Thursday Thirteen #462

More than a singer. At last week's TCM Classic Film Festival, Eddie Muller called Frank Sinatra "the greatest singer of the 20th century." I don't know about that, exactly, but certainly Sinatra was a genius, influential singer. However I'm here to celebrate him as an actor. In the right part, away from the ring-a-ding-ding slickness of his Rat Pack persona, he can be authentic and affecting. Of his more than 50 films, these are my favorite 13.

1. Young at Heart (1954). I've seen this Technicolor musical more times than I can count. Barney Sloan is one of life's losers, but he has natural talent and when he falls in love, he really falls. His vulnerability is breathtaking, and he sings the most heartbreaking version of "Someone to Watch Over Me." 

2. The Joker Is Wild (1957). Based on a true story, Chicago crooner Joe E. Lewis runs afoul of the Mob and pays a hideous price. Even though the movie is in black-and-white, the violence is deeply disturbing. I admit it: I cried the first time I saw it,  I think in large part because Joe is such a likeable guy. Sinatra sings a justifiably famous rendition of "All the Way." 

3. From Here to Eternity (1953). He won his Oscar for Maggio, the skinny, noisy soldier who had more heart than sense. I won't say anything else about this performance in case you haven't seen the movie. I don't want to spoil it for you. But yeah, he was that good.

4. The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Frankie is a talented drummer, an accomplished gambler, and a tragic heroin addict. He wants to stay clean and he wants to do right, but wanting ain't getting. Sinatra is the best thing in a powerful movie.

5. Kings Go Forth (1958). As WWII winds to an end, two American soldiers (Sinatra and Tony Curtis) fall in love with the same girl in the South of France. I'm not going to give away the plot twist, but Sinatra is moving as the man who is going to get his heart broken, no matter how this triangle is resolved.

6. The Manchurian Candidate (1962). A sweaty, sad, focused performance as a traumatized veteran. I appreciated this much-acclaimed political thriller, but it's too intense for me and I'll never watch it again.  

7. Pal Joey (1957). Joey is a singer with a lot of attitude, ambition and talent. He's torn between two women – a wealthy red-headed widow who can bankroll his dreams and a naive blonde who can't even take care of herself. Yeah, the plot is predictable, but Sinatra is so good as a heel.

8. The Detective (1968). This is a rather unpleasant movie about a very unpleasant crime. A murder victim was not only bludgeoned to death, he was mutilated. Sinatra plays Joe, the police detective determined to solve the case. The movie is mature, gritty and realistic and Sinatra disappears into the role. We don't always like him, but he makes sure we always understand him.

9. High Society (1956). In this remake of The Philadelphia Story, Sinatra has ridiculously blue-back hair. That aside, he's achingly romantic as he pines for Grace Kelly, and he has a great musical number with Bing Crosby, "What a Swell Party."

10. The First Deadly Sin (1980). Another Sinatra cop cleaning up New York. This detective is nearing the end of his career and he wants to go out a pro. But he's dealing with an insurmountable problem – his beloved wife is in the hospital and he has to accept that she's not coming home. So he's losing the two pillars of his life at the same time. There's vulnerability, tenderness and resignation in Sinatra's final major acting role.

11. Robin & the Seven Hoods (1964). A retelling of the Robin Hood saga, set in Prohibition-era Chicago. Sinatra plays Robbo, a gangster with a heart of gold. It's not a great movie, but Sinatra inhabits it with superstar charisma. And he sings "Chicago." So there's that. 

12. Marriage on the Rocks (1965). Sinatra is kinda cute as he falls into The Generation Gap. He plays a man who spends too much time in his role of provider and not enough as husband and father. His long-suffering wife is sick of it. She feels too young to behave like an old married lady and demands a divorce. Frank is good as a man who is confused because, after following all the rules and doing what's expected, he still gets kicked in the pants.

13. It Happened in Brooklyn (1947). Another Sinatra soldier. He's eager to get home to Brooklyn and the girl he left behind. He brings a friend home with him, a shy and wealthy bachelor, and a love triangle ensues. Sinatra is charming as a silly, clueless young man who is all heart.

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