Watching the Detectives: Frank Sinatra is Tony Rome in Lady in Cement
This lightweight sequel to Tony Rome starts with the Miami detective finding the body of a woman at the bottom of the ocean. From there the film takes in mobsters, Raquel Welch and ‘Hoss’ Cartright but never offers much in the way of surprises.
While the plot may not be up to much at least the scenery is nice with Welch looking lovely in a succession of wigs and designer outfits but as Mr Rome himself says “You’d look good in a paper napkin.” Miami doesn’t look bad either.
Dan Blocker could have made a pretty good villain, his opening scene shows he could have been quite an intimidating bad guy, but the film settles, rather unimaginatively, for using him as comic relief.
The film’s biggest failings are the script, which tries so hard to be witty it almost feels like a spoof of detective movies and the score. I doubt Rome has one conversation throughout the whole film where he isn’t being a wiseass; it’s so overdone he becomes a caricature of a shamus. Hugo Montenegro’s score is so inappropriately light and fluffy that it adds to the feeling that this is more comedy than drama.
A better director might have made something of this but Gordon Douglas allows Sinatra too much freedom. Having already made Robin and the 7 Hoods and the original Tony Rome with him he obviously didn’t want to upset his meal ticket.
