Ocean's Eleven (1960)

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

George Clayton Johnson (story) &
Jack Golden Russell (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 August 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

You wouldn't call it a gang. Just Danny Ocean and his 11 pals - the night they blew all the lights in Las Vegas!...

Plot:

Eleven friends who know each other from World War II service plan to rob five of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas in one night...

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Robbery | Heart Attack | New Year's Eve | Heist

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Danny Ocean
Dean Martin	...	Sam Harmon
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Josh Howard
Peter Lawford	...	Jimmy Foster
Angie Dickinson	...	Beatrice Ocean
Richard Conte	...	Anthony Raymond 'Tony' Bergdorf
Cesar Romero	...	Duke Santos
Patrice Wymore	...	Adele Ekstrom
Joey Bishop	...	'Mushy' O'Connors
Akim Tamiroff	...	Spyros Acebos
Henry Silva	...	Roger Corneal
Ilka Chase	...	Mrs. Restes
Buddy Lester	...	Vince Massler
Richard Benedict	...	'Curly' Steffens
Jean Willes	...	Mrs. Gracie Bergdorf
Norman Fell	...	Peter Rheimer
Clem Harvey	...	Louis Jackson
Hank Henry	...	Mr. Kelly (mortician)
Lew Gallo	...	Jealous young man
Robert Foulk	...	Sheriff Wimmer
Red Skelton	...	Cameo, gambler
George Raft	...	Jack Strager (casino owner)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Murray Alper	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Don 'Red' Barry	...	McCoy (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Mrs. Allenby (uncredited)
Rummy Bishop	...	Castleman (uncredited)
Nicky Blair	...	Gangster (uncredited)
Richard Boone	...	Voice of minister (uncredited)
Norman Brooks	...	Himself (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Cop (uncredited)
David Carlile	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Laura Cornell	...	Honeyface (Massler's wife) (uncredited)
John Craven	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Ronnie Dapo	...	Timmy Bergdorf (uncredited)
George Fenneman	...	Voice on phone talking to Sheriff Wimmer (uncredited)
West Gale	...	Red cap (uncredited)
Gregory Gaye	...	Freeman (casino owner) (uncredited)
Chief Leonard George	...	Police operator (uncredited)
John George	...	Midget (uncredited)
Jay Gerard	...	Cab driver (uncredited)
Hoot Gibson	...	Roadblock deputy (uncredited)
Bob Gilbreath	...	Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Pit Boss (uncredited)
John Holland	...	Man (uncredited)
Dick Hudkins	...	Drunk (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Texan (uncredited)
Jessica James	...	Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
Helen Jay	...	Girl (uncredited)
William Justine	...	Parelli (uncredited)
Sparky Kaye	...	Riviera manager (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	American Legionnaire at funeral service (uncredited)
David Landfield	...	Flamingo MC (uncredited)
Forrest Lederer	...	Sands manager (uncredited)
Pinky Lee	...	Himself (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Doctor / Specialist (uncredited)
David Leonard	...	Rabbi (uncredited)
Shirley MacLaine	...	Tipsy girl (uncredited)
Charles Meredith	...	Mr. Cohen (mortician) (uncredited)
Tom Middleton	...	Don Murphy (TV newscaster) (uncredited)
Anne Neyland	...	Dolores (uncredited)
Red Norvo	...	Vibraphonist (uncredited)
Ted Otis	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Steve Pendleton	...	Maj. Taylor (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Nightclub extra (uncredited)
Carmen Phillips	...	Hungry girl (uncredited)
Louis Quinn	...	DeWolfe (uncredited)
Myrna Ross	...	Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Robert 'Buddy' Shaw	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Shiva	...	Snake dancer (uncredited)
Al Silvani	...	Burlesque Club manager (uncredited)
Richard Sinatra	...	Attendant (uncredited)
John Slosser	...	Squad leader (uncredited)
Joan Staley	...	Helen (uncredited)
Barbara Sterling	...	Girl (uncredited)
George E. Stone	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
H.T. Tsiang	...	Houseboy (uncredited)
Jerry Velasco	...	Harmonica-playing garbageman (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Extra (uncredited)
James Waters	...	Disposal attendant (uncredited)
Dave White	...	Burlesque Club stagehand (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	(uncredited)
Norma Yost	...	Airline hostess (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Milestone

