Frank Sinatra
by Peter Max
SINATRA SUNDAY SAUCE
ITALIAN GRAVY RECIPE
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
The RAT PACK
The RAT PACK
Frank Sammy & Dean
Many people think that the Rat Pack originated with Frank Sinatra and his friends. Actually, the original "Rat Pack" centered around Humphrey Bogart and his fellow actors.
After Bogart’s death, the press resurrected the name "Rat Pack" and used it to refer to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. This Frank Sinatra-Centric "Pack" was comprised of actors who had appeared together on stage and in films, most notably the original Ocean's 11 movie.
It's rumored that, when Bogart and his friends returned to New York from Las Vegas, Bogart’s wife, Lauren Bacall said they looked like a "Rat Pack". Members of the New York "Rat Pack" included Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole, Mickey Rooney and Cesar Romero. Alternately, Bogart and Bacall’s Holmby Hills, California home was called the "Holmby Hills Rat Pack", which was a regular hangout for many actors.
Stephen Bogart has said that the original members of the "Holmby Hills Rat Pack" were Frank Sinatra (pack master), Judy Garland (first vice-president), Bacall (den mother), Sid Luft (cage master), Bogart (rat in charge of public relations), Swifty Lazar (recording secretary and treasurer), Nathaniel Benchley (historian), David Niven, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, George Cukor, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, and Jimmy Van Heusen. David Niven confirmed in his book, The Moon’s Balloon, that the "Rat Pack" originally included him, but not Sammy Davis Jr. or Dean Martin.
The later, 1960’s version of the group, (Bogart died in 1957) included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, Norman Fell (briefly) with Marilyn Monroe (pictured left with Frank), Angie Dickinson, Juliet Prowse, and Shirley MacLaine often being called mascots. The members of this group reportedly never called themselves the "Rat Pack" instead, they used "Summit" or the "Clan". "The Rat Pack" was coined by journalists and outsiders - but hey, we like the "Rat Pack"!
The famous Las Vegas shows, featuring the "Rat Pack", began when other members of the "Rat Pack" would appear, unannounced, at solo performances and then, perform collective, impromptu shows. These shows became so popular that they were sold out almost all of the time. Hotel marquees for individual performers would include other "Rat Pack" members. Once the Sands Hotel marquee read, "DEAN MARTIN - MAYBE FRANK - MAYBE SAMMY".
Regardless of which "Rat Pack" you remember, their style and fashion, from hats to ties or suits are timeless. Their cool and sophisticated style have .
The RAT PACK
OCENAS 11
Las Vegas
FRANK SAMMY & DINO
With Peter Lawford
OCEANS 11
BOGEY'S Original Holmby Hills RAT PACK
Humphrey Bogart, Sid Luft, Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland
Frank Sinatra, Gloria & Micke Romanoff, David Niven and Wife
At ROMANOFF'S, Hollywood, CA
1956
The original Rat Pack grew out of Humphrey Bogart's circle of friends, becoming synonymous with Booze, Women, and Nightlife. Rat Pack members not only partied together, but worked together on albums, movie sets, and stages. There were numerous associates, outsiders wanting to join, ladies, and even Mobsters with supported ties to the group, adding to the lore of the famous five.
The Homby Hills Rat Pack as it became known, formed the 1940s & 50s. The group centered around Humphrey Bogart, and Frank Sinatra was part of this original core group, along with Lauren Bacall, actress Judy Garland and her husband Sid Luft, and David Niven and his wife Hjoris.
Bogart took Sinatra under his wing. Sinatra enjoyed the groups camaraderie.
SINATRA Live at The SANDS
SINATRA at The SANDS
With COUNT BASIE / ORCHESTRA
Conducted by QUINCY JONES
1966
FRANK SINATRA
LIVE at The SANDS HOTEL / CASINO
Las Vegas, Nevada
"COME FLY WITH ME"
1966
Frank Sinatra
"I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN"
Written by COLE PORTER
The SANDS HOTEL CASINO
LAS VEGAS 1966
FRANK SINATRA
"I'VE GOT a CRUSH on YOU"
Written by George & Ira Gerschwin
FRANK SINATRA
YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG
FRANK SINATRA
"FLY ME to The MOON"
SINATRA Live at The SANDS
Frank's Monologue
Frank's Monologue
The SANDS HOTEL & CASINO
LAS VEGAS, NEVEDA
In July 1966 Frank Sinatra released his first live album: the classic Sinatra At The Sands. He was accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, conducted and arranged by Quincy Jones.
