THE TENDER TRAP: Blu-ray (MGM, 1955) Warner Archive
Based on the Max Schulman/Robert Paul Smith Broadway
smash, director Charles Walters’ The Tender Trap (1955) is a rather
deliciously escapist, and uncharacteristically poignant romantic comedy that
manages to be as bright and buoyant as it is introspective and revealing about
the prototypical May/December love affair between a middle-aged man and his much
younger paramour. These were very rare years for the two stars of the piece: Frank
Sinatra, by all accounts the stubborn sage, well on his way to earning his
moniker as ‘Chairman of the Board’, and, to have risen from the seemingly
insurmountable ashes of a carefully orchestrated plan to derail his career
prospects, but like a phoenix, representing an affront against the crumbling
studio system and its edicts, chiefly to wed whomever he wanted, and, Debbie Reynolds,
the deliriously youthful and rambunctious ‘newcomer’ – comparatively speaking –
ramping up her ‘more than passing’ interest in the new ‘hot’ nightclub singer
of his day, Eddie Fisher. Sinatra, known to be gruff with his leading ladies
during this transitional period, was otherwise quite paternal towards Reynolds,
attempting to gingerly advise her against getting involved with a singer. And Sinatra,
already smack in the middle of his rather tempestuous second marriage to screen
siren, Ava Gardner, not to mention the object of adulation from scores of
bobbysoxers throwing themselves at his feet in concert, and also, well-known to
enjoy casual, after hours sexual dabbling’s, in spite of slipping in and out of
the marriage noose, likely knew of what he spoke. Alas, Reynolds believed she
knew better. And thus, the first of her own disastrous couplings continued to
take shape under Sinatra’s watchful tutelage.
The ‘father/daughter’ friendship Sinatra and Reynolds
shared off camera, ironically bodes well for their troublesome
boyfriend/girlfriend escapades in The Tender Trap, sparklingly scripted
by Julius J. Epstein to capitalize on Sinatra’s perennial bachelor-esque
persona; Sinatra, herein and once again, the ultimate swinger whose carefree
days are decidedly numbered. For Epstein, The Tender Trap was a career
turning point and, indeed, a rather bittersweet one. A decade earlier, Julius
and his identical twin, Philip were at the tip of the totem in Hollywood,
having co-authored the screenplay to 1942’s Oscar-winning classic, Casablanca
(along with Howard Koch and Casey Robinson - today, still considered one of the
most perfect movie screenplays ever written). Despite their virtues as writers,
the Epstein’s’ relationship with their boss, Jack L. Warner, was not a pleasant
one. Indeed, Warner abhorred the Epsteins for their seemingly laissez faire
worth ethic and the hours they kept. Thus, and rather insidiously, Jack gave the
brothers’ names to the House on Un-American Activities in 1952 – and this after
they had already done some of their finest – and most profitable – work at the
studio. While the Epsteins were never actually called upon by HUAC to testify
before the Senate, when asked on a questionnaire if they were members of a ‘subversive’
organization, they glibly replied, “Yes - Warner Brothers!”
But then, Philip became ill. The diagnosis of cancer
was devastating, even more so when Julius lost his brother, age 42, later this
same year. A fallow period followed, with Julius wondering whether he could
carry on in the tradition without his beloved brother, friend and collaborator at
his side. If anything, The Tender Trap illustrates one Epstein could
definitely carry the load. And the two projects the brothers had been collaborating
on prior to Philip’s death, the posthumously filmed, The Last Time I Saw
Paris (1954), and, The Brothers Karamazov (1958) were further proof
of their titanic legacy. After Philip’s passing, Julius’ solo writing career
became increasingly sporadic. He wrote the elegant elegy to young love, Light
in the Piazza (1962), followed it with the charmingly effervescent, Doris
Day/Rock Hudson programmer, Send Me No Flowers (1964), then, did an
about-face by authoring the haunting, though not altogether successful British thriller,
Return from the Ashes (1965). Retreating from the fray for nearly a
decade, Julius was back at work with Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), House
Calls (1978), and Reuben Reuben (1983) – the latter two efforts,
Oscar-nominated. Tragically, Julius
would live just long enough to see his first-born, ironically also named Philip,
die in 2000, just months before he too departed for the great beyond, at the
ripe old age of 91.
