Introduction
Welcome to my corner! This week, I am sharing my thoughts on the film Marriage on the Rocks. The TCM television channel played Marriage on the Rocks as part of their 'Weekend Features' lineup on June 22. Enjoy!
Marriage on the Rocks
Marriage on the Rocks is a 1965 comedy film starring Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, and Dean Martin about a businessman's wife who ends up divorced by mistake and then married to his best friend by an even bigger mistake. The film was written by Cy Howard and directed by Jack Donhue.
The picture would be the last feature film partnership of Sinatra and Martin for nearly 20 years, when they appeared together briefly in 1984's Cannonball Run II.
Plot: Frank Sinatra and Deborah Kerr go on holiday to patch up their relationship, but the intervention of slippery lawyer Cesar Romero results in divorce and a second union for Kerr with pal Dean Martin.
Acting: Frank Sinatra played Dan Edwards. I've never seen a Sinatra movie before this. I'm kind of relieved that it wasn't a musical, not that I don't enjoy musicals, I just wasn't ready for one. I was impressed by his acting chops. His four notable titles are From Here to Eternity, The Manchurian Candidate, High Society, and Some Came Running.
Dean Martin played Ernie Brewer. Like Sinatra, I haven't seen any other of Martin's acting work. Similarly, his acting wasn't too bad. His four notable titles are The Silencers, Rio Bravo, Murderers' Row, and The Dean Martin Show.
Deborah Kerr played Valerie Edwards. She's so pretty. She did a nice job in Marriage on the Rocks. I haven't seen any of her other work. Her four most notable titles are The King and I, From Here to Eternity, Black Narcissus, and An Affair to Remember.
Cesar Romero played Miguel Santos. The best part of this movie. Every scene he was in was comedy gold. Oh gosh yes! I forgot he played the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series and movies. Absolutely iconic. The mustache can never die! One of his last roles was in the television series, Murder, She Wrote, one of my favorite shows. I recognized him from that. His four most notable titles are Ocean's Eleven, Vera Cruz, Batman: The Movie, and Donovan's Reef. My favorite role of his is now Miguel from Marriage on the Rocks.
Hermione Baddeley played Jeannie MacPherson. The second best part of this movie. She didn't have many scenes, but every one she appeared in was made funnier by her presence. I especially loved her introductory scene with the bagpipes. I've seen her in a number of things. I recognized her from Mary Poppins. Her four most notable titles are A Christmas Carol (1951), The Secret of NIMH, Mary Poppins, and the Maude television series. Her role in Marriage in the Rocks is probably my favorite now.
The other minor roles included: Tony Bill as Jim Blake, John McGiver as Shad Nathan, Nancy Sinatra (Frank Sinatra's real life daughter) as Tracy Edwards, Davey Davison as Lisa Sterling, and Michel Petit as David Edwards.
Technical Aspects: The film originally began under the title of Divorce American Style with Frank Sinatra personally selecting Deborah Kerr for the role of his wife. Cy Howard's original screenplay was deemed offensive and rewritten under the title Community Property over a period of four months, then given its final title. After a preview, Warner Bros. cut out 14 minutes before its release to underwhelming reviews in September 1965. Nancy Sinatra was a last minute replacement for Mia Farrow. The new title proved apt as during the filming Nancy Sinatra broke up with her husband Tommy Sands.
The Mexican Government was offended by the film's depiction of Mexico and banned the film and other Sinatra films for what they regarded as a derogatory depiction of the nation. (I wouldn't be surprised. I've never been to Mexico myself, but they certainly didn't shine the best light on it, fictional or not.)
Shots of Dean Martin's actual house appeared in the film as did a Ford Mustang and Ford Thunderbird customized by George Barris.
Final Thoughts: I was surprised to see that it was a Sinatra/Martin film. I don't do much research on the film I watch until after I've watched them. I usually only ever read the plot of synopsis to know whether or not I might be interested. This was my first time watching a Sinatra/Martin movie. I was pleasantly surprised.
It was funny, and not quite what I expected. When I read the synopsis, I thought the Sinatra and Martin roles were reversed. I was expecting Sinatra to be the bachelor, woman-lover, and Martin would be the married, family man. I also didn't expect the mistaken divorces and marriages to happen in the way that they did. It was nice that I couldn't predict that though. Unpredictability makes a great movie.
Cesar Romero and Hermione Baddeley may have played minor roles in the film, but they were honestly the best parts of Marriage on the Rocks. I would watch this movie again just for them.
Marriage on the Rocks is a great comedy about relationships. I urge you to give it a watch.
Where to watch it: According to Google, Marriage on the Rocks is not currently available to stream/watch with a service. However, you can purchase or rent a digital copy for a few dollars. I've also donated a DVD copy of the film to the Emil M. Larson Public Library in Clark for you all to enjoy if you choose to.
That's it for this week! What were your thoughts? Feel free to share them with us! You can call us, email us, visit us at the office, leave us a comment or message on Facebook, or even mail us something. Keep the comments, suggestions, questions, submissions, etc. coming our way! We'd love to hear from you!
