Marriage on the Rocks (1965)

Director:

Jack Donohue

Writers:

Cy Howard (screenplay)
Cy Howard (story)

Release Date:

24 September 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Ad-agency president Dan Edwards who, when he goes to Mexico to celebrate his nineteenth wedding anniversary...

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Dan Edwards
Deborah Kerr	...	Valerie Edwards
Dean Martin	...	Ernie Brewer
Cesar Romero	...	Miguel Santos
Hermione Baddeley	...	Jeannie MacPherson
Tony Bill	...	Jim Blake
John McGiver	...	Shad Nathan
Nancy Sinatra	...	Tracy Edwards
Davey Davison	...	Lisa Sterling
Michel Petit	...	David Edwards (as Michael Petit)
Trini López	...	Himself
Joi Lansing	...	Lola
Darlene Lucht	...	Bunny (as Tara Ashton)
Kathleen Freeman	...	Miss Blight
Flip Mark	...	Rollo
DeForest Kelley	...	Mr. Turner
Sigrid Valdis	...	Kitty
Byron Foulger	...	Mr. Bruno
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carol Anderson	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Parley Baer	...	Dr. Newman (uncredited)
Jean Bartel	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Roberto Contreras	...	Assistant (uncredited)
Douglas Deane	...	Bearded Man (uncredited)
Stanley Farrar	...	Assistant (uncredited)
Linda Foster	...	Girl in Bathing Suit (uncredited)
John J. Fox	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo	...	Mayor (uncredited)
Frank Gerstle	...	Assistant (uncredited)
Gay Gordon	...	Beach Character (uncredited)
Tina Mangosing	...	Bridal Senorita (uncredited)
Hedley Mattingly	...	Mr. Smythe (uncredited)
William Meader	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Louis Nicoletti	...	Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Karen Norris	...	Assistant (uncredited)
Marliza Pons	...	Lobby Senorita (uncredited)
Joe Raciti	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Cage Dancer (uncredited)
Linda Rivera	...	Bridal Senorita (uncredited)
Reta Shaw	...	Saleslady at Saks (uncredited)
Al Silvani	...	Mexican Character (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Donohue

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cy Howard		screenplay
Cy Howard		story "Community Property"

Produced by
William H. Daniels	....	producer

Original Music by
Nelson Riddle

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels

Film Editing by
Sam O'Steen

Art Direction by
LeRoy Deane

Set Decoration by
Arthur Krams
William L. Kuehl

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Joseph Musso	....	production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer

Music Department
Nelson Riddle	....	conductor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
George Barris	....	car customizer: Zebra Mustang
Jonathan Lucas	....	choreographer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• A-C Productions
• Sinatra Enterprises
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)

Also Known As:

Community Property (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl

Company:

A-C Productions

Trivia:

Nancy Sinatra was nervous acting opposite father Frank for the very first time. But worse than that, she was in the midst of a devastating divorce from first husband 'Tommy Sands' while shooting the picture, later saying that it was a good time for all the fellas on the set but she herself was extremely troubled.

Quotes:

Shad Nathan: You're emotionally upset, have a glass of water.
Valerie Edwards: I don't want a glass of water, I want a divorce!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sweet Bird of Youth: Chasing Time (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

There Was a Sinner Man

Marriage Sank Without A Trace

The only reason this film gets as high as four is for all the talent involved. If Frank and Dean had sung in this film it might have rated higher. But the plain fact is that Marriage on the Rocks just ain't that funny.

Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are best friends and partners in an advertising agency. Sinatra is married to Deborah Kerr with two kids and a mother-in-law in the house. Dino is a carefree bachelor and all around swinger and boozer. Basically these two really play themselves so there's no great stretch of any thespian talent.

Through an odd combination of circumstances, Sinatra and Kerr whose marriage is going through a rough patch go to Mexico on a second honeymoon and through the machinations of divorce attorney Cesar Romero they get an instant Mexican divorce. Then when Sinatra can't make it back to Mexico, he sends Dino back to pick up Kerr and offer an explanation and Martin winds up married to Kerr.

Now their roles are reversed and Martin is now a stepfather to Nancy Sinatra and Michael Petit and Sinatra's having a whale of a good time leading a swinging, ring-a-ding life. Of course all gets righted in the end.

We've seen it all before from Frank and Dean. This would be their last joint film appearance for 17 years until Cannonball Run II. Mainly because of the critical roasting this film got. Both of them just walk through the parts here. Dean Martin was just starting his highly successful television series which would be his main venue for the next decade and Frank was doing some very nice television specials around that time.

It would have been nice if both of them had sang some more on the big screen, but no more movie singing for them, except for Dino in the first Matt Helm film.

In any event the Rat Pack was breaking up as the two of them plus Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Joey Bishop all started doing their own thing more and more.

Deborah Kerr looks like she's wondering how she got there with the boys, she certainly doesn't have the right spirit to be a Rat Pack broad like Shirley MacLaine or Angie Dickinson or Barbara Rush.

In fact Marriage on the Rocks is one colossal waste of an incredible assembly of talented players.