The Tender Trap is the rather sordid tale of
Charlie Y. Reader (Frank Sinatra), an unreserved playboy with a seemingly
endless and revolving bevy of beauties at his beckon call. At present these
include ‘professional dog walker,’ Helen (Carolyn Jones) and virtuoso
violinist, Sylvia Crewes (Celeste Holm). Meanwhile, Charlie is visited by his
best friend, Joe McCall (David Wayne) who begins his sabbatical in Charlie’s
den of iniquity with all the envy of a cuckolded married man who considers
himself anchored to his profession, a nagging wife and their three pesky
children. Ah, but Joe will end his stay with sober appreciation that his own
days as a rover are gladly behind him. Charlie does not really see how
womanizing has become self-destructive, until one evening, while out with
Sylvia and Joe, he accidentally runs into Julia Gillis (Debbie Reynolds), a no-nonsense,
fresh-faced kid, sporting sure-footed morality and high ideals about what the
right man looks like; the one who will eventually become her husband. Julia has
her entire life mapped out – right down to the last detail. Her naiveite amuses
Charlie. After all, having ascended beyond those days of impressionable ‘plans
for the future’, he knows too well the roadblocks life has in store for Julia,
or anyone who thinks they know their ‘straight and narrow’ way to happiness and
destiny.
Gradually, however, Charlie comes to understand just
how far removed from Julia’s optimism and jaded he has become. Worse, Charlie
finds himself falling in love with her – a development that infuriates Joe, already
begun to have deeper affections for Sylvia. Charlie attempts to seduce Julia in
his trademark swinger style. Why not? It’s worked before. But with Julia the
slick approach fails to catch on. Meanwhile, Joe asks Sylvia why she tolerates
Charlie’s philandering. Her reply is a resignation of all hope in ever finding
‘the right man’. She is simply willing to settle for the one she has, hoping something
good will come of her patience. Interesting, Sinatra and Holmes would be paired
again under similar circumstance the next year, in MGM’s champagne cocktail of
a movie musical – High Society (1956) with one distinct difference. In
that movie, Holmes gets her man. But I digress. At first, Sylvia’s hand seems
to play itself out. Forced by Joe to admit his life is a fraud, Charlie
proposes marriage. She accepts. Now, this trio proceed to throw a garishly out
of control party to celebrate the occasion. Alas, the delirium comes to an
abrupt end when Julia confesses her love to Charlie and he, in turn, realizes he
can no longer resist her youthful charm. She is the girl for him and,
even more miraculously, he is the right man for her.
The Tender Trap may start out as just another
vintage rom/com from the 1950’s, a decade to do much to bludgeon the lithe loveliness
of that genre, rather weightily tricked out with failed attempts at screwball
in Cinemascope. However, it ends its’ stay on the screen by creating a memorable,
bittersweetly poignant and infinitely superior reflection on that singularly
adult, if 'tender' pursuit to find true love on our own terms; better still,
from the revelation and vantage of an aging swinger, whose middle-aged
insecurities are at the crux of this blossoming affair du Coeur. From the moment Frank Sinatra crests over a
stark horizon line on the MGM backlot, coming into view between an obviously
painted backdrop of white and fluffy clouds in the distance, and, under the
main titles, warbling the hit title song, we find a new and rather exhilarated
Sinatra re-establishing his screen persona at the studio, previously content to
exploit him unhappily so, as their scrawny second-string male ingenue - the
perfectly anemic counterpoint to Gene Kelly’s robust physicality. This, however,
was never to Sinatra’s liking. Nor is it the Sinatra we get in The Tender
Trap. No, indeed. And this Sinatra is, decidedly, in very rare form. After
a decade of playing naïve, malnourished fops, Sinatra defied the edicts of his
boss, MGM’s L.B. Mayer, almost to his own detriment. Systematically black-balled
from virtually every studio in Hollywood in the early 1950’s, and briefly
suspended from all recording contracts at Columbia, Decca and RCA, Sinatra’s resurrection,
with his seminal performance in From Here To Eternity (1953) taught
everyone a lesson. Arguably, had Mayer
continued his reign at MGM, Sinatra would not have been welcomed back to MGM. Nor,
given Sinatra’s own stubbornness, would he have likely entertained any forthcoming
invitation. Mayer’s loss/Sinatra’s gain.
