The First Deadly Sin

[1980, Movie]

The First Deadly Sin: Review

Sinatra's first film after a 10-year hiatus was a disappointing adaptation of author Lawrence Sanders incredibly popular novel. On the verge of retirement, New York City police detective Edward Delaney (Sinatra) becomes obsessed with tracking down a bizarre serial killer who uses a mountain climber's ax on his victims. Delaney periodically interrupts his investigation for somber hospital visits with his terminally ill wife (Dunaway). Not even a finely tuned performance from Sinatra can pull this morose mystery out of the doldrums. Dunaway's considerable talents are wasted here as she spends the entire film in a hospital bed, serving as a pity magnet. The solution to the mystery is uninvolving since all of the insights into the mind of the killer come tumbling out in one long, rambling soliloquy at the grim climax. The film is worth a look, however, because of Sinatra's work and two fine supporting performances from Martin Gabel as a weapons expert and Joe Spinell as a doorman.