Customer Reviews

A Hole in the Head

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This is one of my favorite Sinatra films. It has quite a cast of charater Sinatra,Robinson and Capra. This group have all made some very good movie's and they all have a distinct style with there film's. Put this combination toghter and they all play off each other well. Sinatra play's a dreamer and on the verge of losing everything except that he has a son that will stick by him no matter what. Robinson is the older brother who is very set in his ways. He visit his younger brother and there take on life are about as different as brother can be. I wish ther were some extra's; I feel this film has alway's been a little overlook when people talk about Sinatra film's. But for the price it is a nice feel good movie to add to the collection.

The films begins with picturesque shots of Miami Florida, circa 1959, that alone could be worth the price of admission. The exterior of the hotel that Sinatra barely owns, is The Cordoza Hotel in South Beach. Sinatra's voice can be heard over the opening credits, singing the Cahn /Van Husen song, "All My Tomorrows". Frank is a single father trying to have all his dreams come true at once, make time with swinging chicks and see that he isn't put out on the street because the mortgage is due on his two star hotel. This was a play adapted for the screen by the playwrite,it feels like the lead character was Jewish, for his parents have the requisite guilt devices, but no matter, all are terrrific. The young man who plays his son, Eddie Hodges, was the little boy from the stage production of, "Music Man" (he was also a big hit on a musical quiz show, Name That Tune-his partner on the show was pilot John Glenn! Now that's trivia of the highest order) Lots of great character actors(Thelma Ritter,Edward G Robinson and Keenan Wynn) and local Florida color and can't forget the charming duet sung by father and son,"High Hopes", adds up to a fun viewing. I watch it every few years, it holds up. Hey, it's a Capra film and he never made a bad movie.

The irony that seems to be lost on everyone in this movie is Sinatra's grand get-rich-quick scheme. He's got this crazy idea about building a Disney Land in Florida. You remember the great scene at the dog track with Keenan Winn where he lays out the plan..."Sure, we pick up the land for a song and we're in business". Keep in mind this is 1959 and even Walt himself probably hadn't thought about picking up all that property dirt cheap and developing the world's largest theme park...Then again maybe Walt saw Hole In The Head.

After his singing career began to wane, Frank Sinatra began his meteoric rise in the movies. One of his best comedic roles was in the musical Guys and Dolls. But here's another little-seen gem, a Frank Sinatra sleeper that many viewers have caught bits of but which only recently appeared on DVD.

After seeing this film, I tried to track it down, not knowing the name of it, and finally found it in Leonard Maltin's film guide (check out his review). They don't make movies like this anymore. That overused cliche is an understatement for this film where everything works, especially the chemistry between Sinatra and Eleanor Parker, but the show stealer is his twelve year old son, Ally, who takes care of the always drinking, always dreaming Sinatra. Edward G. Robinson tries to straighten him out, at bottom still believing in him. If you're wondering if Capra ever made anything as endearing as It's a Wonderful Life, yes he did, and here it is, a great family film now on DVD.

Sure, you can compare A HOLE IN THE HEAD with the similarly-themed "The Courtship of Eddie's Father", but director Frank Capra turns what might have been a sentimental story into one with enough rough edges to make it ring true for audiences.

Frank Sinatra stars as widower Tony Manetta, a man with big dreams and even bigger ambitions to run the most successful hotel in Miami (and trying to raise his little son Ally, played by Eddie Hodges). Tony's elder brother Mario (Edward G. Robinson), concerned about the welfare of his nephew, makes a deal with Tony. He'll back Tony's latest scheme but if it fails, he'll take custody of Ally. Tony's plans also cause complications in his lovelife, when he's caught between a free-spirited kook (Carolyn Jones) and a beautiful widow (Eleanor Parker).

A HOLE IN THE HEAD is warm-hearted without being syrupy, and the cast is absolute perfection. Eleanor Parker (with stunning red hair!) is much-appreciated and Carolyn Jones is a delightful presence too. Director Frank Capra also manages to draw out a delicate performance from Frank Sinatra; his scenes with Eddie Hodges are charming. A HOLE IN THE HEAD should earn a proud place in your classic movie collection. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

A HOLE IN THE HEAD had a limited Broadway run of 156 performances from 2/28/57 to 7/13/57. Arnold Schulman (whose dad owned a beachside South Florida hostel) adapted his own play for the screen. During that process, the main characters names and ethnicity were changed to better fit its star.


