I finally watched the original version of "Oceans 11" tonight -- the Rat Pack movie from 1960 that spurred the recent Clooney-Pitt franchise. A friend who loves all things related to old Vegas recommended the DVD to me a couple years ago and I finally got around to watching it.For those who want a look at a time when there were basically five casinos on the Strip, this is an excellent way to relive Vegas' salad days. The DVD contains a bonus feature with five short vignettes on the history of those casinos -- the Flamingo, Sands, Desert Inn, Riviera and Sahara. And of course there's the classic cool, the undeniable hipness factor of the Rat Pack.
But the highlight to me was getting to watch one of the greatest actors of any generation working in his prime. In every one of his scenes, he dominated the screen, holding your attention with his every word or action, and some of the biggest stars of the day paled in comparison to his greatness.
I'm talking, of course, about Norman Fell.
Yep, that's him in the picture above -- second from the right, glowering at the camera, striking the toughest pose of the group. Sinatra? Martin? Davis? Lawford? A bunch of no-talent hacks compared to Norman Fell.
I only wish that Soderbergh had had the balls to cast Don Knotts in Fell's role in the remake.
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2 comments:
But what did you think of the movie? I rented it with high expectations a few years ago, and suffered crushing disappointment. It was TERRIBLE.
I'd heard the same thing so I went in with low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised. I probably just liked it for the cool Vegas stuff and the star power -- I mean, come on, we're talking Norman Fell here.
One interesting bit of trivia -- remember the drunk girl outside the casino who kisses Dean Martin? That was a young Shirley Mclaine, who didn't even get billed in the credits.
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