When you think of Danny Ocean, you probably see George Clooney’s smirk. Maybe you think of Brad Pitt eating a shrimp cocktail in every single scene. But before the high-tech 2001 remake and the slick sequels, there was a completely different beast. Honestly, the original cast of Ocean's Eleven wasn't just a group of actors hired for a job. They were a sovereign nation of cool.
Released in 1960, the original film was less about a complex heist and more about the fact that Frank Sinatra and his friends wanted to hang out in Las Vegas while getting paid for it. It’s legendary. It’s messy. It’s quintessentially "Rat Pack." If you’ve only seen the Steven Soderbergh version, you’re missing the sheer, unadulterated swagger of the men who actually built the Sands Hotel's reputation.
The Alpha: Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean
Frank Sinatra didn't just play Danny Ocean; he owned the room. In the 1960 version, Danny isn't a career criminal trying to win back an ex-wife. He’s a World War II veteran. Specifically, he’s a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper. This changes the whole vibe. The heist isn't just for greed; it’s a military operation carried out by guys who felt the world owed them something after the war.
Sinatra’s performance is remarkably relaxed. Some critics back then said he was too relaxed, basically just playing himself. But that’s the draw. When the original cast of Ocean's Eleven assembled on screen, you weren't watching "acting" in the traditional sense. You were watching a power dynamic that existed in real life. Sinatra was the Chairman of the Board. If he told you to rob five casinos at once, you did it.
Dean Martin and the Art of Not Caring
Then there’s Dean Martin. He played Sam Harmon. While the remake gave us Brad Pitt as the cool right-hand man, Dean Martin brought something different: effortless charm mixed with a total lack of urgency.
Martin’s character spends a good chunk of the movie singing. Literally. He’s performing in the lounge while the heist is going down. It’s a meta-commentary on his own life. During the filming of Ocean's 11, the cast would film during the day and perform two shows at the Sands at night. They barely slept. You can see it in their eyes—that bleary, 3:00 AM Vegas exhaustion that no makeup department can truly fakes. It’s authentic. It’s raw.
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Sammy Davis Jr.: The Talent and the Barrier Breaker
Sammy Davis Jr. played Josh Howard, the garbage truck driver who serves as the getaway vehicle operator. Sammy was, pound for pound, the most talented person in that group. He could dance, sing, mimic anyone, and act his heart out.
In 1960, his inclusion in the original cast of Ocean's Eleven was a major statement. This was an era where segregation was still a brutal reality in Las Vegas. Sammy often couldn't stay in the very hotels he headlined. Sinatra famously put his foot down, refusing to play venues that wouldn't accommodate Sammy. Their onscreen brotherhood reflected a very real, very consequential off-screen loyalty. Josh Howard’s role in the heist is pivotal, and Sammy plays him with a nervous, high-energy grit that contrasts beautifully with Dean Martin’s "drunk" nonchalance.
The Supporting Players Most People Forget
The "Eleven" in the title refers to the eleven buddies from the 82nd Airborne. While the big three get the glory, the rest of the original cast of Ocean's Eleven was packed with Rat Pack staples and character actors who deserve a mention:
- Peter Lawford: The British connection. He played Jimmy Foster. Lawford was actually the one who acquired the rights to the story in the first place. He was also John F. Kennedy’s brother-in-law at the time, adding a weird layer of political royalty to the production.
- Joey Bishop: The "frown prince" of comedy. He played Mushy O'Connors. Bishop was the glue that held the Rat Pack’s stage shows together, often writing the "improvised" bits they were famous for.
- Richard Conte: He played Anthony Bergdorf, the electrician. Conte brings the only real pathos to the movie. While everyone else is joking around, his character is the one with the terminal illness trying to provide for his son. It’s a heavy subplot in an otherwise breezy film.
- Angie Dickinson: She played Beatrice Ocean. While the movie is a bit of a "boys' club," Dickinson holds her own. She was rising fast in Hollywood, coming off Rio Bravo, and she gave the film a much-needed touch of class.
