Un trou dans la tête

Adaptation of Arnold Schulman's play by the playwright concerns feckless Miami Beach widower with a young son who needs a fast loan to save his ramshackle hotel, considering the idea of marrying into money with a shy (but beautiful) young widow. Slick but not very moving comedy-drama won an Oscar for Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn's memorable tune "High Hopes", but--with Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Eleanor Parker, Carolyn Jones, and Thelma Ritter in the cast--it should have been much better. The youngster is played by Hollywood-smart Eddie Hodges, who is decent with the kind of lines concocted for him. Frank Capra directed, weakly. Some good scenes, but it runs too long at 120mns and has too few jokes. Capra received a DGHA nomination for his direction, while Schulman was a WGA nominee for Best Written America Comedy. **1/2 from ****

The 1950s had a number of strong films, and this is one of them. It's not what most people would call a black comedy, but I do. I agree with the previous poster who called this an under-rated gem.

First of all, I like Sinatra better as an actor than as a singer; he's also really strong in the original version of the Manchurian Candidate and in The Man With the Golden Arm.

This film reminds me a bit of the much more recent "Full Monty," with a middle-aged father who acts like a young adolescent who is essentially being parented by a pre-teen son who has had to grow up too fast. That's what I mean by black comedy; it's a situation that is so sad (and, alas, so common) that you have to laugh to keep from crying. (Another comparison, but not quite as apt, is to "A Thousand Clowns.") Sinatra's character is matched by that of his girlfriend, who says, without a trace of irony to the idea of having a baby, "I'm a baby myself."

It wasn't until I came here just now that I realized this was directed by Frank Capra; I should have been able to guess it.

Everyone mentions "High Hopes," and rightly so, as a terrific (and award-winning) song. But you gotta love any movie that has a tune about how "The monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga."

A Hole in the Head is based on a Broadway play that ran for 156 performances during the 1956 season by Arnold Schulman. So popular and enduring has it proved that a full musical version was done on Broadway in 1968-1969 that starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme in the parts done here by Frank Sinatra and Eleanor Parker. High Hopes didn't make it to Broadway, but the song I've Got To Be Me was introduced there by Steve Lawrence and made popular by fellow Rat Packer Sammy Davis, Jr.

In Frank Capra's autobiography he says that Schulman was not happy with the change of characters from Jews to Italians, but Capra brought him around to his point of view on this and other things. The ending in the film version is not as upbeat as in the original play.

Capra had heard a lot of stories about how disagreeable Sinatra could be to work with, but he says that Sinatra was nothing, but cooperative during the entire work. His biggest difficulty was the fact that Sinatra likes to do things in one take because he becomes bored with repeated efforts. Whereas Edward G. Robinson likes to go over things repeatedly until it was perfect. Capra did work out a compromise where Robinson did his rehearsing, but without Sinatra.

The story is about a widower who owns a ramshackle motel in a not popular area of Miami Beach and he's got money problems. Sinatra as the widower also has a son, Eddie Hodges and they are devoted to each other.

Edward G. Robinson and Thelma Ritter are his brother and sister-in-law who are visiting from New York and Sinatra is hoping for a touch from him. Robinson's bailed him out a few times and he puts a lot of conditions on future help. Like maybe a remarriage for instance and Ritter tries to hook him up with an old friend, Eleanor Parker. They actually hit it off. But there's still a whole lot of complications.

High Hopes which is sung by Sinatra and Eddie Hodges sold a few platters for Frank back in 1959 and won the Oscar for best movie song. Sinatra also sings All My Tomorrows over the opening credits and that song did not catch on at first. Later in the mid Sixties, Sinatra recorded it again this time for his own Reprise label, before it had been done for Capitol as had High Hopes and this time it became a minor hit for him. It's quite a poignant ballad.

Keenan Wynn has a small, but important part as a real estate kingpin promoter who came down with Sinatra to Miami Beach, but made a big success. Sinatra also tries to hit him up with not so good results. Funny thing is that his big idea was a Walt Disney like park for Florida and life imitated art there, though the park got located in the Orlando area.

Frank Sinatra is not as noble as some of Capra's populist heroes, but he's also down to earth and likable. It's one of his best screen performances in one of his best films.

Though I have to say with that red hair Eddie Hodges looked a whole lot more like Eleanor Parker's son than Frank's.

Frank Capra has left his indelible mark on many memorable films and this is one of them. The movie is called " A Hole in the Head ' and is a complete triumph for young Frank Sinatra. He plays Tony Manetta a Florida hotel owner with big dreams. Unfortunately, those dreams require large investments of capital and this is one element Tony does not possess. However, he is blessed with several options which promise to alleviate the major element in his life. His one major assesses is his son Allie (sincerely played by Eddie Hodges) who loves him, believes in his father and his scheme. Then there is his brother Mario (Edward G. Robinson) an old fashion businessman who calls his brother a bum as he a girl-chasing widower and dreamer. Thelma Ritter plays Sophie his wife and loves Allie. Eleanor Parker plays Eloise Rogers a lonely widow who is chosen as a match for Tony and his son. Years ago Tony befriended an army buddy named Jerry Marks (Keenan Wynn) who has returned to Florida a rich and successful entrepreneur and seems to be just the kind of guy Tony is seeking. The story is touching with odd characters and with hit songs like " High Hopes " adds to the memorable film which is considered a Family Classic. Recommended. ****

Maybe it's me but I think this movie, Frank Capra's second-to-last, has aged really well. It seems very relevant today. Frank Sinatra is very convincing in the lead role as Tony Manetta, a ne'er-do-well struggling to keep his head above water, but the key character in the film is Edward G. Robinson's Mario, Tony's uptight, shopkeeping brother, who's come down to Miami to bail him out, but not without conditions. While Tony will always be Tony, it's Mario who will have to learn to appreciate him. There is great supporting work all around, by Thelma Ritter, Eleanor Parker, Eddie Hodges (unfairly buried in the credits), Carolyn Jones (remember The Munsters?), and my personal favorite, Keenan Wynn, as an old buddy of Tony's who knows him too well to be conned by him. Features the famous song "High Hopes", sung by Frank and Eddie.