Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writer:

David R. Schwartz (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Musical

Tagline:

Like we've taken the Robin Hood legend and changed the bows and arrows to machine guns! ... Like with songs yet! ... Like WILD!

Plot:

In prohibition-era Chicago, the corrupt sheriff and Guy Gisborne, a south-side racketeer, knock off the boss Big Jim...

Plot Keywords:

Orphanage | Sheriff | Robin Hood | Chicago Illinois | Pun In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Robbo
Dean Martin	...	Little John
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Will
Bing Crosby	...	Allen A. Dale
Peter Falk	...	Guy Gisborne
Barbara Rush	...	Marian Stevens
Victor Buono	...	Deputy Sheriff Alvin Potts
Hank Henry	...	Six Seconds
Robert Foulk	...	Sheriff Octavius Glick
Allen Jenkins	...	Vermin Whitouski
Jack La Rue	...	Tomatoes
Robert Carricart	...	Blue Jaw
Joseph Ruskin	...	Twitch
Phil Arnold	...	Hat Rack
Harry Swoger	...	Soupmeat

Also Known As:

Robin and the Seven Hoods (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Spain:T | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Essex Productions

Trivia:

Gene Kelly was originally hired as producer but left three weeks before filming. It was later suggested that he left because of disagreements with Frank Sinatra over the amount of dancing numbers in the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Will (Sammy Davis Jr) is shooting up the casino, he fires more shots than either gun holds (12 from one, 11 from the other).

Quotes:

Robbo: You look like the day they fixed the electricity at the death house.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Frasier: RDWRER (#7.12)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Any Man Who Loves His Mother

ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS (Gordon Douglas, 1964) ***

To begin with, I recall catching the opening sequence of this one as a kid on a now-defunct Sicilian TV channel Considered the best of the Rat Pack films, this is a slick, likable and witty transposition of the Robin Hood legend to gangland Chicago. A generally bright outing, it loses steam towards the end, emerging as being decidedly overlong.

The stars are in their element – Frank Sinatra is Robin (called Robbo and clearly relishing the role, it’s hard not to be reminded of the star’s real-life mob connections), Dean Martin is Little John (their famous initial confrontation takes place over a game of pool!), Sammy Davis Jr. (who does a fair imitation of James Cagney) is Will Scarlett and Bing Crosby turns up half-way through as Allen A. Dale (this proved to be his last musical role). As for the villains, Peter Falk is wonderful as Guy Gisbourne (though he seemed stuck in gangster types during this time in his career) and heavy-set cocoa-drinking Victor Buono is the new Sheriff. However, I think it was a mistake to present Marian (Barbara Rush) as a femme fatale; appropriately, then, Edward G. Robinson (an icon of the gangster genre) cameos as Big Jim – the Richard the Lionheart figure. There are also notable bits by Hans Conried (as Robbo’s put-upon architect), Allen Jenkins (as a disgruntled partner of Falk’s) and Sig Ruman (as a leading citizen).

Though OCEAN’S 11 (1960) did provide a title tune sung by Davis, this is the only Rat Pack musical of the lot. Sinatra’s “My Kind Of Town” was nominated for an Oscar – but other songs are actually more memorably presented: Davis’ own energetic destruction (at the rhythm of a tap dance) of Falk’s gambling joint; “Style”, a momentous collaboration between Sinatra, Martin and Crosby (three of the best-loved crooners ever); and Crosby’s show-stopping “Mr. Booze” (at one point, to divert a police raid organized by rival Falk, Robin’s gang turns the joint into an impromptu temperance meeting!). With this in mind, the film has definite black comedy touches – particularly in the cornerstone-laying motif. However, the Christmasy finale in which the tables are once again turned in favor of Robbo and Rush is reformed (off-screen) by Crosby feels rushed.

Some trivia connected to the film: a kidnapping scene was dropped for hitting too close to home – Sinatra’s own kid had just been abducted and eventually ransomed for $250,000!; on the day JFK was shot dead, the scene of Robinson’s funeral was being filmed!; apparently, Sinatra’s old musical pal Gene Kelly was originally involved in the production as a dance director but left during its early stages after disagreeing with Sinatra (who also served here as producer) over the number of dance routines to be incorporated into the film.