I’m still trying to work out why I enjoyed the Rat Pack’s last hurrah so much. Sure, it’s the knockout debut of “My Kind of Town,” the last tune Frank Sinatra performed on the big screen and one that would have epitomised Ol’ Blue Eyes had it not been supplanted a few years later by “My Way.” And Bing Crosby, also in top crooning form, would have stolen the show except for Peter Falk’s gangster and Barbara Rush weaving a seductive web around all the males. But, actually, it’s mostly because this one time, far more than in the three preceding pictures, there’s a match between story and stars, as if at last the whole idea has come together. The gimmick of transplanting the Robin Hood legend to 1920s Prohibition Chicago works a treat, a gentle spoof rather than an awkward one.
The notion that you would bring together three of the greatest singers – Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. – of their generation and deny audiences the chance to hear their voices was anathema to audiences. As if nobody could make up their mind which way a Rat Pack vehicle was headed, Martin and Davis were accorded tunes in Oceans 11 (1960) but the next two pictures, westerns of one kind or another, appeared tuneless. Robin and the 7 Hoods is a proper musical, all the stars sing, some even get to dance, and the story carries a lot more heft than your usual musical, some decent running gags, and an affectionate nod to the old Warner Brothers gangster pictures.
Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk), having taken control of the city by rubbing out his rival, comes up against Robbo (Frank Sinatra) refusing to bow the knee. Naturally, both decide the only solution is to bust up each other’s joints. Even more naturally, this ends in stalemate. Cue the entrance of Marian (Barbara Rush), the dead mob boss’s daughter who wants her father avenged. As a by-product of her involvement, Robbo ends up donating $50,000 to the poor, a good deed turned into public relations bounty by orphanage chief Allen A. Dale (Bing Crosby), reviving the legend of the outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
Complications arise when Robbo refuses to fall for Marian’s wiles and is framed for the murder of a corrupt Sheriff Glick (Robert Foulk). Marian proves far smarter than her male counterparts and when bribery, seduction and corruption fail she turns to politics.
While Sinatra’s rendition of “My Kind of Town” is the standout, tunesmiths Sammy Cahn and Jimmy van Heusen showcase some terrific numbers, in particular the gospel-style “Mr Booze” performed by Bing Crosby, “Style” involving Sinatra, Martin and Crosby, a Martin solo “Any Man Who Loves His Mother,” Sammy Davis with “Bang! Bang!” and even Peter Falk makes a decent stab at “All for One and One for All.” Once Sinatra, Martin or Crosby wrapped their larynxes round a particular song, they claimed ownership for life, you can’t imagine anyone else doing it better. And so it proved here.
In acting terms Sinatra, Martin and Davis are on cruise control, although Sinatra, the butt of the conspiracy, tends to have to work a little harder. The supporting cast relish the opportunities presented. Peter Falk (Penelope, 1966) makes the most of a made-to-order role as the back-stabbing mob chief, his fast-talking style little match for more superior brains, and you can see a screen persona develop in front of your eyes. Bing Crosby (Stagecoach, 1966) starts out as a joke with his outlandish language but soon comes to represent a different perspective on legitimate illegitimate moneymaking schemes. Barbara Rush (Come Blow Your Horn, 1963) is quite superb as the conniving sophisticate, all long dresses and innovative ideas.
Although Gordon Douglas (Stagecoach, 1966) would hardly be your go-to director for a musical, he acquits himself very well, incorporating a great deal of the style he evinced in Claudelle Inglish (1961). There are two marvellous running scenes. The first is that whenever the municipality sees fit to lay the foundation stone of some great new building you can be sure the block contains a corpse. But the second is just wonderful. Any time Marian has a man in her lounge, she goes round switching off the lamps until the room is in darkness. Each time, the scene is played in exactly the same way and of course the minute she starts switching off the lights, moving as sinuously as a spider from lamp to lamp, you know where this scene is going. I should also mention the “Mr Booze” sequence in which an illegal nightclub is transformed into a gospel meeting.
Edward G. Robinson (The Biggest Bundle of Them All, 1968) has a cameo and also look out for Oscar-nominated Victor Buono (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, 1962). Songs aside, David R. Schwartz (The Bobo, 1967) penned this one.
The Magnificent 60s 
Wow, the rat pack in the mood for the hood… And in “cruise control” (loved it)! 😉
Gordon Douglas directing, it could be such a nice moment for robbery.
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Surprisingly good. Cruise control is right, They are at the top of their game. Douglas is very underrated as a director and I doubt if anyone gave him much chance with a musical.
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Agreed Douglas “very underrated” and seldom disappoints. This together with Sergeants 3 and Ocean 11 are entertaining and lighthearted fares.
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the rat pack delivered an enjoyable quartet for sure.
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Never understood why so many are so snooty about this; the Style routine is worth the price of admission. Big stars, a lighthearted romp, and anytime I’ve had to conceal evidence of a party, this is the model for how to conceal it!
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Big audience vs critic divide – 70% public in favor vs 40% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Just to be clear I see myself as typical audience not critic though that must be obvious from the films I like.
