“Robin and the 7 Hoods” is one of those movies that you just don’t expect to be what it turns out to be. I knew it would be a musical; with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra both in starring roles, that was a given, but beyond that, I was clueless going in.
The underworld of Chicago is shaken when crime boss Big Jim is taken out by an assassin at his birthday party. The hit was arranged by Guy Gisborne (Peter Falk) who has always wanted to run the organization his own way. Robbo (Frank Sinatra) was Big Jim’s friend and he doesn’t like what Guy has done, so Robbo decides to head out on his own. Guy and Robbo become rivals, each hoping to take control of the Chicago mafia.
Robbo’s group is fairly small, made up of seven men. If you watch, you’ll see a lot of references to the original Robin Hood in this film. Little John (Dean Martin) beats Robbo in a game of pool, just like the original Little John beat Robin Hood in a duel with staffs. Alan-a-dale, the minstrel in the Robin Hood stories, is represented here by the warbling Bing Crosby. Will Scarlett is played by Sammy Davis Jr.
However, Marian in this version has a little game on the side. She’s Big Jim’s daughter and wants his death avenged, and is willing to do whatever she has to in order to make that happen. She pays Robbo $50,000 when the alleged murderer disappears, thinking Robbo has done what she asked. Robbo can’t take the money for something he didn’t do, so he gives it to an orphanage, and suddenly he’s on the front page of the newspaper as a gangster who robs from the rich to give to the poor. This new image is a great cover for his business.
This movie had a lot more comedy than your traditional gangster movie, and it had its musical moments as well. But because it is a gangster movie, there was a little bit of gunplay. I think this is a great mom, dad, and older kid movie, but for the little ones, you might want to check it out first.
This movie was not rated.
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