Writing credits
George Clayton Johnson		(story) &
Jack Golden Russell		(story)
Harry Brown		(screenplay) &
Charles Lederer		(screenplay)
Billy Wilder		uncredited

Produced by
Lewis Milestone	....	producer
Henry W. Sanicola	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Nelson Riddle

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels

Film Editing by
Philip W. Anderson

Art Direction by
Nicolai Remisoff

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Jack R. Berne	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Gosnell Jr.	....	assistant director
Richard Lang	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
M.A. Merrick	....	sound

Special Effects by
Franklyn Soldo	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Franklyn Soldo	....	visual effects coordinator

Stunts
Bob Gilbreath	....	aerial stunt pilot
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Richard Doran	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Carl Gibson	....	key grip (uncredited)
Lloyd Hill	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Bill Johnson	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Al Lane	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Floyd McCarty	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Burdell C. Schwiebert	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Morris Brown	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Florence Crewell	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)
Bob Richards	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Nelson Riddle	....	conductor

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Richard Benedict	....	assistant to producer (as Dick Benedict)
William T. Hurtz	....	director: title sequence (uncredited)
Bob Irving	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Lois Kerst	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Eddie O'Carroll	....	production accountant: Las Vegas (uncredited)
George Reynolds	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Stanley Scheuer	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
R.K. Sheffer	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dorchester
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1961) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Sandrews (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (box set)

Also Known As:

Ocean's 11 (USA) (alternative spelling)
Frankie und seine Spießgesellen (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Once a la medianoche (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
11 a la medianoche (Argentina) (poster title) [es]
Colpo grosso (Italy) [it]
Elleve i Las Vegas (Denmark) [da]
Ha-11 Shel Danny Ocean (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
I symmoria ton 11 (Greece) [el]
Kovat kaverit (Finland) [fi]
L'inconnu de Las Vegas (France) [fr]
La cuadrilla de los once (Spain) [es]
Onze Homens e um Segredo (Brazil) [pt]
Onze hommes à minuit (Belgium: French title) (dubbed version) [fr]
Soyguncular (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Storslam i Las Vegas (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #19613) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Bob Hope Airport - 2627 Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Dorchester

Trivia:

George Raft, who makes a cameo appearance as a casino owner, actually helped New York mobster Bugsy Siegel finance and promote the Flamingo Hotel.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Besides the voice of Jimmy heard over the phone not being that of actor Peter Lawford, most (though not all) of the other voices heard over phones throughout the film clearly are not those of the actors playing the roles on screen.

Quotes:

Josh Howard: Look Vince - the brave ones don't come home. You stay scared.
Vince Massler: Yeah. You were always one of those guys who didn't want any brave ones on patrol with you, weren't you?
Josh Howard: It's simple enough - in my book "brave" rhymes with "stupid", and it still does.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Best of Saturday Night Live: Special Edition (1992) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Tender Trap

Ultimate Rat Pack Outing

Ocean's 11 never tries to be brilliant and is only sometimes good. The thin plot is a set up for the "boys" to look sharp (and they sometimes do), sing songs (which they do well) and to show off 1960 Las Vegas (which by today's standards looks pretty shabby).

This is a second rate heist story with a few gangsters thrown in. But after all, we have Sinatra and company. You can see that the excellent film, The Rat Pack, was very right on. Sinatra is his arrogant self. Martin is relaxed, Lawford is suave and the singing by Sammy Davis Jr. is great.

Ocean's 11 is a snap shot of what was "cool" in the ultimate era of coolness. It's all here, the clubs, the Marilyn Monroe look a likes, the flashy clothes and lots of money. It's better than imitations such as Swingers since Ocean's 11 is the source. Of course it includes the legendary bad treatment of women and African Americans. The actresses are either add-ons or pathetic martyrs (Angie Dickinson). As for Sammy, he puts up with the garbage man part, a racial slur (all in good fun of course!) and the self centeredness of these guys. I just admire him because he had to do it, so he could perform.

Back to the "fun". The boys get to be clever, then there's a surprise ending and finally we see them shuffle hung over in front of a casino. Every few years I check out Ocean's 11 not just to watch this silly movie but also to see the rats (or brats?) and chuckle (and wince) at an amazing time in the USA, baby.