A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Detective (1968) -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Thinking back, I don't believe that I ever considered Frank Sinatra to be a serious actor. He had some performances worth noting, but I'd never go out of my way to see a Sinatra film.


I was reading some points made by Roger Ebert, and I believe his thoughts to be correct.


Give Mr. Sinatra a truly great director, and he has the capability to shine. In the hands of filmmakers such as Gordon Douglas, who did fine, workmanlike films, he tends to go toward being Sinatra. As Mr. Ebert notes in his review of Lady in Cement: "[Sinatra] is running the show, slipping in-jokes over on us, writing in guest appearances for his needy friends. That's the problem with Sinatra, I guess. His personal empire is so large he doesn't need to venture outside for directors, producers, writers, friends. And since the employees of Sinatra & Co. don't like to say no to the big man, Sinatra winds up in lousy movies in spite of himself."


But The Detective is better than Lady in Cement, and more like Tony Rome, with Mr. Sinatra playing, as Mr. Ebert also pointed out, a Bogart-type detective, except that he's no Bogart and his detective trilogy (1967-8) for Fox, Tony Rome, The Detective and Lady in Cement, are no Maltese Falcons.


The Detective seems to be the best of the trilogy, and it's a decent, gritty detective story.


​The HD master supplied to Twilight Time by Fox is quite beautiful. In fact, everything is right with it, and it's a great representation of Joseph Biroc's cinematography -- what a good-looking Fox scope production would look like c. 1968.


One can only wonder what the films might have been like with a stronger director.



Image - 5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended

RAH

 

[John Hermes]

Sinatra plays a gumshoe Miami private eye in Tony Rome and Lady In Cement, and a NYC police detective in The Detective. I wouldn't call them a trilogy myself, although I like all three. Tony Rome happens to be one of my favorite films and hopefully TT will release it as well.

 

[Robin9]

Robert Ebert's remarks are interesting and perceptive and reminded me of a 1961 book about Frank Sinatra. The author, Richard Gehman, interviewed Billy Wilder and asked him about Sinatra:


"Tell me what you think of Sinatra."

"You already know what I think. A stupendous personality. Electric. One of the great ones."

"Someone told me you think he's unprofessional and won't work with him."

"That isn't true. I think this: if, instead of involving himself in all these enterprises, nineteen television shows and records by the ton and four movies all at once, and producing things and political things and all those broads - this talent on film would be stupendous. That would be the only word. Stupendous. He could make us all, all the actors that is, look like ****. No, I don't believe I'd work with him. I'm afraid he would run after the first take - 'Bye-bye kid, that's it, I'm going, I've got to see a chick' That would drive me crazy. No, I don't believe we will ever work together."

**** Billy Wilder did not use an expletive. He used a term of derision which in these politically correct times might cause offense and might contravene HTF rules.

I think Billy Wilder's judgement was about right. Sinatra's work in films like The Man With The Golden Arm and The Manchurian Candidate shows what he could do when he tried.

 

[Lord Dalek]

And to think this is actually the prequel to Die Hard...

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Viewing this Blu right now.


If one likes film noir, this is a nice flick to have. Tackles some subjects that were definite taboo back in 1968.


Lee Remick is stunning in this film.


An appearance by a young Jacqueline Bisset is a nice touch.


Good to see some actors, actresses (and athletes of the day) whom we got to know in other films & venues.


A little slow at times but I like it.

 

[AshJW]

I've got all three on DVD and they look quite good, even projected.


Anyway, I hope this will also come out in Europe.