Suddenly (1954)

So I'm skimming through the TCM schedule and find this random, unknown film called "Suddenly" 1954, which I only recorded because it had Frank Sinatra playing a gangster who's holding a family hostage so he can get a good shot at assasinating the president. Worth a try. I mean, how hard could it be for Sinatra to play a gangster, right? *wink wink*

Five minutes in, I notice that I recognize the sherrif of this titular town called Suddenly (WTF kinda name is that? It's almost as bad as "Perdition"). I know his voice better than his face, but I look him up and lo and behold, he's the same dude (Sterling Hayden) who played a more famous cop--Captain McClusky--in The Godfather 1972. You know, he was the d-bag shot in the throat by Michael Corleone in the Italian restaurant.

Anyway, there's a funny thing about "The Godfather," though. If you recall the beginning of that film, a young singer named Johnny Fontaine asks his godfather for help with his life in Hollywood. He says he needs this role in a special movie to jumpstart his acting career. What ensues is that very iconic scene where the horse head shows up in the movie producer's bed. And of course, Johnny got the role he wanted after that.

But that wasn't the only time Don Corleone helped his godson. He also sent Luca Brasi to "convice" Johnny's old band leader to let him out of his contract so he could pursue a bigger singing job. He made him that "offer he couldn't refuse"--namely, that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract--and he let Johnny go. 

Mario Puzo's stories about Johnny Fontaine was based on the rumors that another real star used his mob relations to get ahead in Hollywood, the headliner of today's movie, old blue eyes himself: Frank Sinatra. And even better, his character's name in this film is "Johnny." 

PS. Oddly enough, they remade this fucking movie in 2013 with Ray Liotta in Sterling Hayden's role. Ray Liotta. The guy who famously opened "Goodfellas 1990" with "As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster."