Sinful Davey (1969) User Reviews

Ordinary Decent Scotsman

[PeterJackson · 6/10 · 17 July 2000]

SINFUL DAVEY is based on the true story of Scottish highwayman and thief Davey Haggart (played by a very young John Hurt), who wants to be just like his deceased (guess how he died) father.

It is a light-hearted movie that really is neither very spectacular nor special, but is very well-done. A nice movie to see on a rainy afternoon, to say it with a cliché. The film has good performances all around (especially Hurt and Franklin) and some funny bits. It is however nowhere near as funny as the recent ORDINARY DECENT CRIMINAL (also based on a true story).6/10

Adventures and misfortunes carried out by a sympathetic highwayman nicely played by John Hurt

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 28 January 2020]

This is a romance-comedy-drama with adventures , thrills , emotion , feats , a long love story , twisted plot and incredible ending . It's an entertaining film and regency romance fans will appreciate the attention to period detail , being based on the book "The Life of David Haggart¨ and script by James R. Webb . It deals with the hilarious adventures of the famous Scottish highwayman and thief Davey Haggart (John Hurt's first leading role) during the 1820s in Britain , along with his colleague MacNab (Ronald Fraser) . Growing up in humble means and attempting to go on his father's career as a thief who was unhappily executed . Davey is able to live by means of his liking , and in taking over the ownerships of some incautious people . His thunderous life is full of fabulous feats , including as a body-snatcher, holding up the stagecoach , escaping from Stirling prison and robbing to aristocracy at the mansion of the Duke of Argyll (Robert Morley) , among others . But he is pursued by a constable : Richardson (Nigel Davenport) , detained , subsequently judged , accused and condemned for penalty death . Fortunately , he is really helped by the fact that his childhood playmate Annie (Pamela Franklin) goes after to save him from jail and gallows . It may be more attributed to Davey being unable to adapt to any of the lives into which he is thrust to truly reach his goal of being a highwayman . Down with virtue! Down with the law! Up With Davey! The Seven Deadly Sins have never been so lively! . Grave-robbing, Maid-snatching, Jail-breaking, Jewel-thieving, Smuggling, Piracy and Wife-stealing . Leave it to Davey to invent No. 8!

This amusing , humorous film packs fun performance , thrilling scenes , noisy action , swashbuckling , twists , turns , final surprise and consideration to period detail . Nothing too inspired here but seems to be amusing . This is a costume/comedy/drama that never quite goes anywhere , though results to be entertaining and fun . As funny scenes , entertainment , lively style and its tense filmmaking make this a crackerjack amusement . This is a family film made by John Huston , as it was partially filmed on John Huston's own estate in Ireland and played by Huston's friends as well as his daughter . Highlights of the movie turn out to be spectacular production design , luxurious scenarios and the fox chase scenes under an enjoyable soundtrack by Ken Thorne . Sir John Hurt gives a nice acting as a roguish thief determined to emulate his father , a notorious rogue and highwayman . While Pamela Franklin , ex-girl prodigy , is the passionate young girl falling for the outlaw and also determined to track him down and save his soul . Very good support cast , in addition Ronald Fraser, none of the players are actual Scots , as their accents usually demonstrate . The magnificent secondary cast is plenty of prestigious Brit actors , such as Nigel Davenport , Ronald Fraser , Maxine Audley , Robert Morley , Donal McCann , Eddie Byrne , Niall MacGinnis , Allan Cuthbertson, Noel Purcell and brief intervention from future stars : Fionnula Flanagan , Brenda Flicker and Angelica Huston . Evocative as well as brilliant cinematography in gorgeous colour by director of photography Edward Scaife and Freddie Young. Rousing and lively musical score by Ken Thorne .

The motion picture competently produced by Walter Mirisch was well made by the great John Huston , who also produced , though it was a commercial flop . As John Huston declared great bitterness about the way this movie had been changed against his wit , and named it as one of the three movies of his that he most regretted shooting , he other two were The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958) and Roots of Heaven (1958). The picture was made in a good time of the 60s , 70s and 80s when Huston resurged as a director of quality films with Fat City, (1972), The man who would be king (1975) , Wise blood (1979) , Honor of Prizzi (1985) and in which Huston providing classic scenes and agreeable dialogs . He ended his career on a high note with Under volcano (1984), the afore-mentioned Honor of Prizzi (1985) and Dublineses (1987). Rating : Acceptable and passable , nothing too original , although regency romance buffs will value the attention to historical background . This is one of John Huston's unknown movie , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to Huston films . Rating : 6 , decent , as action and emotion are entertaining enough on its own . Well worth watching .