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I just love this one! Outside of Columbo, this is my favorite Peter Falk role. The way he delivers his lines just cracks me up.
The soundtrack is just great. On a Bear Family Box Set, they have an edited version of Mr. Booze with all the “testifying” edited out, so it’s one straight song.
The cameo of Edward G is a joyful surprise! Buono is great.
This never gets old to me. It’s a very fun watch.
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It had a great line-up of supporting stars who all delivered. Great bunch of songs too.
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For you:
“According to an 18 Mar 1964 Var article, Gene Kelly and longtime collaborator Frank Sinatra developed Robin and the 7 Hoods as a response to the waning popularity of original screen musicals, which subsequently limited the number of good film roles available for Hollywood’s musical stars. A 15 Jan 1963 DV news item confirmed the change from its original working title, Robbo, and announced that Sinatra would be joined onscreen by many of his fellow “Rat Pack” members, including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as Joey Bishop, who does not appear in the final film. Although not corroborated by contemporary documents, modern resources, including a 7 Jan 1996 NYT article and Michael Sheridan and David Harvey’s 2016 book, Sinatra and the Jack Pack: The Extraordinary Friendship between Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy—Why They Bonded and What Went Wrong, the role of “Allen A. Dale” had been intended for Rat Pack member Peter Lawford early in the development process. Bing Crosby stepped in as his replacement after Lawford and Sinatra’s relationship dissolved in Mar 1962 when their mutual friend (and Lawford’s brother-in-law), U.S. President John F. Kennedy, canceled plans to stay with Sinatra during a West Coast visit due to the actor’s known ties to organized criminals.
While John Fenton Murray signed on to write the screenplay from a story treatment by Evelyn and Richard Condon, reviews at the time of the film’s release credited both script and story to David R. Schwartz. In a 2 Jun 1963 interview with the NYT, Kelly revealed he planned to produce through Sinatra’s Essex Productions, with a similar joint project, The New Yorkers, also on their schedule. Although production was initially scheduled to begin in late spring 1963, the 7 Mar 1963 DV reported that the start date had been pushed back several months to allow for additional pre-production time.
During this period, Sinatra and Martin opted to continue their deal with Warner Bros. Pictures after collaborating with the studio on 4 for Texas (1963, see entry). The 14 May 1963 DV noted that like 4 for Texas, Robin and the 7 Hoods would be a “joint venture” between Warner Bros., Martin’s Claude Productions, and Sinatra Enterprises. Gordon Douglas enlisted as director shortly thereafter, and on 13 Sep 1963, DV reported that Kelly had hired Jack Baker to begin choreography rehearsals as the film’s dance director. The 6 Jul 1963 LAT claimed that Sinatra was interested in casting Vince Edwards, while another LAT item published ten days later referred to the alleged attachment of Karl Malden. Neither appears in the final film. Film assignments in the 26 Sep 1963 DV named Saul Chaplin as an assistant producer.
As the start of filming approached, a 10 Oct 1963 DV news story revealed that Kelly had decided to leave the project over artistic differences between himself and Sinatra’s production team over casting, songs, and story treatment. The split was reportedly “amicable,” and Sinatra Enterprises continued with the schedule as planned.
Principal photography began 31 Oct 1963, as indicated in the next day’s DV production charts. Filming took place on the Warner Bros. studio backlot in Burbank, CA. Partway through shooting, Sinatra left for Reno, NV, when his son, Frank Sinatra, Jr., was kidnapped and held for ransom in Lake Tahoe, CA. Articles in the 11 Dec 1963 DV and 22 Dec 1963 NYT indicated that production continued in his absence until he returned on 12 Dec 1963. Photography was expected to conclude in late Dec 1963.
According to a 5 Nov 1963 DV item, the following former fighters, fight managers, and physical trainers were selected to portray gangsters: Mushy Callahan, Joe Glick, Sammy Shack, Jimmy Casino, Al Silvani, and Ralph Gambini. Casting announcements in the 18 Nov 1963 DV also noted the involvement of actors Myrna Ross and Mickey Finn, whose participation could not be confirmed. The DV production chart included Herman Blumenthal as one of the crew’s art directors, and according to his obituary in the 12 Mar 1964 DV, Harry Slott served as an assistant director on both 4 for Texas and Robin and the 7 Hoods just before his death.
On 4 Mar 1964, Var reported that Warner Bros. planned to hold test screenings in thirty-two key markets six days later. The picture first opened 24 Jun 1964 at the State-Lake Theatre in Chicago, IL, while a 20 May 1964 Var news item listed a wide national release date of 27 Jun 1964 at 1,361 first-run theaters. The Los Angeles, CA, engagement began 29 Jul 1964, followed by New York City screenings at the RKO Palace Theatre, RKO 58th St. Theatre, and multiple other venues on 5 Aug 1964.
Robin and the 7 Hoods was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Music (Scoring of Music—adaptation or treatment) and Music (Song) for “My Kind Of Town.”
A 6 Jan 1965 Var list of “Big Rental Pictures of 1964” reported domestic rentals of approximately $1 million to date.”
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