwood Forest… Amusing ideas abounded… The best being a brief appearance by Edward G. Robinson as the chief hood who is shot by the mob just few seconds in the film…

Don't miss the formidable dance number "Style" performed and sung by Sinatra, Martin, and Crosby

Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Rat Pack take on gangsters in the 1920's Chicago in this spoof of the genre, which is also mixed with the Robin Hood story. After the top gangster is killed at his birthday party, Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk) takes over the mob with the help of a corrupt cop but this doesn't sit well with Robbo (Frank Sinatra). Instead of joining up with the other mobs, Robbo decides to team up with some buddies (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bing Crosby) and take the city over with charity work. This movie starts off very well but slowly runs out of gas and in the end it becomes a rather drag, which is a shame since the movie started off so well. I think the biggest problem is the running time, which just keeps the moving going and going when it should have probably ran only 90 or 100 minutes. The first half of the film is extremely fast, loose and fun and it offers up plenty of nice laughs including a hilarious cameo by Edward G. Robinson. Sinatra, rumored to have had mob connections, fits his role extremely well and delivers a fine performance of "My Kind of Town". Sammy Davis, Jr. is also very good in the film and gives one of the highlights in his performance of "Bang, Bang" and he also does a great impression of James Cagney. Martin is also very funny as is Crosby but Falk really steals the show as the rival gangster. For the most part the music is good, although I think the song "Mr. Booze" runs too long and really brings the film to a standstill. The history behind the making of this film is rather interesting since Kennedy was assassinated during production and Sinatra's own son was kidnapped and held for ransom, which also had the filmmakers cut a kidnapping scene from the film. There's a joke early in the film about the Lincoln assassination and I'm shocked this was left in the film after what happened to Kennedy. At any point, this is a fairly entertaining comedy that has a lot going for it but an editor really would have helped things.

Like we've taken the Robin Hood legend and changed the bows and arrows to machine guns! ... Like with songs yet! ... Like WILD! . In prohibition-era from 1920s Chicago, the racketeer marshal (Victor Buono) along with a mobster named Guy Gisborne , a corrupt(Peter Falk) who controls the south side , knock off the ringleader Big Jim (Edward G Robinson). Everyone falls in line behind Guy except the do-good gangster Robbo (Frank Sinatra) who rules north side in his last go-round . Robbo wishes to keep his own territory with a ¨Robbo project foundation¨ and his particular business . A pool-playing man from Indiana named Little John (Dean Martin)and the director of a boys' orphanage named Alen Dale (Bing Crosby) unite forces with Robbo and Will (Sammy Davis Jr). When he gives some money to the orphanage, he turns the toast of the town as a hood like Robin Hood and people shout ¨Chicago loves Robin¨. As Robbo along with his friends creates the ¨Robin Hood foundation¨ and a ¨Free soup kitchen¨ . Meanwhile, Guy schemes to get rid of Robbo, and Big Jim's heretofore unknown daughter named Marian (Barbara Rush) turns up and goes after from dudes attempting to encounter an ally in her quest to run the whole show. Later on , Robbo is detained and newspapers publicize : Robbo held for sheriff murder¨ .

This is an amusing musical comedy with some Hollywood major stars reunited by Frank ¨Robbo¨ Sinatra and incarnating Robin and his merry men in modern times , including usual names as Little John , Will Scarlett , Marian and Guy Gisborne . It's a ¨Rat Pack¨ version of 1920's Chicago with Frank Sinatra and his boys as do-good mobsters in their last outing . Fine musical numbers with beautiful songs by Nelson Riddle as ¨Bang, Bang¨ , ¨Mister Booze¨, ¨Don't be a do-baddler¨ and ¨My kind of town¨ with Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra singing and dancing and dressed in smoking , besides another sensational show including Crosby dancing with children . This is a typical Rat Pack vehicle such as ¨ Ocean's eleven(1960) ¨, ¨ Four for Texas (63)¨ and finally ¨Cannoball run II (1984)¨ with the sympathetic trio Frank Sinatra-Sammy Davis Jr-Dean Martin . The motion picture is professionally constructed by Gordon Douglas. This is one of various and mediocre works of his long career as filmmaker. He was a Hollywood veteran director, directing early movies (Little rascals, Spanky), expert on Western (Chuka,Rio Conchos, Yellowstone Kelly, Only the valiant ), and usually worked for Frank Sinatra in various films (Lady in Cement, Tony Rome,The detective, Robin and the 7 Hoods). Rating : Passable and acceptable , 5,5 . This is a nice musical entertainment and to be liked for Frank Sinatra fans.

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.