Despite the reported controversy over who played whom in this enjoyable adaption of Damon Runyon's short stories, I reckon they got the choice right. Frank Sinatra is "Nathan Detroit" host of a legendary weekly crap game in New York. Only this week, with some big out-of-town hitters including legend "Sky Masterson" (Marlon Brando) in town - he can't find a venue, unless he can find $1,000. Catch 22? Brando, meantime is bet that he cannot get hoity-toity local Christian mission Sergeant "Sarah Brown" (Jean Simmons) to go to Havana with him. There is a bet riding on just about everything here.... What sets this apart for me, is that it is dominated by the male characters; there are few of the traditionally heavily choreographed dance routines; the characterisations have more punch - especially a slick and suave Brando & Simmons; and the casting is driven by cinema not theatre box office stars. Now nobody will ever be able to say that Brando was a natural born crooner; but that didn't matter - his rendition of Frank Loesser's "Luck be a Lady" has charm and a certain joie-de-vivre that we wouldn't necessarily have achieved from a more professional stage performer. Likewise, Jean Simmons delivers well as the puritanical salvationist whilst charmingly working her way through "A Woman In Love" & "Follow the Fold" (with Brando). Of course Sinatra is in is element with "Adelaide" his ode to Vivian Blaine who is great, reprising her 1950 Broadway performance as Sinatra's frequently put-upon gal, with a super song and dance routine to "Pet Me Poppa", too. In the end, though, I think the plaudits actually belong to Stubby Kaye ("Nicely-Nicely") for his corking ensemble lead of "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat". To it's detriment, there is little chemistry between the the two leads and that really does come across - at times like two spatting cats, but generally it is a pacy, stylish spin on spivs and gangsters that certainly made me smile and tap my toes.
