Rent Lady in Cement (1968)

LAID-BACK LIGHT-COMEDY DETECTIVE THRILLER - Lady in Cement review by Frank TALKER™

Fun movie with the hypnotic Frank SINATRA taking it easy in a role that fits his laid-back charm well.

The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and it's hard to care much about the plot or the low-lifes the hero encounters, anyway, in his bid to solve a number of related murders and, in the process, keep himself from being blamed for them.

The supporting cast are excellent and funny - reducing the sense of danger and replacing it with snappy one-liners.

The beauteous Raquel WELCH is particularly good as a jokey alcoholic; Martin GABEL plays a vicious mafioso whom must temper his violent urges to avoid stress; and, Dan BLOCKER plays a sympathetic heavy whom is almost impossible to subdue in a punch-up.

Replete with in-jokes like BLOCKER watching the tv-series Bonanza on his television set or SINATRA claiming he once knew a 'broad [whom] collected bull-fighters'. Along with sexual humour about gay men and heterosexual males excitedly-frequenting massage parlours.