Anybody else watch HBO’s Frank Sinatra story last yesterday?
It was a documentary about the life of one of the most famous and controversial entertainment figures in American history. I was glued to the television watching, listening, learning, laughing – even crying. In many ways, Sinatra was all us wrapped into one man – one way, one time.
Frank’s big career began as a teen idol and top of the charts singer, which was quite a bit before my time. However I grew up listening to Sinatra on KMBZ radio because that’s the station my dad listened to.
Probably like some of you guys I was not a fan, at least not at first.
In time though, who wasn’t a fan? I played 45 records of Sinatra’s “World on A String” almost as much as I did the Beatles‘ “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”
It’s almost impossible to watch this HBO special without thinking about the other entertainment giants of the 20th Century.
Marilyn Monroe
Names like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
Names that go hand-in-hand with Sinatra’s.
Elvis and Sinatra both had explosive starts to their early careers with the teenagers in love with them like nobody before. They both had their tragic ups and downs like all many time players – the drugs, the booze, the failed marriages and relationships and the victories followed by defeats, then more victories again.
Unlike Elvis and Marilyn though, Frank lived a long successful life.
Part one of “All Or Nothing At All” shows his rise and fall, but ends with his hit film, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Sinatra was broke at the time, his career nearing its end and his marriage to Ava Gardner falling apart. Frank had cheated on his wife with practically every woman in New York and Hollywood he could, but he felt deeply for Ava, who cheated on Frank.
Many of us know that story.
With Sinatra’s winning best supporting actor at the Academy Awards for “Eternity” came his comeback. And he never looked back. Sure he had lots more ups and downs in his life, but from the mid 1950’s until his death he was a super star and living God.
I saw him in Las Vegas twice in the 70’s and 80’s as well as Palm Springs.
He was the man.
Me, I was a rock and roll guy, but Frank was the exception. People go out of their way to see a piece of entertainment and life history, and that’s what this heart felt tribute delivers – rare footage and commentary from Frank Sinatra, Jr. Nancy Sinatra, as well as Ava Gardner and Sammy Davis, Jr., who Frank pretty much discovered and brought to the big time.
I promise you will see a piece of yourself in this too. I know did.
I was lucky growing up that my family did business in las vegas from the 60’s
to the 90’s.
Saw Frank Sinatra perform twice…elvis at the Hilton…don rickeles when he did
half his show from our booth at the sands….even saw wayne newton several times
as we spent 4 new years in vegas.
Frank was cool. Like harry connick jr. but there will never be another frank
Sinatra.
while growing up my family were at meadowbrook and
got to meet Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin and they signed $5.00 bills for
us when they were playing at the muehlbach downtown. that was when they
were starting out.
many people fail to realize kc was hot back then. With gambling/prostitituion/
horse racing in riverside/and ppeole coming to the hotels downtown like the
muehlbach or the lounge on about 10th and main.
Then there was excelsior springs which was a party hotbed….with the elms.
The rat pack hung out at one of the hotels our family member ran…the sands
and then switched to the desert inn.
I was young but my family had so may great stories from those days.
I remember going to the airport with my grand parents to pick up my
parents and a man named Caruso (who boked the junkets) came off with
a briefcase that was handcuffed to his arm. asked my grandfather why the
case was handcuffed to his arm…and he said “he doesn’t want to lose it”
Finally after a few years realized what the deal was.
Vegas has changed. Corporations taken over. Everyone has their hands out….
and the hotels now wat a profit from every division where at one time everything
gravitated to getting gamblers into the hotels and giving away everything to do it.
Was there last august…its like spring break. Now the daytime parties at the
pools have really replaced the clubs at nights as the places to be.
It was a great time to be able to experience all of that….but just like everything
else…times change.
Spent 4 nights this past week at the massive MGM Grand. And you’re dead on with the pools being the hotspot instead of the high priced club scene. Come Friday afternoon, the California college kids come flooding in with their boardshorts and tiny thongs and the party at the pool is in full swing. Most of these kids were dragging coolers full of booze, so they wouldn’t get raped by the casino’s booze prices. Times have really changed.
saw the same things guy. Those hotels with the big debt
(most of it to china) are needing more money.
A friend of mine traveled to china to get more cash for
a development many of you havehead of.
they got it at 14% interest rate.
Just a short time til the Bellagio is call BEY-law_ gio shanghai!!!!
but those pool parties were on sexy party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Know what really sucks at the MGM Grand? The food in the restaraunts. Guess I should’ve know better.
Nice article Glaze.
Frank was the best in my opinion, the whole package, greatest entertainer ever.
I wonder how often he would have been booked if the Mob didn’t own an interest in most mid sized Cabaret type venues in the USA in the 60s and 70s.
Sinatra…not much…would have been mostly an east coast talent…
I think he gets booked no matter what. I even think that if he doesn’t make “From Here To Eternity” he is still a huge star.
There are a lot of folks who read this blog that are light years more knowledgeable than I am with respect to the music industry, but the man was really, really talented and I think people wanted to hear that voice.
Have we not heard thousands of people sing Frank’s songs?
I have, some are pretty good, none, zero, are Frank.
Harley sings it every time he’s at the red balloon at
75th and I 35….
“my Way” WAS WRITTEN BY PAUL ANKA…ITS THE
TUNE I SING/karaokie EVERY TIME I GO TO CIGAR BOX
WHERE AL LADA WORKS.
greatest song ever written and sung by the one and only
Sinatra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
He was the best Chuck.
the only song he sang, which he totally made his, that I heard an equal to, was Liza Minnelli’s version of “New York, New York.” she pulled it off as convincingly as he did… perhaps because she recorded it first.
I missed part 2 the game was on…will watch it this week, sure it was great.
In Vegas, it’s about the high end pool action and celebrity DJ’S. That and all the Asians