Easy Enough but Not Enough Laughs

[Michael_Elliott · 1 July 2010]

Sinful Davey (1969)

** (out of 4)

Pleasant but ultimately disappointing comedy from Huston about a highwayman named Davey (John Hurt) who wants to be like his father even though his father got killed for his lifestyle. Davey goes on one adventure after another as he gets closer and closer to danger but thankfully the woman (Pamela Franklin) who loves him is constantly showing up to save him. Apparently this film had two different previews, both disasters yet Huston refused to edit the film so the producer had to do it for him. This, in return, set Huston off who pretty much disowned the version that was eventually released and seen here. I don't believe Huston's version has ever been released or seen since those two previews but one has to wonder if anything longer than what's here could have been taken by anyone. I should say, anyone but Huston because while watching this comedy I couldn't help but imagine Huston sitting in his chair, smoking a cigar and laughing his butt off at everything on the screen. The movie remains pleasant from start to finish because of Hurt's fine performance and the loving care that obviously went into making it but in the end there's just not enough laughs. The movie is technically impressive and I really did love the pacing and style that Huston made it. The movie has an old-fashioned look that perfectly suits the situations and the pacing is fast just like the main character. Hurt is obviously having a lot of fun in the film as he's perfectly fine as the dashing young man who won't stop until someone else stops him. Franklin isn't too bad either and we get Nigel Davenport and Ronald Fraser turning in fine work. Look quick for Huston's daughter Angelica. This film was based on a true story and I couldn't help but think the book probably had a lot of stuff that didn't make it into the movie but I also figured a lot of it might not have worked and just got cut out. Either way, this is an interesting piece from Huston but the lack of laughs pretty much kill it.

Underrated, underseen, and...okay

[davidmvining · 6/10 · 29 September 2023]

This is one of those movies so forgotten and demeaned by the few people that have seen it that kind of confuses me. One of the lowest rated films on the IMDB in John Huston's filmography, Sinful Davey seems to have this reputation as a complete mess, helped not at all by the fact that this is at least the third film that Huston simply abandoned during post-production, letting his producers do what they wanted to it (The Red Badge of Courage and The Barbarian and the Geisha are the other two). Considering the kind of energy-less films that Huston had been making over the previous decade or so, I wonder if Walter Mirisch, the producer who recut Sinful Davey into its current form after its previews, actually did the film a favor by cutting down to its comedic bones. It still doesn't quite work, but it's amusing in a way that a cut thirty minutes longer might not have accomplished.

Davey Haggart (John Hurt) claims to be the son of a notorious Scottish outlaw, and is determined to make himself a life of greater note than his father who robbed a stagecoach and the Duke of Argyle. Having reached maturity as a drummer in the King's army, he absconds from his post, using his large drum as a raft down the river, and enters into his life of crime when he meets the pickpocket MacNab (Ronald Fraser). The events of the film are a relatively loose collection of events as Davey outruns the law, his childhood friend from the orphanage Annie (Pamela Franklin), and marches ever-onward to the other end of his framing device, him writing his memoirs.

Each event is lightly comic and amusing. From his chase through a town because he gets caught with his hand in a man's pocket to him and MacNab trying to talk their way out of constable attention while carrying a freshly dug up coffin to breaking through the roof of the male prison to get into the female prison for prostitutes to have a large party, it's all fun little bits as Davey frames his adventures in the highest spirits while actually just stumbling from one misadventure to the next. When he robs the stagecoach like his father, he decks himself out in the finest of clothes, gets tossed from the carriage, and ends up in the hands of some vagabonds who talk about cutting him open to hide his body in a loch, saved only by Annie showing up and Davey's eye for the next potential prize, a ship on the water that could hold up to a hundred pounds. It's this light touch, along with the similar timing in terms of production and similar location, that remind me of Tony Richardson's Tom Jones, though that was a film botched during production saved during post, which this seems to have potentially been the opposite (though perhaps not).

