FRANK SINATRA ON THE ROCKS

[PLEASE READ] "Please, I know you're not laughin', but leave us not make it a crusade!"

Singer/actor Frank Sinatra is dramatic dynamite as the star of Paramount's THE JOKER IS WILD (1957).

Based on the life of comedian Joe E. Lewis (1902-1971), the movie is ornamented with terrific songs (including the Academy-Award-winning "All the Way") and beauty (Mitzi Gaynor and Jeanne Crain). It is also peppered with plenty of night-club patter (including Lewis's signature toast "Post time!").

Sinatra exudes confidence as Lewis: not only could he relate familiarly to the film's late-night-entertainment settings and action, he could also flex his actor's muscles to meet a variety of challenging dramatic demands—some of which you will see in this YouTube video.

Although Sinatra's Lewis was prey to self-destructive behavior, screenwriter Oscar Saul stitched a silver thread of life-affirmation into the character—and, to me, that "grace note" truly makes this a winning film.

"The Joker Is Wild" also features performances by Eddie Albert, Beverly Garland, and Jackie Coogan.

Miscellaneous thoughts: Frank Sinatra--probably better than any other significant film actor--knew how to look at an actress in their scenes together. Case in point: watch his eyes in conversation with Jeanne Crain. [For another great example, seek HIGH SOCIETY (1956), friend, and observe Frank singing "You're Sensational" to Grace Kelly.] The evidence is also persuasive that musical-comedienne Mitzi Gaynor probably never delivered a better dramatic performance on film than in THE JOKER IS WILD.

IMPORTANT: This is a video of goodwill and great admiration. Questions or comments are sincerely welcome—but only if they are nice, clean, and comprehendible. If you are a professional and want credit I've neglected to give OR prefer that I delete this video, please contact me and it will promptly be done.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Frank Sinatra
• Joker Is Wild
• Jeanne Crain
• Mitzi Gaynor
• Eddie Albert
• Beverly Garland
• Jackie Coogan
• Joe E. Lewis
• Las Vegas
• Casinos
• Nightclubs
• Showgirls
• Bing Crosby
• Don Rickles
• Jerry Lewis
• Rodney Dangerfield
• Sammy Davis Jr.
• Rat Pack
• Comedians
• Gambling
• Alcoholism
• Classic Movies
• 1950s
• Romance
• Standup
• Nancy Sinatra
• northbreed1a
• northbreed1

[bsdml]

It was great to see a bit of this film again. I first watched it in my teens. Heartbreaking story, but also with a bit of hope. Sinatra was absolutely terrific in this.

[TheStockwell]

Thanks for your overview of this film. Like a lot of Sinatra fans, I've seen the Big Deal films he made and just know about the others. I never get around to seeing the work he did before he started concentrating on his live performances and studio work. I'll hunt this film down immediately. It's in a box set on Amazon and as a streamed film on Netflix.