Official Synopsis:
The Early Years –

Double Dynamite -
A racetrack tip puts bank clerk Sinatra in the green - and in hot water when a substantial amount of cash is missing from the bank. With Jane Russell and Groucho Marx.

Higher And Higher -
Starting out - the King of Swoon's first credited feature film role! A maid poses as a debutante in hopes of wooing wealthy bachelor Frank. With Mel Torme and Dooley Wilson.

It Happened In Brooklyn -
Ex-G.I. Sinatra can't find an apartment when he returns from World War II, but he does find romance in the old neighborhood. With Kathryn Grayson, Jimmy Durante and the signature hit Time After Time.

The Kissing Bandit -
He's also a singing bandit! Sinatra brings sly comic ease to the role of a timid youth struggling to continue his family's bandito tradition. With Kathryn Grayson, Ann Miller and Cyd Charisse.

Step Lively -
The kid from Jersey winningly steps into his first top billing. An antic backstage farce based on the Broadway hit that also inspired the Marx Brothers' Room Service.

The Golden Years –

The Man With The Golden Arm -
Gripping, harrowing, taboo-shattering. The legend shines as a drummer coping with drug abuse. "Sinatra never gave a better performance as an actor" (The New Yorker 8/9/93). With Kim Novak and Eleanor Parker.

Marriage On The Rocks -
A screwball marriage-go-round. Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and Dean Martin go for a madcap spin in this whoop-for-joy romp about I do, I don't and I did what?!

None But The Brave -
A tale of combat, survival... and respect between enemies. U.S. Marine Sinatra crash-lands onto a Pacific atoll held by Japanese troops. Sinatra's powerful directorial debut.

Some Came Running -
Small-town hypocrisy comes into focus in this acclaimed expose of a mid-American town. From director Vincente Minnelli and the author of From Here To Eternity. Sinatra, Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine.

The Tender Trap -
Will a talent agent (Sinatra) dedicated to life, liberty and the happiness of pursuit be snared by love? Maybe yes when Manhattan cutie Debbie Reynolds sets her sights on him.

  
Our Take:
I’ll be honest, most of my experience with Frank Sinatra comes from a handful of tunes and watching the original The Manchurian Candidate. Aside from that, I’ve really watched or listened to very little of his work. However, I think the man was very talented and clearly ridiculously popular; I also think he was a flawed, fascinating person. While Frank Sinatra: The Early Years and Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years give little insight into the man beyond what’s on the screen, they’re a great way to get to see more of his talent on display.

Frank Sinatra: The Early Years focuses on Sinatra’s first few films in an actual starring role; not included are a few films he had minor roles in before. We get to see his first star billing in these films, but the highlight of the set is Step Lively, a screwball comedy that’s very enjoyable. I always think of Sinatra as either a singer in musicals or a dramatic actor a la Manchurian Candidate; it’s fun to see him in a much more fun, lightweight role.

While none of the films in the set aside from Step Lively are particularly stellar, they’re a nice way to get to see Sinatra at work at a time when he was the king of the entertainment world, conquering music, live performances, and movies. Fans of classic Hollywood will enjoy some of the conventional pictures in this set as well.

Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years is a much more impressive set in terms of acting and filmmaking, but that’s not surprising because it veers heavily into dramatic category. As with all actor-themed box sets, rights issues prevent these sets from being complete, so The Manchurian Candidate and From Here to Eternity are nowhere to be seen. However, the inclusion of The Man With The Golden Arm is a welcome addition. Oscar nominated for his role as a drug addicted musician, Sinatra has never been so amazing on screen. While he’ll always be regarded as a singer first and actor second, there’s no denying what a force he could have been in Hollywood if the industry was managed differently back then.

The set also includes None But the Brave, which was Sinatra’s directorial debut. While not a perfect film, it’s notable for Sinatra’s contribution to it and it also marks the sole inclusion in the set of one of a few different military/soldier roles he played.

While Warner is releasing several Sinatra sets to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death, only some of them include extra features. Unfortunately, neither of these sets are amongst those selections, which baffles me more than a little bit. They don’t even have the usual “Warner Night at the Movies” extras that most of the studio’s classic Hollywood releases do.

Frank Sinatra: The Early Years and Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years may not be perfect DVD sets, but they are a nice way to get a little more knowledge of this legendary entertainer. While I lament the lack of extra features, there are some quality films to be found here so they’re definitely worth a look.

Overall Picture:
Movies (average): B
DVD sets: C+

- Mike Spring

Editor