Marriage on the Rocks

It's a marriage merry-go-round when Deborah Kerr rather inadvertently divorces workaholic hubby Frank Sinatra while on vacation in Mexico; when he fails to make things right, she (once again) inadvertently winds up hitched to boozy best friend Dean Martin. Made during the time when films had become second priority to Ol' Blue Eyes. It quickly becomes apparent his heart isn't in this...and how could it be, really, with such a leaden script? Although plush and well-produced, the movie is just a throwaway--a shame since the premise did have some interesting possibilities. Nancy Sinatra (barely out of her teens) and Tony Bill add some appeal as the youngsters in love, but the rest is a snooze. Happy Hour for the Rat Pack is over...closing time, guys! *1/2 from ****

"Fuddy-duddy" Frank Sinatra (as Dan Edwards) runs an advertising agency, with "drinking man" Dean Martin (as Ernie Brewer) assisting. Mr. Sinatra thinks housewife Deborah Kerr (as Valerie) is happily married, but she wants a divorce "on the grounds of boredom." Sinatra thinks, "I don't have to be romantic." Ms. Kerr wonders what life would be like if she married Mr. Martin, who romances a succession of busty secretaries. Through a series of misunderstandings, Kerr gets her wish…

Sinatra, Kerr, and Martin do not live up to the marquee value of their names. At least, Kerr seems to be alert. Teenage daughter Nancy Sinatra (as Tracy) and Honda hopping son Michael Petit (as David) are much better than the big stars. Boyfriend Tony Bill (Jim Blake) and an able supporting cast help… a little. Strangely enough, Sinatra and Martin sing no songs; instead, their "Reprise" label is represented by Trini Lopez doing "Sinner Man", a minor hit after the film's original release.

**** Marriage on the Rocks (9/16/65) Jack Donohue ~ Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, Dean Martin, Nancy Sinatra

In recent months, I've watched quite a few films by the so-called Rat Pack. Some, such as "Oceans Eleven", were very good. However, quite a few really look like the actors were just going through the motions with substandard scripts--and "Marriage on the Rocks" is clearly one of these.

The film is supposed to be a kooky comedy about marriage and divorce. However, comedies, unless I'm mistaken, are supposed to be funny! This one lacks humor and more importantly any charm. The characters are all unlikable and very one-dimensional. Dean Martin plays an executive who NEVER works and chases women. Frank Sinatra plays an executive who ONLY works and is humorless and annoying. And, Deborah Kerr hates his wife who hates her marriage but NEVER tells her husband. As for the kids, they're all self-absorbed jerks.

As for the plot, it's bad but is made worse because you hate the characters. While in Mexico, Frank and Deborah ACCIDENTALLY GET DIVORCED and SHE ACCIDENTALLY MARRIES Dean!! This is pretty far-fetched and contrived. Overall, it's a tiresome film that might have worked had it been better written and had the stars (who had HUGE clout in Hollywood at the time) insisted they be given a competent plot. Tiresome.

This movie stars Deborah Kerr, one of the greatest actresses in history. She was nominated for Academy Awards six times and should have been nominated a few more times. I just saw her in "Night of the Iguana," and I thought that was another performance she should have gotten an academy award nomination for. I have never seen her give a bad performance. She gives a charming and funny performance here, keeping the movie together. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are spotty, good in some scenes, not-so-good in others.Sinatra is mostly sleepwalking, with Martin occasionally giving some funny lines, but Sinatra doing one-take -- let me out of here,is it 5 o'clock yet -- readings.

This could have been a good movie. There are a couple of ways they could have gone with it. First, they could have turned it into a real musical. They already had two of the greatest singers of the time and Deborah Kerr who had starred in "The King and I". How hard would it have been to hire a couple of songwriters to knock out eight songs and get a choreographer to stage a few numbers. This would have added some energy to the slow,plot.

Okay, if they didn't want to turn is into a musical, they could have made it into a more realistic comedy. In the movie, Deborah is tired of her marriage to dull Frank and wants to marry swinging Dean. Fine, lets do it. Only in the movie, Deborah gets a fake divorce from Frank and a fake marriage to Dean. This is silly, not funny. In order for the movie to work, the divorce and marriage had to be real. This would, no doubt, have made Frank really sad, and not just pretend sad, as in the film, but that would have made us care about him. Because it is not a real divorce, and Frank and Deborah's marriage isn't really threatened, nor is Frank and Dean's friendship, there is no intensity to the film.

Divorce is a painful process. The filmmakers, and, I suspect, Frank Sinatra, didn't want any of that pain in the film. They just wanted a breezy comedy. Unfortunately, fake pain from a fake divorce does not equal comedy. Slipping on a banana peel is funny, faking slipping on a banana peel is not.

Most of the film is hit and miss. Joi Lansing as Dean's curvy secretary was funny. Having 21 year old Davey Davison as a Go-Go dancer lusting after 49 year old Frank was not.

You know the direction is not very good when you have Nancy Sinatra playing a scene as Frank Sinatra's daughter and you're convinced by the end of the scene that they have never met each before.

This film intends to be wacky, I think, but ends up being nothing more than annoying. Where is the comedy in this comedy? Comedies should be fun. This one saunters through some boring situations, with lackluster performances, and expects laughs, apparently.

Frank Sinatra plays the role of the married man, firmly entrenched in responsibility, with a family that doesn't appreciate him. He goes through the motions, except when it comes to his job.

Dean Martin is best friend and bachelor--another cliché of the mid-sixties. He is constantly juggling the attentions of sexy women, providing a stark contrast to his "square" buddy, Frank.

Deborah Kerr's talents are wasted as Frank's wife--feeling unfulfilled and starved for attention.

The entire story revolves around a reversal that is as unfunny as it is improbable--Dean mistakenly marries Deborah. Oh, what will they do? How can they possibly extricate themselves from this situation that is filled with life lessons and comic banter?

I cannot recommend this film to anyone. It is mirthless.