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The Joker is Wild
One of Frank Sinatra's strongest performances anchors 1957's The Joker is Wild, an effective blend of show biz biopic and romantic melodrama that had me riveted to the screen though I have a feeling facts might be glossed over here in favor of entertainment value and on that level, this movie definitely scores.
Sinatra stars as Joe E. Lewis, a Chicago-based nightclub singer who is offered a job in another club despite threats from his current connected boss. Lewis ignores the threats and it is not long afterwards that thugs sneak into his hotel room and beat him within an inch of his life, a beating which included the slashing of his vocal chords. Joe can no longer sing like he used to, but while working in burlesque houses, he discovers a talent for making people laugh and a whole new career.
While finding new fame as a nightclub comic, Lewis has two ill-fated romances with an icy and wealthy socialite (Jeanne Crain) and an effervescent chorus girl (Mitzi Gaynor) but he ruins both these relationships thanks to his addictions to gambling and alcohol.
I don't know anything about Joe E. Lewis and I don't how much that is presented here actually happened, but I do know that it made for one helluva an entertaining movie, something I'm sure 1950's movie audiences lapped up with a spoon. this film features all the classic elements that we expect from biopics, notably, the rise to fame that gets ruined by addiction, which always seemed to be common thread in films like this.
Oscar Saul's screenplay, based on a book by Art Cohn, could have used a little tightening, but seems perfectly tailored to Sinatra and I suspect if you're really interested in learning more about Joe E. Lewis. I suspect Cohn's book might be a good place to start.
Sinatra delivers a real movie star performance here, rich with warmth, pathos, and, of course humor. Needless to say, Sinatra is in fine voice here, but the pleasant surprise here was how funny his comic monologues were. I didn't find Sinatra at all funny in Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit, but his comic moments really worked here. I especially loved the scene where he steps onstage and realizes he can't sing and turns the song into a comedy routine. Also loved the the two separate and distinct scenes where Joe deals with hecklers.
Sinatra sings some great songs in the film including "I Cried for You", "If I Could Be With You", "Naturally", "June in January" and the iconic "All The Way", which won the Oscar for Best Song of 1957.
Sinatra gets strong support from his two leading ladies...Crain is crisp but human and Gaynor is sweet and vulnerable. Gaynor does real standout work here, her drunken tirade in the final act is terrific and I'm sure it had something to do with her getting her next role, Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film South Pacific. I also loved Eddie Albert as Austin, Joe's piano player, Beverly Garland as Austin's wife, and Jackie Coogan as Swifty. I still say if you're looking for facts about Joe E. Lewis, this is not the place to find them, but if you're a Sinatra fan, this film is an absolute must.
One of Frank Sinatra's strongest performances anchors 1957's The Joker is Wild, an effective blend of show biz biopic and romantic melodrama that had me riveted to the screen though I have a feeling facts might be glossed over here in favor of entertainment value and on that level, this movie definitely scores.
Sinatra stars as Joe E. Lewis, a Chicago-based nightclub singer who is offered a job in another club despite threats from his current connected boss. Lewis ignores the threats and it is not long afterwards that thugs sneak into his hotel room and beat him within an inch of his life, a beating which included the slashing of his vocal chords. Joe can no longer sing like he used to, but while working in burlesque houses, he discovers a talent for making people laugh and a whole new career.
While finding new fame as a nightclub comic, Lewis has two ill-fated romances with an icy and wealthy socialite (Jeanne Crain) and an effervescent chorus girl (Mitzi Gaynor) but he ruins both these relationships thanks to his addictions to gambling and alcohol.
I don't know anything about Joe E. Lewis and I don't how much that is presented here actually happened, but I do know that it made for one helluva an entertaining movie, something I'm sure 1950's movie audiences lapped up with a spoon. this film features all the classic elements that we expect from biopics, notably, the rise to fame that gets ruined by addiction, which always seemed to be common thread in films like this.
Oscar Saul's screenplay, based on a book by Art Cohn, could have used a little tightening, but seems perfectly tailored to Sinatra and I suspect if you're really interested in learning more about Joe E. Lewis. I suspect Cohn's book might be a good place to start.
Sinatra delivers a real movie star performance here, rich with warmth, pathos, and, of course humor. Needless to say, Sinatra is in fine voice here, but the pleasant surprise here was how funny his comic monologues were. I didn't find Sinatra at all funny in Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit, but his comic moments really worked here. I especially loved the scene where he steps onstage and realizes he can't sing and turns the song into a comedy routine. Also loved the the two separate and distinct scenes where Joe deals with hecklers.
Sinatra sings some great songs in the film including "I Cried for You", "If I Could Be With You", "Naturally", "June in January" and the iconic "All The Way", which won the Oscar for Best Song of 1957.
Sinatra gets strong support from his two leading ladies...Crain is crisp but human and Gaynor is sweet and vulnerable. Gaynor does real standout work here, her drunken tirade in the final act is terrific and I'm sure it had something to do with her getting her next role, Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film South Pacific. I also loved Eddie Albert as Austin, Joe's piano player, Beverly Garland as Austin's wife, and Jackie Coogan as Swifty. I still say if you're looking for facts about Joe E. Lewis, this is not the place to find them, but if you're a Sinatra fan, this film is an absolute must.