The First Deadly Sin
Theatrical release poster
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
Distributed by	Filmways Pictures
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 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 statutory rape charges.

Plot

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 committed 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. Both Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert, however, praised Sinatra's performance as one of his best, whilst daughter Nancy Sinatra commented in her book that this was a film her father was very excited about.

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

Trivia

The film was also Bruce Willis' first movie role, though it was uncredited. He is seen entering the diner as Delaney exits. Coincidently, Willis' star-maker Die Hard was based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which was made into a 1968 movie starring Frank Sinatra.

Links

Roger Ebert's Review: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19801030/REVIEWS/10300301/1023

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