Interminable biography of comedian/singer Joe E. Lewis is transformed into a Frank Sinatra star-vehicle, which is handicapped by a leaden script that turns over all the old show-biz clichés, rarely revealing anything human. Lewis, a crooner in 1920s Chicago, is bullied by gangsters but rebels and has his throat slashed; he recovers and enters burlesque as a comic, then becomes a full-time comedian--with an alcohol problem. This is the kind of movie where the star is center-stage, drunk and slurring his words, and everyone in the audience (including his ex-fiancée!) exchanges worried glances about his well-being--it's a nightclub yet no one else is drunk, therefore no one else can infringe on Sinatra's spotlight. Frank is doing a real star-turn, but these unplayable scenes are made up of timeworn pathos. The film is bolstered by solid supporting work from Eddie Albert, Jeanne Crain and Beverly Garland--doing a sassy Eve Arden--but it's ultimately too long and too shapeless to hold interest. ** from ****
Review of The Joker Is Wild
