The First Deadly Sin (1980)

On the verge of retirement, a veteran police detective (Frank Sinatra) must deal with not only the serious illness of his wife (Faye Dunaway) but a serial killer (David Dukes) prowling the streets of Manhattan. Based on the novel by Lawrence Sanders and directed by Brian G. Hutton (WHERE EAGLES DARE). After his Oscar winning turn in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, Sinatra continued to prove what a fine actor he was in films like MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, SOME CAME RUNNING among many others. But after THE MANCHURIAN CANDIATE (1962), he got lazy as an actor and didn't push himself. This film is a return to Sinatra the actor and he's very good but it's a pity the movie isn't stronger. For a crime thriller, the pacing is lugubrious and there's a lack of tension. Director Hutton showed some talent for adventure in films like KELLY'S HEROES and WHERE EAGLES DARE but as evidenced here, he's out of his depth. And why does he keep Duke's face hidden from us for most of the movie after we've seen it? The film changes the book's ending to keep more in line with the DEATH WISH appeal for movie audiences. With Brenda Vaccaro, James Whitmore, Martin Gable, Anthony Zerbe and George Coe.