Robin And The 7 Hoods (1964)

After Chicago's leading mobster (Edward G. Robinson) is assassinated, an ambitious gangster (Peter Falk) declares himself the new head of the Chicago mob. This does not sit well with the deceased mobster's friend (Frank Sinatra) and a gangland war breaks out. Directed by Gordon Douglas (TONY ROME), this musical comedy take on the Robin Hood myth must have sounded good on paper and for awhile, it's amusing. But as a musical (the songs are by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn) , with two exceptions, the songs are a nondescript lot and intrude on the storyline which is pretty thin to begin with. The two exceptions are My Kind Of Town which received an Oscar nomination for best song and became a signature tune for Sinatra and the rousing Mr. Booze which is sung at a revival meeting. Curiously, the only woman in the film, the Maid Marian equivalent (Barbara Rush) is played as a duplicitous and deadly femme fatale instead of the demure maiden of myth. I can only conclude that by 1964 the "Rat Pack" was bored and it shows. With Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Victor Buono, Allen Jenkins, Jack LaRue and Hans Conreid.