Review of Ocean's Eleven (1960) by Jacob M — 03 Jul 2013

Before the remake featuring George Clooney, there was this version of Ocean's 11, starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammi Davis Jr. Without ever watching the remake, I must say that this version is just, well, OK.

A group of old buddies who fought in WWII under the 82nd Airborne, led by Danny Ocean (Frank Sinatra), plots one of the biggest heists in film history. The plan? Knock off five casinos on New Year's Eve in Vegas at the same time by knocking the power down. Will the plan work? Well, I don't spoil anything, so you have to watch the film for yourself.

Other members of Ocean's team include Dean Martin as Sam Harmon, Sammi Davis Jr. as Josh Howard, Peter Lawford as Jimmy Foster, and Richard Conte as Anthony Bergdorf. (I could name the other members, but they only showed up just to do the heist.).

Non-members of Ocean's team include a cameo appearance by Red Skelton, Cesar Romero starring as Duke Santos, who's cracking down hard on the heist, and Angie Dickenson as Ocean's ex-wife.

The casting for this film is impressive, but some actors, including Sammi Davis Jr. and Angie Dickenson, aren't around that much, especially Angie, whom I feel her part to be a huge waste. In the scenes Sammi was in though, I enjoyed. He even sings now and then, which I thought was cool. Frankie was also a treat to see as a crook, but I was a little disappointed that he didn't break out in song. At least Dean Martin had his chance to do just that.

The most enjoyable thing about this film is the heist itself. The way it was shot, from the camera angles to the lights, I found it to be impressively done. Other parts I enjoyed includes the jazzy score and a cool opening credits light show.

Other than that, there's not that much to say positive about. While it was fun to see Frankie, Dean, and Sammi in one film, there was a lack of a good plot and there was zero character development, making the first act a huge bore. Basically, the whole plot is 11 guys robbing casinos without giving any personalities to the characters. Look, Hollywood, and director Lewis Milestone, if you want to make a film with a large cast, give them all personalities. If you want to see a film where that's pulled off classic movie wise, watch The Great Escape.

While I enjoyed the "Rat Pack" on film, and the heist scene is a fun treat, Ocean's 11 suffers from poor character development and a lack of story. I haven't seen the remake, but if I do, I hope it's better. If anyone hasn't seen it, I'd say rent it. The film is probably loved by diehard "Rat Pack" fans only. I'm not one, unfortunately.