Guys and Dolls (1955)

Frank Sinatra, who had lost the starring role in On the Waterfront to Marlon Brando the year before, was irate over losing the Sky Masterson role, for which he believed he was better suited. He was probably right. Joseph Mankiewicz's screen version of the classic musical is solid entertainment, but doesn't nearly rise to the heights of its stage source. Damon Runyon's highly stylized version of the New York 1920s demimonde of gamblers, touts, and bookies is the setting for this tale of the reluctant reform of two of their number. As a writer, Mankiewicz knew enough to use the show's book almost in its entirety, and the dialogue is still as sharp as ever. But as a director, his lack of visual flair was always a drawback in his non-musicals, and in a show like this, it's truly deadly. The camera movements have no fluidity, the groupings are unimaginative, and the mise-en-scène is flat. The sets are so overlit that one expects a helicopter to land at any moment. Sinatra, possibly resentful over being cast as Nathan, seems to have phoned his part in. Although Brando may be a bit closer to the mark as Sky, one might wish that MGM had not prevented Gene Kelly from performing in the role which he also coveted. Still, there is much to enjoy in the film, especially the outstanding score, which seems not to contain a bad song. And in numbers like "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat", "Luck Be a Lady" and "Fugue for Tinhorns", it's as good as the best musicals ever made. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide