Much has been written about Frank Sinatra's decision to suppress - momentarily, at least - two of the titles in his filmography, Lewis Allen's "Suddenly" (1954) and John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962), both considered too politically incendiary by the actor-singer.But missing from the discussion is another compelling Sinatra film that went missing seemingly decades ago - Don McGuire's "Johnny Concho" (1956), a flawed but gripping character-driven Western in which Sinatra skillfully plays a cowardly punk who exploits the notorious reputation of his brother, a ruthless killer.
His Johnny, a pathetic, reprehensible figure, bullies his way through life by referencing his brother's dubious accomplishments.
Sinatra's urban profile works well to disconnect his character from the sagebrush mise-en-scène here. He's clearly out of his element, just as Johnny is alien in this landscape of rough-hewn people. Johnny is a poseur, giving a "performance" based on terror and sadism, and Sinatra nails this aspect in a portrayal impressive for its subtlety.
A definite bonus: Sinatra's leading lady here is the criminally underused Phyllis Kirk.
As a Sinatra fan, I was both glad and sad to see your thoughts on “Johnny Concho.” Alas, have never had a chance to see this. Sounds provocative and like a good role for Frank
ReplyDeleteNot as good as Suddenly, but still fascinating. Johnny even found a new way to cheat so he could out-draw a gun slinger who was much faster than he was. And Saul Bass' opening credits are classic.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a chance to see this one. Based on your description, though, I wonder if Sinatra was using this story as a way to comment on the shadier types he knew growing up in New Jersey, and through his show biz experiences. If so, using the Western genre was a shrewd choice, since it would have given him the necessary plausible deniability when responding to any of his acquaintances who might have taken offense.
ReplyDeleteHey, Joe. With "Concho," Frank was just coming off his take on Frankie Machine a year earlier. Seems to me, as I remember those two, The Voice fits both roles broodingly well. And thanks for reminding me of Ms. Kirk. I'm still in love with her. Great face.
ReplyDeleteBrian! Yes, Frankie Machine of "The Man with the Golden Arm," another great, daringly negative Sinatra performance.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great movie i found it at this site
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vendio.com/stores/OldTimeMoviesandTV/item/lid=6126348
I live when you do this! I mean, bring up movies I've never heard of like Johnny Concho. If I had heard of it, I probably wouldn't have gone but it's nice to know it was there. I thought Sinatra was terrific in M. Candidate and Suddenly but I think his wanting them played down just shows what a wise-guy wuss he was. A real scaredy cat, a toady boy when it came to "the powers that were."
ReplyDeleteI saw this film on the tele in 1968 and I agree it is one of those movies (Deadlier than the male is another example) that has rarely, if ever been screened since. I still remember as a highly atmospheric movie, however, notable for Sinatra's craven coward and his terrifying brother Red who is never actually seen on screen. I'd certainly see it again
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