Product Description

A Hole in the Head is a "genuinely entertaining" (Newsweek), OscarÂ(r)-winning* comedy, directed by the legendary Frank Capra at his uproarious best! Meet Tony (Frank Sinatra), a wannabe big shot who's constantly broke. And while the carefree widower may not have money, he is rich in one respect: he's got the unconditional love of his adoring young son, Ally (Eddie Hodges). But when Tony asks his wealthy brother, Mario (Edward G. Robinson), for a loan, Mario, who disapproves of Tony's swinging lifestyle, agrees to back his brother on one condition: settle down or give him custody of Ally! Tony may be desperate, but he'd have to have A Hole in the Head to agree to Mario's terms wouldn't he? *1959: Music (Song, "High Hopes")

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16989 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-09-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.com
A pair of Franks make an agreeable meal in A Hole in the Head, the movie that brought together messrs. Sinatra and Capra. While Sinatra was on his movie-star hot streak, Capra had been out of film for a few years, having conquered Hollywood in the 1930s and then fallen out of love with it. Capra found in Arnold Schulman's stage play a different kind of hero from his past Mr. Deeds and Mr. Smith: a Miami hotelier with big debts, young son, wayward eye, and, well, high hopes. The role fits Sinatra like a blue-eyed glove: he dodges creditors while hoping for a handout from his disapproving older brother (Edward G. Robinson), who in turn strongly wishes his younger sibling would settle down with a nice widow (Eleanor Parker) instead of a free-spirited, bongo-playing kook (Carolyn Jones). Meanwhile, kid (Eddie Hodges, from the stage version of The Music Man) believes in his old man, to a fault.

This easygoing tale shows Capra in a mellow, cooled-off mood; the propulsive rhythm of his 1930s pictures is nowhere to be seen, and the film does go on too long. He hits his stride when Sinatra approaches an old friend (Keenan Wynn) in search of backing for his big dream, a Florida resort modeled after Disneyland. (A Disney resort in Florida? Crazy.) Those scenes, which mash up excitement, disappointment, and humiliation, are the old sweet-sour Capra formula. Of Sinatra's two Sammy Cahn-Jimmy Van Heusen tunes, "All My Tomorrows" plays under the opening credits, but wasn't the song people whistled as they exited the theater. That was "High Hopes," the irresistibly catchy hymn to optimism, sung by Sinatra and Hodges in an appealingly loosey-goosey two-shot. It won the Best Song Oscar; the other nominees never had a chance. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

What A Combination
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.

Frank On Collins Avenue
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 Great Irony Of Hole In The Head
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.