I haven’t done a movie soundtrack in this segment before and Robin and the 7 Hoods struck me as a good place to start for two reasons. First, I’ve had it on my mind since posting a clip last Saturday. Second, my favorite cousin introduced me to the movie and its wonderful Van Heusen-Cahn songs when I was a kid. You’ve either got or you haven’t got style and she’s got it. Thanks, T. Clip time:
Robin and the 7 Hoods is, of course, a Rat Packy take on the Robin Hood myth transported to prohibition era Chicago. I like it more than the more famous Ocean’s 11 but it was a troubled production as far as producer-star Frank Sinatra was concerned; both the Kennedy assassination and the kidnapping of his son Frank Jr. took place during and right after the film shoot. But that didn’t stop the Chairman of the Board from making My Kind of Town a staple of his live sets.
It’s time for me to stop nattering and get visual. Here’s the LP cover:
More robbin’ and hoodin’ after the break
Since this is a hybrid music/movie post, let’s throw in a poster and a lobby card as lagniappe. We’ll start with the poster used in Belgium:
What’s a Rat Pack movie without a poolroom scene?
And now for a few swingin’ clips:
I couldn’t find the original clip for Mr. Booze so this will have to do:
I posted this last Saturday but one can never have too much Sinatra as far as I’m concerned:
