I love time capsule movies. Something that takes you back to an actual place and time, that is shot on location, not a studio
so you actual feel your you are experiencing a certain time and place, with authentic clothing, hair styles and hearing the colloquialisms used at the time. "Oceans 11" does 2 things well. It takes you back in time to Las Vegas, 1960, that has little resemblance to today's Vegas of monumental skyscraper resorts, owned by multi-national corporations. 1960 Vegas was only about a decade after Bugsy Siegel had his vision of turning the Flamingo Hotel and consequently the LV strip into a vacation mecca for adults to drink, dine, catch top entertainment and above all legally gamble, in comparatively plush surroundings.
O-11 also lets you in for a look at the dichotomy of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack in 1960, when Sinatra was the king of cool and entertainment and the Pack, the Clan, whatever you want to call them, were at their pinnacle and Vegas was their playground, courtesy of the mob, who knew Frank, Dino and Sammy would bring in the high rollers. Less than a decade earlier Sinatra looked like he was washed up. He was having trouble with his voice, MGM dropped him and he had abandoned his wife and 3 kids for Ava Gardner. Sinatra's voice came back and he made some critically acclaimed albums, plus a number of excellent movie roles, displaying his versatility in musicals, comedy and drama. Dean Martin had gotten tired of being Jerry Lewis' straight man and had made a successful transition to a solo act, as had Sammy Davis who had left the Will Mastin Trio earlier in the decade. Peter Lawford had been a contract player at MGM, usually getting a lead in their college musicals. He was dumped by MGM in the early 50's and probably headed to career oblivion until he married into the Kennedy family in 1954. He was no pal of Sinatra's, having been one of Ava Gardner's many lovers. But "brother-in-Lawford" would allow Frank an access to hang out with JFK, who was about to go out on the biggest stage of all in 1960. Which in turn made Lawford a member in highest standing at the time and he may actually have the largest part in O-11.
Sinatra is Danny Ocean, who was a Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne. As for the rest of his background, we know he likes to gamble and he likes danger, as we are reminded by Angie Dickinson, playing his estranged wife Bea, "There's only one thing you love, Danny: that's danger. Cliffhanging. You could never love a woman like you love danger." O-11 is loaded with plenty of terrible dialogue, similar to this. Lawford is playing a spoiled rich kid, who was an officer in their unit, although he is clearly subservient to Sinatra's Ocean. Dino is a Vegas lounge singer (he knocks out a great version of "Ain't That Kick In the Head") and Sammy is the world's most talented garbage man. As for the rest of the 11, with the exception of Richard Conte, playing an ex-con who just found out he's terminal with lung cancer ("look Doc, give it to me straight-is it the big casino?") their roles aren't really too important. Although Buddy Lester, playing Vince who is now an MC at a strip club does have an entertaining bit. After we see a rather fleshy stripper named Lolita dancing with a boa constrictor, Vince introduces his wife, another dancer named Honeyface. After Frank and Lawford let Vince in on their plan for the heist, he expresses some concern about the feasibility of it. "Think of me dead." To which Sinatra actually replies -"Oh stop talking like a kid." Indeed, even when Dino expresses concern about how sensible it would be to rob casinos run by the mob (in an era when pit bosses would routinely have card counters hands broken) this is ridiculed by Lawford, "some guys grow old without turning chicken."
Of course, eventually everyone is all in on the heist. They pull it off without anyone getting hurt, except for Conte who falls over dead on the strip from a heart attack. And after Frank and Lawford witness this, Frank gives some orders to Lawford, telling him to do this, etc. Peter turns to Dino and says in another bit of unintended bad dialogue "He's taking it very hard."
O-11 also has a good bit by Cesar Romero, as Duke Santos, a reformed mobster who is squiring Lawford's rich divorced mother. Duke gets hired by the casinos to recover their stolen loot. There are also cameos by George Raft (who was a close friend of Siegel) Red Skelton (playing a himself] and Shirley McClaine has a cute bit with Dino as a drunk on the town on NY Eve. As for the Rat Pack, who were also doing their act at night while filming in the daytime, they have one thoroughly unfunny scene standing around a pool table that sounds like a routine from their act. Made a famous photo though. In any case, if you can tolerate the silly dialogue, it is fun to revisit the Rat Pack at their peak an era when tobacco was considered a vegetable and a cocktail went with anything at any time.
O-11 also lets you in for a look at the dichotomy of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack in 1960, when Sinatra was the king of cool and entertainment and the Pack, the Clan, whatever you want to call them, were at their pinnacle and Vegas was their playground, courtesy of the mob, who knew Frank, Dino and Sammy would bring in the high rollers. Less than a decade earlier Sinatra looked like he was washed up. He was having trouble with his voice, MGM dropped him and he had abandoned his wife and 3 kids for Ava Gardner. Sinatra's voice came back and he made some critically acclaimed albums, plus a number of excellent movie roles, displaying his versatility in musicals, comedy and drama. Dean Martin had gotten tired of being Jerry Lewis' straight man and had made a successful transition to a solo act, as had Sammy Davis who had left the Will Mastin Trio earlier in the decade. Peter Lawford had been a contract player at MGM, usually getting a lead in their college musicals. He was dumped by MGM in the early 50's and probably headed to career oblivion until he married into the Kennedy family in 1954. He was no pal of Sinatra's, having been one of Ava Gardner's many lovers. But "brother-in-Lawford" would allow Frank an access to hang out with JFK, who was about to go out on the biggest stage of all in 1960. Which in turn made Lawford a member in highest standing at the time and he may actually have the largest part in O-11.
Sinatra is Danny Ocean, who was a Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne. As for the rest of his background, we know he likes to gamble and he likes danger, as we are reminded by Angie Dickinson, playing his estranged wife Bea, "There's only one thing you love, Danny: that's danger. Cliffhanging. You could never love a woman like you love danger." O-11 is loaded with plenty of terrible dialogue, similar to this. Lawford is playing a spoiled rich kid, who was an officer in their unit, although he is clearly subservient to Sinatra's Ocean. Dino is a Vegas lounge singer (he knocks out a great version of "Ain't That Kick In the Head") and Sammy is the world's most talented garbage man. As for the rest of the 11, with the exception of Richard Conte, playing an ex-con who just found out he's terminal with lung cancer ("look Doc, give it to me straight-is it the big casino?") their roles aren't really too important. Although Buddy Lester, playing Vince who is now an MC at a strip club does have an entertaining bit. After we see a rather fleshy stripper named Lolita dancing with a boa constrictor, Vince introduces his wife, another dancer named Honeyface. After Frank and Lawford let Vince in on their plan for the heist, he expresses some concern about the feasibility of it. "Think of me dead." To which Sinatra actually replies -"Oh stop talking like a kid." Indeed, even when Dino expresses concern about how sensible it would be to rob casinos run by the mob (in an era when pit bosses would routinely have card counters hands broken) this is ridiculed by Lawford, "some guys grow old without turning chicken."
Of course, eventually everyone is all in on the heist. They pull it off without anyone getting hurt, except for Conte who falls over dead on the strip from a heart attack. And after Frank and Lawford witness this, Frank gives some orders to Lawford, telling him to do this, etc. Peter turns to Dino and says in another bit of unintended bad dialogue "He's taking it very hard."
O-11 also has a good bit by Cesar Romero, as Duke Santos, a reformed mobster who is squiring Lawford's rich divorced mother. Duke gets hired by the casinos to recover their stolen loot. There are also cameos by George Raft (who was a close friend of Siegel) Red Skelton (playing a himself] and Shirley McClaine has a cute bit with Dino as a drunk on the town on NY Eve. As for the Rat Pack, who were also doing their act at night while filming in the daytime, they have one thoroughly unfunny scene standing around a pool table that sounds like a routine from their act. Made a famous photo though. In any case, if you can tolerate the silly dialogue, it is fun to revisit the Rat Pack at their peak an era when tobacco was considered a vegetable and a cocktail went with anything at any time.