I am a fan of Frank Sinatra's body of work and I realize that this is a comedy/romance/musical, but I still have a difficult time imagining so many beautiful women fawning over the petite and feminine looking Frank Sinatra. Having said that, bringing into the film theater agent Charlie Y. Reader's (played by Frank Sinatra) old childhood friend Joe McCall (played superbly by David Wayne) who comes to stay with his playboy buddy Charlie as he thinks his marriage is on the rocks.Throughout the film we see a turnstile of beautiful women coming in and out of Charlie's apartment. Charlie is torn between two women in particular. One of these beautiful women is actress Debbie Reynolds who plays a young independent stage performer named Julie Gillis. The other is actress Celeste Holm who plays Sylvia Crewes a beautiful and mature woman of the same age as her good friend Charlie. Who will Charlie decide to marry? As stated earlier I just cannot wrap my head around the other gorgeous women such as actresses Lola Albright (Poppy Masters),Jarma Lewis (Jessica Collins), and Carolyn Jones (Helen the twice a day dog walker) who also seem to be interested in the wimpy looking Frank Sinatra.David Wayne who plays Joe McCall can't stop shaking his head at the many women chasing his friend Charlie, (and neither can I stop shaking my head). Joe also seems to be going through a mid-life crisis and so he starts falling for one of Charlie's love interests. The many confusing relationships will periodically be broken up by a song and dance number simply to remind the audience to not take these many relationships too seriously, and I didn't. Nor could I take this film too seriously and so I give the film a decent but not too praise worthy 6 out of 10 rating.

"The Tender Trap" is a snapshot of the 1950s with the portrayal of the swinging bachelors and dreams of girls finding their man in the big city. At least, we saw that sort of thing portrayed somewhat in those days. And this film has a fine cast of players who are capable of putting out very good movies. But this is far from one. As several other reviewers to date have noted, the screenplay for this movie is lousy.So, the film comes off like a broken record with nearly identical scenes with different women played over and over again. It fast becomes boring. Even with the cast of stars it has, "The Tender Trap" is bland. The direction was terrible and the acting just came across like a high school reading for a play. The only performer who has any spark of life is Celeste Holm, and she was just slightly convincing. Frank Sinatra had some energy – of motion. He moved around a lot, and he talked a lot. But there was no heart or soul in his character. And there clearly was no spark between Sinatra's Charlie Reader and Julie Gillis, played by Debbie Reynolds.Others have noted that Sinatra was portraying the lifestyle he actually lived. That may have been part of the problem. His usual lifestyle could easily become bland after a while. It sure seems to be that way in this film.This is supposed to be a comedy-romance and musical. The only reason I give it as many as four stars is for the song by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. And for the little bit of performing we see from Frank and Debbie. But where is the romance? There isn't a spark between them. Worse still – where is the comedy? A few different women parading through Charlie's apartment and calling on the phone don't equal a single good witty line. But there are none of those. Or, if there are one or two, they got lost in the tediousness of the film.

So pronounces Joe McCall, played by David Wayne, a disillusioned family man who has temporarily fled the Midwest for NYC to taste what it feels like to be liberated from the ball and chain of marriage. He crashes with old buddy Charlie Reader, played by Frank Sinatra, a talent agent who inhabits the perfect bachelor pad that is equipped with all the accessories for a free-wheeling life: terrace and window overlooking a panoramic view, a bar conveniently located to the front door allowing immediate access to rows of bottles and the requisite ice bucket. Sinatra looks bored and put upon, walking through this all too familiar territory of portraying the "swinging bachelor." An assortment of women taking on the function of additional props, walk in and out of his apartment bringing him tributes of rare cheeses, raw whole fish, and to break this monotony, one serves as a dog walker for his dog who is all but invisible, the poor animal, apparently, sentenced to live out life in the kitchen. Debbie Reynolds, as Julie Gillis, would be actress, must be bride, is the interloper in Charlie's endless parade of women, anonymous personalities, known only by first name. She is stubborn, annoyingly willful and has life all figured out. Reynolds carries on in full perky form with a spunk and cuteness that for her amounts almost to a genetic curse. As you watch this film, you get the feeling that Frank Sinatra does not like Debbie Reynolds. There is no on screen chemistry between them and you wonder what his character, this "hip" guy, sees in this "square" bratty tyrant. Oh yes, then there is Sylvia Crewes, played by Celeste Holm, an actress, for some reason, periodically and illogically cast as a romantic interest. She's a concert violinist, " a first class lady…a girl someone marries." She's got Charlie's number all right but as a single woman who's been on the shelf too long, she hangs on, just hoping. Ultimately no damage is done to anyone, except to the "invisible" dog that is being held without bond for an indeterminate sentence. The sanctity of marriage prevails. So that's the set-up. The male/female tug of war, America 1950s style. This movie would have you believe that every man is on the make ready to jump the bones of any woman in convenient proximity. And every woman's reason for living and breathing is marriage and children. It's the wolf and the his prey, one hoping to avoid the tender trap of marriage, the other determined to cage her capture and throw away the key. If you can immerse yourself in this time capsule of an era gone by, and enjoy watching Sinatra on screen, who even, when as here is not at his best, the movie is worth watching. Sinatra's singing the Cahn/Van Heusen "Love is a Tender Trap" is a highlight. The movie does have its amusing moments, as you hoot at its mostly antique shenanigans.

It's a CinemaScope culture clash when swinging Manhattan playboy agent Frank Sinatra (as Charlie Reader) falls in love with sweet marriage-minded actress Debbie Reynolds (as Julie Gillis). Fond of lipstick and liquor, Mr. Sinatra finds it difficult to commit. The surprising thing about this semi-serious sixties comedy is the thoughtful and mature subplot acted out by David Wayne (as Joe McCall), who moves in with Sinatra while contemplating divorce, and one of his promiscuous pal's girlfriends, Celeste Holm (as Sylvia Crewes).With the lead relationship between Sinatra and Ms. Reynolds proceeding in flat and predictable fashion, Mr. Wayne and Ms. Holm are the ones to watch. They were nominated for "Supporting Actor" and "Supporting Actress" awards by "Film Daily". Also receiving industry attention was the great title track "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, which received an "Academy Award" nomination. Sinatra's great Capitol Records version took an understandable and well-deserved trip to the US "Top Ten".****** The Tender Trap (11/4/55) Charles Walters ~ Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, David Wayne, Celeste Holm