The Tender Trap benefits greatly from Sinatra's
more mature acting style, revealing new depth to both the man and the character
he plays. And, although The Tender Trap opens with a musical performance
by Sinatra, the rest of the picture relies squarely on ole blue eye’s acting
chops to carry the load - a fairly gutsy move, considering the sway Sinatra had
on the marquee as a musical star. But Sinatra’s acting performance here stands
alone, and, in relief from his trademark vocal abilities. While Sinatra’s
acting career will likely always be considered ‘second’ to his prolific tenure as
a legendary recording artist of the 20th century, movies like The
Tender Trap illustrate what an exceptional ‘all around’ genius Sinatra,
particularly in his prime, possessed, as well as the extensiveness and diversity
of that wellspring. The picture works for another reason: Debbie Reynolds, who,
in her graduation from playing the chronically plucky ingenue into more
adult-minded romantic sparring, not only proves her fresh-faced wholesomeness
can hold the proverbial candle to Sinatra’s already seasoned sage, but also
radiates a sincere maturity. Arguably, Reynolds great gift for mimicry has
allowed her to ‘fake’ a more worldly persona here – one, incredibly flawed in
its efficacy, yet perfectly charming besides. Indeed, Reynolds here is doing
double duty – lulling our reluctant bachelor into marital consideration, while
winningly to conquer our hearts as the embodiment of the oft cliché ‘girl
next door’, but in ways here that at least seem original, and more to the
point, desirable. David Wayne has never been better served, than as the
frustrated married man on the verge of throwing over his family for a dead-end
tryst. And Celeste Holm, once a beloved of Darryl F. Zanuck, only, and almost
immediately, to find her fledgling career as a leading lady submarined in favor
of other ‘rising’ stars, is more than up to the heavy lifting as the maturely
situated woman in love. Holm’s Sylvia is just old enough to know what to do
with her young feelings. And Holm, better than any actress of her vintage, save
Nina Foch, knows precisely how to transmit layers of subtext with just a
seemingly casual, though nevertheless carefully calculated glance, soft raising
of the brow or shrugged shoulder. In Sylvia, Holm reveals a genuine
vulnerability, a fragile blissfulness, owed its modicum of restraint, enough to
understand how true happiness may be a relative term for the successful woman
of the world who really does not need any man to get along, but wants one nonetheless,
and, is discerning to hand-pick a quality candidate for herself, by herself.
The Tender Trap arrives in hi-def via the Warner
Archive (WAC) and predictably, the results here are top-tier. It’s become something of a challenge to assess
WAC releases on Blu-ray without becoming repetitive in one’s praise for the dedication
shown these ancient offerings from Hollywood’s glorious epoch of yore. The Tender
Trap looks absolutely marvelous on Blu-ray. Previous home video
incarnations have not always been so forgiving; the original Eastmancolor
appearing anemic and, particularly during the opticals, looking careworn and
faded. The titles are still the weakest part of this transfer, although much
has been done to achieve a more homogenized and stable appearance to the color,
minus the slight flicker that affected them on DVD. In hi-def, everything
tightens up as it should, thanks to a 4K scan performed on an original camera
negative. The body of the feature looks fantastic. The Eastmancolor palette is
faithfully reproduced with vintage pops of color that look positively dreamy, and
augmented by accurately rendered flesh tones. Truly, this one shows off Paul Vogel’s
brightly lit cinematography to its very best advantage. The DTS 5.1 is a
repurposing of original 4-track magnetic Cinemascope stereo and it sounds every
bit as plushily padded as it did in 1955. Extras have all been ported over from
the DVD release and include ‘Frank in the Fifties’ – a very brief featurette on
Sinatra’s re-emergence after a fallow period, plus 2 excerpts from ‘The MGM
Parade’ – the studio’s thoroughly flubbed, first attempt to use television
to promote its theatrical releases. Plus, a theatrical trailer. Bottom line: The
Tender Trap is required rom/com viewing. A genuinely heartfelt and joyous
romp through that fifties’ pastiche where mercenary women get what they want,
and, the men they are after, love them for it. When it comes to deducing the
romantic machinations behind our endlessly imperfect pursuit of love, I am
reminded of a line from another Sinatra standard from this period… “How
little it matters. How little we know!” Very highly recommended!
FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)
5+
VIDEO/AUDIO
4.5
EXTRAS
1
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