The Tender Trap
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Movie Reviews of The Tender Trap
Movie Review: "You are the softest girl."
Summary: 4 Stars
- Julie Gillis to Charlie Reader (responding to his offer of dinner): "Well, I've only known you a few minutes, but you seem fairly nice. You're even attractive in a...offbeat, beat-up sort of way."
- Charlie: "Thanks a lot."
- Julie: "But I can't have dinner with every nice, attractive man I meet. It's not part of my plan."
- Charlie: "How's that plan again?"
- Julie: "My marriage plan."
Frank Sinatra plays New York theater agent and swingin' bachelor Charlie Y. Reader, whose tryst with a hottie is interrupted by his sarcastic, longtime pal Joe from Indianapolis, who pays him a visit and then becomes a house guest (he'd just left his wife, Ethel, you see?). When Joe marvels at the series of beautiful dames Frank sees ("Where do all these tomatoes come from?"), Frank tells him, "Sure, it's fun. But let's face it...I would be happy to trade this rat race for your set-up in two seconds." Turns out Frank is weary of the fast lane and longs for domesticated bliss - if only he could find the right girl. One candidate seems to be Sylvia Crewes (Celeste Holm), a sexy, sophisticated fiddle-player.
But, then, in comes 21-year-old aspiring actress Julie Gillis (Debbie Reynolds), with whom Charlie is instantly attracted. But Julie is uptight, rigid and exacting, with definite, long-conceived plans for marriage. And, no, she doesn't at all buy what Charlie's selling. That is, until, he sings a song. Then, of course, she's butter.
So Charlie and Julie start keeping company, with Sylvia then being perenially stood up and Joe going out with her as Charlie's stand-in. Anyway, for Charlie and Julie, the usual events unfold, a bit of wooing followed by a big spat, leading up to a traumatized Charlie somehow proposing marriage to both Julie and Sylvia on the same night.
Oh, yes. Meanwhile, the still-married Joe has fallen hard for Sylvia. How ever do these wacky things happen?
Put me down as someone who finds THE TENDER TRAP a charming and enjoyable movie. It's a breezy, lightweight, metropolitan sex comedy, for all that it's rated PG (but, yes, this is very tame stuff compared to today's films). I've always liked how this film started, with Ol' Blue Eyes as a tiny figure on the horizon, casually strolling towards the camera and singing the title song as only he can ("You see a pair of laughing eyes..."). MGM released THE TENDER TRAP in 1955, and it turned out to be one of the first films to revamp Frank's screen image from a perenially shy crooner who loved his love from afar to a hip ladies' man who doesn't waste time getting close to his dames.
The cast is very nice. We all know Frank Sinatra and what he brings to the table; he's so relaxed and cool that he makes me want to be a womanizing heel (and armed with Charlie Reader's favorite come-on line - "You are the softest girl" - how can I lose?). Frank gets a good sidekick in David Wayne, who's very good as the level-headed Joe McCall (even if Joe's going thru a mid-life crisis). Wayne drops his share of one-liners and even makes a serious bid for one of Frank's girls.
Pretty Debbie Reynolds was personally riding high around this time, about to marry warbler Eddie Fisher. As Julie, she really makes that prim and proper act work, while showing glimpses of a softer, more vulnerable side. But I couldn't help but root for Celeste Holm's character, who is pragmatic yet wistful, mature yet ever so sexy. Her Sylvia may be a suave and cosmopolitan career woman, but, deep down, she wants the same things that Julie wants, which is a family of her own. Her bittersweet speech to David Wayne (about the lean prospects of a woman of 33) may just have been the best acting moment in this movie. For those who may have pulled for Sylvia and Charlie to get together, no worries. They kind of do, even if it's in another film (High Society). But even in this movie, Celeste ends up doing pretty well, successfully pulling off her own "tender trap."
For those expecting a bunch of songs, well, don't. THE TENDER TRAP is very much a comedy, and not a musical. But if you like the title song, then the good news is that it's reprised five times, with Frank doing the opening honors and then performing it again halfway thru (in the second version, his talent for phrasing really shines thru). Debbie does a breezy version and then, later, sings it with more feeling. And the four stars sing a brief rendition at the end. It's a good song, so no surprise that "The Tender Trap" would become a standard and a fixture in Frank's song repertoire.