Why the 1960 Heist Feels So Different
In the remake, the heist is a miracle of engineering and gymnastics. In the 1960 original? They use infrared paint on the power lines and a giant wire-cutting plan. It’s low-tech. It’s tactile. They basically just wait for the lights to go out and walk into the counting rooms.
The most shocking thing for modern audiences is the ending. (Spoilers for a 65-year-old movie!) Unlike the Clooney version where they all get rich and drive off into the sunset, the original cast of Ocean's Eleven loses it all. The money is hidden in a coffin—the coffin of Richard Conte’s character, who dies of a heart attack during the getaway. Because he’s being cremated, the money goes up in smoke.
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The final shot is iconic. The remaining members of the crew walk down the Las Vegas Strip, past a funeral home, looking absolutely defeated. No one wins. It’s a cynical, mid-century noir ending disguised as a comedy.
The Legacy of the Sands
You can't talk about this cast without talking about the Sands Hotel. It was their playground. The movie serves as a time capsule for a Vegas that no longer exists—the "Old Vegas" of tailored suits, cigarette smoke as a permanent atmosphere, and a total lack of giant LED spheres.
The chemistry of the original cast of Ocean's Eleven wasn't manufactured by a casting director. It was forged over years of late-night drinking sessions and shared stage time. When you see them laughing on screen, they are likely laughing at an inside joke from the night before. This creates a level of comfort that modern films often try to replicate with "chemistry reads," but you can’t fake a decade of friendship.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Original
A common misconception is that the 1960 film is a masterpiece of cinema. It’s actually kind of slow. If you’re expecting the fast-paced editing of the 2000s, you’ll be disappointed. The first hour is mostly just guys talking in rooms.
But that’s the point. The value of the 1960 Ocean's 11 isn't in the plot. It’s in the vibe. It’s a lifestyle brand before that term existed. It’s about the aesthetic of the "cool guy" who doesn't have to try.
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Real-World Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you’re a fan of this era, there are a few things you should actually do to appreciate this cast more:
- Watch the "The Summit" Recordings: Don't just watch the movie. Look up recordings of the Rat Pack live at the Sands from the same period. It provides the context for their shorthand communication in the film.
- Check the Background: Keep an eye out for Shirley MacLaine. She has an uncredited cameo as a drunk woman in a bar. She was a "mascot" of sorts for the group and her appearance was totally impromptu.
- Read "The Rat Pack Confidential": If you want the gritty reality behind the scenes, George Freeman’s book is the gold standard. It peels back the veneer of the "cool" to show the complex, often difficult relationships between Sinatra, Lawford, and the others.
- Visit the Neon Museum: If you're ever in Vegas, go here. You can see the actual signs from the casinos the original cast of Ocean's Eleven "robbed," like the Sahara and the Flamingo. It puts the scale of the film into perspective.
The 1960 Ocean's 11 is a relic, sure. It's a product of its time—sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. But the sheer density of star power in that original cast has never been matched. They didn't need a massive marketing campaign to convince you they were the coolest guys in the world. They just walked into the frame and let the cameras roll.
To truly understand the DNA of the modern heist movie, you have to look at the men in the mohair suits who did it first. They didn't just steal the money; they stole the whole damn show.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
- Compare the Heists: Watch the 1960 version and the 2001 version back-to-back. Focus specifically on the character of Saul (the old pro). Comparing Carl Reiner to the original's Akim Tamiroff shows how the "expert" archetype evolved in Hollywood.
- Track the "Cursed" History: Research the falling out between Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford that happened shortly after this movie. It effectively ended the original "Eleven" and changed the trajectory of Lawford's career forever.
- Source the Soundtrack: Nelson Riddle’s score is a masterclass in mid-century lounge jazz. Listen to it on vinyl if you can; the brass sections were recorded to feel like they were hitting you from the back of a smoky club.