The centerpiece of the final half is Davey getting under the wing of the Duke of Argyle (Robert Morley) (an event that happens off screen, so it was probably filmed and cut), ingratiating himself into his society while the constable Richardson (Nigel Davenport) hangs around looking for him, and organizes an elaborate pickpocketing operation during a ball involving a fishing rod and a series of handkerchiefs.

It all comes to its end with Davey getting caught, put into prison, the Duke doing everything he can save for freeing him to make his life better, including promising to publish his memoirs, and Annie getting tricksy because she both loves Davey and wants to save his soul.

Is it a horrendous misfire? I really don't think so. I find it pretty consistently amusing, if light and airy. It may not be the most successful film of this period in John Huston's directing career (which Vincent Canby called the "tired period" which, you know, it fits), but it is honestly the one I would probably want to revisit the most since The Misfits. I still wouldn't go so far as to call it good, but for 90-minutes, it lightly entertained me even if I felt like it could have been more. More insightful, funnier, or more touching, but the package as it stands now is amusing and undemanding. That's alright sometimes.

Anchored by an amusing performance from Hurt (though Albert Finney in Tom Jones just oozed more effortless charisma), Sinful Davey is underseen, over-maligned, and, well, lightly amusing.

What a rascal

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 6 January 2017]

John Huston's love of Ireland and Irish country life was rather well known while he was with us. Any chance he had he took to be at his country estate there. What better than to shoot a film there even if the subject is 18th century Scotland and a notorious outlaws known as Sinful Davey.

John Hurt is in the title role and he's a young rascal who deserts the army in a most spectacular fashion and takes up the outlaw trade. His dad was an outlaw who had some legendary exploits of his own and young Hurt wants to live up to his father's legend and even better it.

Nothing serious about Sinful Davey, he's just a good nature rascal who just follows his own beat. That the authorities take a dim view of stealing just shows what narrow minded folks they are. The only thing could stop Hurt is Pamela Franklin from his old village who is a good girl in a debauched age and she's determined he have a moral makeover.

This will never be classified as one of John Huston's better films, but it's entertaining enough. Besides the leads standing out in this cast is Robert Morley as the Duke of Argyll who rather admires Hurt and his unconventional ways and Ronald Fraser as Hurt's somewhat reluctant accomplice in his crimes.

Have fun watching this one and don't take it one bit serious.

Amazingly tepid....at best.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 7 April 2020]

John Hurt stars as David Haggart, a man who longs to be a bigger thief and scoundrel than his father...who was hung at age 20. Throughout the film, Davey commits a long list of evil deeds all in this quest to be truly dreadful!

While this brief summary might make it sound like "Sinful Davey" is a rollicking comedy, don't think that at all. While it's SUPPOSED to be funny and quite bawdy, I never once smirked or thought any of this was fun to watch in any way. Oddly, despite Davey trying to be a sinful jerk, watching his antics I was shocked how unfunny and dull the whole thing was. I think Hurt tried (despite not being Scottish, like his character)...but the script simply wasn't funny nor all that interesting. Overall, an uninspired and tepid (at best) movie...one that lost money when it debuted and surely deserved such a fate.

Good, but not great, picaresque tale of a young Scottish rogue.

[tclark55 · 8/10 · 3 August 2023]

Trying to emulate the Oscar-winning Tom Jones and others of its ilk, Sinful Davey is enjoyable, light-hearted entertainment. The scenery is gorgeous, the cinematography catching, and the acting good.

John Hurt is fine as Davey, and Pamela Franklin is sweet as the lass who loves him and tries to get him to change his ways. Robert Morley's character is very likeable as well. I particularly enjoyed Nigel Davenport as the decent but determined inspector--his looks and manner reminded me of Ted Levine's police captain on Monk.

The script, while pleasant, could be better, though. I kept waiting for something truly outrageous to occur, for the film to go over the top in some way (after all, it was made in the late sixties), but it never did. Still, it is an enjoyable story.

While Sinful Davey is a good, not great film, it still deserves a higher rating than it has on this site. Just enjoy it for what it is: a picaresque, humorous tale about a young Scottish rogue during the early 19th century.