Lady in Cement (1968)

Review by All Movie Guide
Lady in Cement is not nearly as much fun as it should have been, which is unfortunate. While its predecessor, Tony Rome, was no great shakes as art, it had more life to it. Cement's plot is considerably more involved than that of Rome, and while the puzzle-like aspect of it makes for some good old-fashioned whodunit entertainment, it also seems to squash down a bit of the lightheartedness that the audience expects. Frank Sinatra is also partly to blame, for while he's certainly watchable and knows how to toss away a good line with just the right combination of disinterest and aplomb, too often here he's content to just toss them away. Fortunately, the rest of the cast pulls their own weight and then some -- a significant job in the case of Dan Blocker, whose performance is far and away the finest and most enjoyable in the film. Raquel Welch adds some much needed spice and is at her physical peak here, Lainie Kazan is aces as a delectable go-go girl, and Richard Conte and Martin Gabel add some nice touches to their characters. Cement never takes off the way that the viewer wants, but there's enough to it to make it worth catching. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide