The First Deadly Sin
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| The First Deadly Sin | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Brian G. Hutton |
| Produced by | Frank Sinatra Elliott Kastner George Pappas Mark Shanker |
| Written by | Lawrence Sanders (novel) Mann Rubin (screenplay) |
| Starring | Frank Sinatra Faye Dunaway David Dukes George Coe and Brenda Vaccaro |
| Music by | Gordon Jenkins |
| Cinematography | Jack Priestley |
| Release date(s) | October 3, 1980 (premiere) |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
'The First Deadly Sin' is a 1980 film (see 1980 in film) starring Frank Sinatra and Faye Dunaway.
Sinatra appears in his final starring performance, as the troubled New York City cop Edward X. Delaney. Produced by Sinatra and based on a series of popular novels, The First Deadly Sin was originally slated to be directed by Roman Polanski but he was dropped by Columbia Pictures after statuatory rape charges.
[edit] Plot Outline
Co-starring with Sinatra was Faye Dunaway as his ailing wife, bed-ridden in hospital during the entire duration of the film with a rare kidney affliction. Delaney, approaching retirement, throws himself into a murder case in which the crime was commited with what seems to be a very unusual weapon. As the plot thickens, Delenay's wife deteriorates and to make matters worse, further murders and no leads frustrate Deleney who find assistance from a museum curator played by Martin Gabel.
The First Deadly Sin failed to make much of an impression at the box office, whilst some critics were left cold by a slow-burning picture that tried to focus more on character and plot without succumbing to action scenes and shoot outs -- a car chase at the climax of the novel was changed in favour of something more subtle. Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert praised Sinatra's performance as one of his best, whilst daughter Nancy Sinatra commented in her book Sinatra: An American Legend that this was a film her father was very excited about.
The film was also Bruce Willis' first movie role, though it was uncredited. He is seen entering the diner as Delaney exits.
[edit] Primary Cast
- Frank Sinatra as Edward Delaney
- Faye Dunaway as Barbara Delaney
- David Dukes as Daniel Blank
- George Coe as Dr. Bernardi
- Brenda Vaccaro as Monica Gilbert
