Follow-up to 1967's "Tony Rome" is saddled with a tired, tangled plot concerning a murdered blonde in Florida and the investigation led by ultra laid-back private detective Tony Rome, who lives on a houseboat and discovered the girl's body while scuba-diving. Frank Sinatra returns to the role almost sheepishly; he isn't sleepwalking, exactly, but his interest in the scenario is blasé at best. Tracing the girl's killers to Miami high society (after Rome's buddy, police lieutenant Richard Conte, accuses Tony of the murder!),Sinatra is matched with hot stuff Raquel Welch as an alcoholic party girl (she makes her first appearance emerging from a swimming pool, bikini-clad of course). But Sinatra and Welch share few sparks in their scenes together--he's much more attentive to Lainie Kazan as a go-go dancer, and has more rapport with Dan Blocker as a mad Russian fond of twisting heads around. Adaptation of Marvin H. Albert's novel "The Lady in Cement" by Albert and Jack Guss, this mystery yarn is an absolute mess, unnecessarily crowded with suspects, heavies, gay stereotypes, brassy broads, hoods and junkies. By the time Sinatra's Rome lays out who-did-what-to-whom, interest has waned. Hugo Montenegro's bouncy score manages to keep things jazzy just up to the final reel. **1/2 from ****

Sinatra reprises his role of Tony Rome in this light weight murder mystery. Rome is hired by Dan Blocker to find out what happened to a young woman found dead in cement shoes. The movie is where the search takes him. Its more romp than real mystery with a light smart mouthed attitude hanging over everything. Its an enjoyable 93 minutes, certainly the laughs and the fun nature keep you watching, unfortunately you really do wish that there was some weight to the proceedings. The mystery has no real urgency and no real need to be solved other than it puts Rome in motion. Many of the actors, Sinatra included, seem to be walking through the film (and Raquel Welch seems unable to even do that). Of course then there is Dan Blocker as Gronsky, the man who hires Sinatra and who is much more trouble than he's worth. Blocker is a real joy to behold and if there is any real reason to see this film its him and his performance, its a blast. Mostly unremarkable, this film is still worth seeing for the mindless entertainment of it all. Recommended for those times when you want absolutely nothing to tax you brain.

While Frank Sinatra's The Detective was a serious movie with an attempt at social values.

In Lady in Cement Sinatra goes back to glib wisecracks. It might me more adult for its time with some nudity but it also has rat pack type humour.

While diving off the Miami coast looking for sunken Spanish galleons. Private investigator Tony Rome (Frank Sinatra) finds a dead naked blonde woman with her feet encased in concrete and sharks circling round.

Rome reports it to the police and then is visited by Waldo Gronski (Dan Blocker.) He is a big man who wants Rome to find Sandra Lomax who is missing. Lomax was an exotic dancer, and another dancer who worked at the club is soon killed.

His search leads Rome to sexy Kit Forrest (Raquel Welch) who is looked after by a reformed gangster Al Mungar. Soon Rome is wanted for the murder of a nightclub owner.

Based on a novel, it is incoherent and messy. It has overbearing music, Sinatra does not seem to be taking it seriously and he is just full of quips.

Blocker is the best thing in it and in one scene he is watching Bonanza!