In Frank Capra's movie version, Frank Sinatra portrays a single dad and carefree playboy who owns a Miami Beach motel. He has only 48 hours to come up with five months back mortgage payments and little chance of doing so. Eddie Robinson, Frank's successful businessman older brother, not only refuses to lend him any money but is trying to take Frank's young son back to New York with him. When Frank recklessly gambles away the cash that would've saved him from eviction, he's convinced that his boy is better off going north with Robinson.


Sinatra's performance of Van Heusen/Cahn's "High Hopes" won them a Best Song Oscar. At Frank's urging, director Capra came out of retirement to do this film, which reunites Frank with Eleanor Parker, his co-star in Otto Preminger's brilliant drama, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955).

Eddie Hodges, who here is Frank's adorable red-haired son 'Ally," got his start on Broadway as lisping little Winthrop in Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN. In the early '60s, Eddie had a few Top 40 charters for CADENCE Records, including "Girls Girls Girls (Made To Love)." Gravel-voiced B.S. Pully (Hood) also was a stand-up comic who recorded an adult comedy album. Carolyn Jones (Shirl) later co-starred as Morticia on TV's THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1963).


Parenthetical number preceding titles is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(6.2) A Hole in the Head (1959) - Frank Sinatra/Edward G. Robinson/Eleanor Parker/Carolyn Jones/Thelma Ritter/Jimmie Komack/Keenan Wynn/Dub Taylor/George DeWitt/Benny Rubin/Ruby Dandridge/B.S. Pully/Eddie Hodges

Frank Capra's 1959 comedy "A Hole in the Head" is a surprisingly cute comedy with a most interesting back story. This movie was based on the successful Arnold Schulman play. It was Sinatra that saw the play and decided he wanted to do a movie. He went to Frank Capra to direct the movie and to sweeten the deal he offered to co-produce the movie with him. They formed SinCap (Sinatra-Capra) productions for this movie. Capra was an interesting choice, especially since he had not directed a movie in eight years, and this was his first movie he directed in color! If this wasn't unusual enough they went further by casting Edward G. Robinson in a comedic role as Sinatra's older brother!

The music for the film was done by the incomparable Nelson Riddle and his orchestra. It won the Oscar for best song "High Hopes." Finally, one of the plot devices of this film is Sinatra's character's get rich scheme of building a Disney theme park on Miami Beach. This is several years before Disney building just a few hours drive up the road in Orlando Fla! I wonder if Walt saw the movie?

Its about a single dad Tonny Manetta (Frank Sinatra) who owns a small hotel (the Garden of Eden) on Miami Beach that is not doing well financially and he is about to be foreclosed on. He is a dreamer and has a scheme to become a millionaire by getting an old friend of his Jerry Marks (Keenan Wynn), a big time theatrical promoter, to financially bank roll his scheme of building a Disney theme park on Miami Beach! The plot revolves around the interaction of Tony and his 12 yr. old and very bright son Ally Manetta (Eddie Hodges). When Tony receives his eviction notice he tries to "borrow" money from his older brother Mario (Edward G. Robinson) who flies down with his wife to Miami Beach to persuade Tony to leave the hotel business and settle down or give up custody of Ally to him so he can be raised in a stable home environment.

I really liked the movie. Sinatra did a great job in this comedy and was not surrounded by his "Rat Pack" buddies. Edward G. Robinson was a bit out of place in his comedic role. As usual, the old Hollywood adage for big stars, "never appear in a movie with an animal or a kid, they will steal the show," comes to fruition in this movie. The 12 year old Eddie Hodges steals the movie; he is adorable in this role.

This is a classic from the late 50's. It has a great cast, Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Elanor Parker, Carolyn Jones, Thelma Ritter & Keenan Wynn. Directed by Frank Capra - all of them ledgends. It is very entertaining & the music is by Nelson Riddle. Cant go wrong with this one. I own less than a dozen DVDs & this is one of them.

I originally saw this movie as a kid and enjoyed it then. Now I find close to 50-years later that it holds up very well. I never saw a Frank Capra movie that I did not like. This was not one of his best. But it is still very enjoyable.

I grew up loving the music of Frank Sinatra........I was a little girl when my dad took me to see Young at Heart........my parents loved him...we all do......I get such a kick out of the old movies of him....no matter what part he played.......he was the best! He touched so many hearts!