Frank Sinatra and Las Vegas
On September 13, 1951 Frank Sinatra debuted in Las Vegas. He performed at the Painted Desert Showroom of the Desert Inn hotel. By that time Sinatra’s star had fallen and the only place he could perform were the hotels on The Strip in Las Vegas. In 1951 Las Vegas housed only 7 hotels, which were all owned by the mafia.
One of the reasons Sinatra had lost the public’s affection was the way he had handled his marriage. He had eloped (and left his children) with actress Ava Gardner whom he married in 1951 (the marriage lasted 6 years). After Gardner’s advise and Frank Sinatra’s offer to forfeit any salary, Sinatra was cast for the movie From Here to Eternity. The movie was released in 1953 and brought Sinatra back into the limelights. In 1954 he received a Golden Globe and an Oscar for ‘best supporting actor’.
In the 1972 movie The Godfather the character Johnny Fontane begs the head of a New York crime organization to secure him a role in a movie in order to further his career, resulting in the (in)famous ‘horse head in bed’ scene. Fontane gets the part. The story goes that the Fontane character was based on Frank Sinatra. However, this was never confirmed and is probably untrue.
The movie’s success ensured a bigger audience for Sinatra’s shows. Sinatra was a big and important name for Las Vegas, that expanded in a rapid pace. It’s no exaggeration to conclude that Frank Sinatra played a pivotal part in this. Billy Wilder stated: “When Frank Sinatra was in Las Vegas, there is a certain electricity permeating the air. It’s like Mack the Knife is in town, and the action is starting.” Almost single handedly Sinatra turned Las Vegas into, not only, the biggest gambling town in the world, but also the Entertainment Capital of the World, as the town liked to call itself.
The renewed success also translated to music. He released a number of beautiful albums, including the impressive In The Wee Small Hours in 1955 and Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! in 1956.
FRANK SINATRA
And The RAT PACK
The SANDS
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
SINATRA at The SANDS
With The COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA
And COUNT BASIE
Sinatra At The Sands
Frank Sinatra released his first live album Sinatra At The Sands in July 1966. The recordings had taken place in January and February of 1966 when Sinatra performed twice a day. It’s a perfect impression of Sinatra in 1966. Vocally he was at the top of his game and the band had genuine swing. A number of the performances are even part of the very best he ever recorded.
Come Fly With me, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, The Shadow Of Your Smile, but also the new The September Of My Years and It Was a Very Good Year show Sinatra’s perfect timing and show that Sinatra thoroughly enjoyed his cooperation with Count Basie. On top of that, Sinatra looks impeccable on the album cover, charismatic, oozing ‘cool’ and ‘in control’.
But, the album also harbors an elephant in the room, the monologue called “The Tea Break”. It’s basically an intermezzo in which Sinatra tries his luck at a sort of stand-up comedy. In itself it’s not too bad, but Sinatra was not a comedian. However, some of his ‘jokes’ and remarks are downright racist and distasteful. It was the same criticism The Rat Pack had received earlier: misogynist, discriminating attempts at humor, that shows that civilization was nothing more than a thin layer of varnish. But, the (white) audience loved it, and Sinatra knew it.
Review
Despite the monologue, Sinatra At The Sands is a great time document that captures Frank Sinatra in the 1960s, warts and all. Sinatra combined with Count Basie and Quincy Jones is an unstoppable force of nature, that provided an intimate look into the world of entertainment in that moment of time at that specific place in the American desert. The beauty, which is breathtaking at times, is unbelievable and impressive.
SINATRA - Street of Dreams
FRANK SINATRA
STREET of DREAMS
SINATRA Live at The SANDS
Las Vegas 1966
STREET of DREAMS
Written by VICTOR YOUNG
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