I say, three and a half stars for THE TENDER TRAP. The sexual mores may be dated, and the jargon not so hip anymore, but the movie's still very much worth checking out. As a fan of Frank, I definitely feel that his presence elevates the picture, although the contributions of the other actors shouldn't be discounted.
You know, on second thought, I think I'll pass on that one pick-up line. I think only someone like Frank can pull off something as cheesy as "You're the softest girl."
Movie Review: Fun little film!
Summary: 4 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this sugary piece of 1950s nostalgia. While it's certainly not one of Sinatra's strongest pictures from the period (I'd give that nod to the likes of Some Came Running, etc.), it's a nice showcase of Sinatra in his prime during his absolutely fantastic Capitol period. The boyish charm of the 1940s had mellowed, and Sinatra was looser, more comfortable in his own skin, and positively oozing a rakish charm. Oh he could be nice and respectable, but there was more of an edge to the man during this phase of his career that can be seen even in a lightweight vehicle such as this. The moment when Sinatra's character, Charlie, realizes that without Julie his swingin' single life amounts to absolutely nothing actually comes off rather poignantly. Debbie Reynolds plays Julie with aplomb - at this stage in Reynolds' career I don't think anyone could play an ingenue with such fierce tenacity better. The supporting actors are real gems. David Wayne plays Charlie's married best friend Joe, who after eleven years of marriage envies Charlie's carefree life - at first (in fact his character reminds me just a bit of the Tom Ewell character in The Seven Year Itch). The fabulous Celeste Holm plays (one of) Charlie's long-suffering girlfriends, Sylvia. Holm effortlessly dances between comic relief and bittersweet world-weariness - but her character gets a sweet payoff in the end! The movie's biggest drawback is it's "stagey" feel. Based on a play, the film feels like you're basically watching a stage version, with the main set being Charlie's sprawling, fabulously retro apartment. One is definitely an observer and not as fully "immersed" in the world of the film as you could be if it was filmed differently. However, I think some of the timelessness of the relationship humor outweighs the staging of the film. Also, the title song gets about beaten to death, but thankfully it's endured as a classic and risen about the unnecessary multiple versions here. As far as the DVD goes, the picture quality is crisp & clear and the colors are vibrant, and unlike most of the other DVDs in the Frank Sinatra Collection, this one includes a "Frank in the Fifties" featurette - it's about fifteen minutes or so in length, but it's a nice overview of this phase of Sinatra's career. It's a fun little film and an interesting document of its time.Movie Review: fluffy 50's comedy with Frankie and Debbie
Summary: 4 Stars
Here's Frankie at the apex of his swingin' Fifties movie fame in THE TENDER TRAP (1955), a fun romantic comedy which pairs him with darling Debbie Reynolds and also boasts the strong comedic support of David Wayne and Celeste Holm.
New York talent agent Charlie Reader (Frank Sinatra) lives a charmed life. His bachelor pad is serviced by an endless parade of beautiful girls (including Carolyn Jones, Lola Albright and Jarma Lewis) ready to cater to his every whim. What more could a man want? Certainly not marriage! But his latest discovery, stage singer Julie Gillis (Debbie Reynolds) couldn't care less about her career if a wedding's not on the immediate horizon. Whether he likes it or not, Charlie's about to be caught in the 'tender trap'...
While Sinatra and Reynolds were the top-billed stars of THE TENDER TRAP, the film is mercilessly stolen by David Wayne and Celeste Holm's snappy supporting performances. Indeed, Holm made such an impression that she and Sinatra were reunited the following year in "High Society". Debbie Reynolds' character of Julie might rankle female viewers in the modern age, but she gives a delightful performance--given the limitations of the script. Frankie and David have some great scenes together and the whole affair breezes along in splendid fashion. A fun title.
The DVD includes a featurette focusing on Sinatra's attempt to reinvent his movie persona in the 1950s, plus the trailer. Available separately or as part of the Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years DVD collection boxset (which also includes "Some Came Running", "The Man With the Golden Arm", "None But the Brave" and "Marriage on the Rocks").
Movie Review: Fun Lovin Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This CD is a lot of fun to watch and the title song is delightful.
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