Product Details

• Actors: Frank Sinatra, Faye Dunaway, David Dukes, George Coe, Brenda Vaccaro
• Directors: Brian G. Hutton
• Writers: Lawrence Sanders, Mann Rubin
• Producers: Frank Sinatra, Elliott Kastner, Fred C. Caruso, George Pappas, Mark Shanker
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: February 7, 1995
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300270319
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,120 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Lawrence Sanders' nerve-fraying bestseller stars Frank Sinatra as a New York detective coping with his wife's mysterious and incurable illness -- and hunting an ice hammer-wielding killer. Year: 1980

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Greatly underrated film, August 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: First Deadly Sin [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Those who choose to review don't seem to "get" this film. Sinatra is able to portray the character of a realistically strong, dedicated, and loving man. He is one of the few actors who could pull it off. Sinatra is both believable and fascinating in his role as an exceptional police investigator with a palpable off-beat manliness who maintains his allegiance to his chosen duty while suffering the great tradgedy of his own personal life.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tepid, June 12, 2001

By 

C. S. Junker "soul_survivor" (Burien, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Deadly Sin (DVD)

Disappointing adaptation of Lawrence Sanders' breakthrough bestseller squashes the story down to an under-two-hour format, leaching out the characterizations and offering only a few bare facts. The result is a flat, tepid thriller without much suspense.

In his final dramatic film role, Sinatra shows why he was so highly regarded as a screen performer. Despite a poor script and limp direction, his charisma is sufficient to make this watchable. He conveys genuine emotion and makes it possible for us to empathize with an underwritten character.

Faye Dunaway, unfortunately, is limited to a few scenes, all of which take place in a hospital bed, as she plays Sinatra's dying wife. In the novel, Mrs. Delaney's scenes served as a poignant counterpoint to his search for the killer. He discusses the case with her, sharing all the details, and Sanders paints a powerful portrait of a cop who defeats the killer, but it powerless against the disease that is killing his wife. In the movie this does not come off at all, and viewers not familiar with the book may wonder why these scenes were included.

The DVD is a bare bones, full-screen transfer, with no extras.

Sinatra fans may enjoy this film, but I'd recommend reading Sanders' novel instead if you're looking for a gripping hunt-for-the-killer mystery.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frank's best, December 8, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: First Deadly Sin [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I loved this movie. I read the book first and it was wonderful. A friend of mine gave it to me and after that I read all of the books it this series.

I think this it the best movie Frank Sinatra ever made. It is an excellent movie. It is a good crime story and well done. If you like a good who done it movie you will like this one.