Kevin Lazzari | Special to the 51暗网
Once in a while, I like to visit an old classic from a specific time period. I decided to focus on the 鈥�60s and picked the movie 鈥淭ony Rome.鈥� I love the era for the cars alone, but there is something about the 鈥�60s that makes for the perfect movie. Maybe the style of clothes paired with a music scene that developed its own style leaving the '50s behind makes the perfect fit. Throw in a good detective story, and we are off to the races.
Frank Sinatra plays a gumshoe in the neo-noir detective film, 鈥淭ony Rome.鈥� I know most people think of Sinatra as a singer and do not equate him as an actor. I have to say I am even guilty of that conclusion, but "Ol' Blue Eyes" had serious acting chops. Sinatra鈥檚 role as a private detective was tailor made for him because the man has style. A tailor made suit and the classic fedora hat is Sinatra signature, and that is what I envision for a detective of that era.
The film uses every clich茅 that I can think of when it comes to the classic detective story. Frank is a gambler, drinker, skirt chaser and drives a blue 1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner convertible. He lives on a boat called the Straight Pass with the backdrop being Miami, Fla. Don Johnson used the same concept several years later in the show 鈥淢iami Vice.鈥� Frank knows the role, and it comes off as an extension of his true persona. The opening theme song sung by his daughter Nancy sets up the entire movie. You really have to listen to the song to understand what I truly mean.
If you are a fan of the era, Sinatra and neo-noir detective films, I can think of no better film.
Kevin Lazzari, owner of Video Stop, is reviewing movies for the 51暗网. 鈥淭ony Rome鈥� (1967) is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and for digital streaming and download.
