NOTE: Again,
the subject matter and talent involved in the creation of these books,
which begin to creep into the new millenium, are all over the
map. We have gift books, scholarly essays, photo-biographies,
filmographies, two widely-divergent books examining the Rat Pack, a
sessionography, a book detailing Frank's FBI files, a children's
biography, and a book by Frank's daughter, Tina. There is
literally no consistancy in opinion or what the focus of material is -
all that is apparent is that after his death, Sinatra continued to
exert tremendous fascination for the literate public.
Frank
Sinatra: Behind Blue Eyes
By Armand Eisen;
Andrews McMeel
Publishing, 79 p.
Released October 1, 1998
"Before
Elvis, before the Beatles, the world was swooning to the crooning of
Frank Sinatra. When he took the stage at the Paramount
Theater in the early 1940s, the world had its first glimpse of the
swinging, singing sensation. But like anybody else, Frank
Sinatra had his share of good times and bad times, successes and
failures. See them come together in this stylish, fun look at
the life of an American legend." [from the introduction, pg.
7]
"I
like broads." [quoting Frank, pg. 65]
REVIEW: This
is one of those diminutive gift books you can find near the
cashier's register in almost any major bookseller - you know
the ones - three-by-three-1/2 inch mini-guides to
everything from how to bellydance to inspriational thoughts
for the day. This entry is an unoffensive guide to the life
of Sinatra, with short, pithy bits of information and humor that makes
a great stocking stuffer at Christmastime or is the perfect little gift
for the Sinatra fan in your life. Written by some guy named
Armand Eisen, this write up probably took him all of one afternoon, and
is just right for a daily dose of Frank in your day. Chapter
include: "The Fundamental Frank" which is quick bites of trivia on
Frank's life like, "Sinatra was a gifted conductor, despite his
inability to read music." "The Sinatra Timeline" is
an abbreviated look at Frank's life in five-year chunks; "Thoughts On A
Legend" are quotes from various celebrities about Frank,
including Bing Crosby, Shirley MacLaine, Walter Cronkite,
Frank Sinatra Jr., and Nancy, Harry James, Nelson Riddle,
Lauren Bacall, and Sammy Davis Jr. "What the Legend Has
Learned" is all Frank quotations, giving soundbite responses
to diffrent questions, like the one quoted above. Also you'll
find "SinatraSpeak" which I have lovingly ripped off for this site in
its entirety. Closing out the book is a fun two-page section
entitled: "AKA Sinatra" which lists the many nicknames Frank has been
graced with over the years, including 'Angles,' 'The Bony Baritone,'
and 'Saint Francis of Hoboken.' This punitive publication is
also peppered with pics of the 'Prince Charming Of Jukeboxes' with some
very nice candid shots all reduced down to small, but discernable
size. It's out of print now, but you can still find it
around, and for fun, it's definitely worth a nickel.
Sinatra:
Portrait Of The Artist
1915 - 1998
By Ray Coleman;
Regnery
Publications, 192 p.
Released November 1, 1998
"Crosby
had been as perfect for his time as Sinatra was to prove as the 1940s
unfolded. The sceptics who wondered if he could survive
outside the Dorsey umbrella did not have to wait long. On 30
December 1942, billed as an "Extra Added Attraction," Sinatra opened
alongside the Benny Goodman Sextet and singer Peggy Lee at the
Paramount Theatre on Times Square, New York. It was a
prestige solo debut at the turn of the year, and Frank was in strong
musical company. Goodman's introduction of Sinatra was
understated: "And now, Frank Sinatra." The roar from the
crowd was "tremendous," Sinatra recalled later. He was
"scared stiff... I couldn't move a muscle... Benny froze,
too. He turned round, looked at the audience and asked: 'What
the hell is that?'" Sinatra laughed and pressed into an
upbeat song, "For Me and My Gal."
Sinatra fever was born that night. [pg. 24]
REVIEW: One
of those quickie-release books that was published shortly on
the heels of his death, this quickly pasted-together book is
your basic over-size coffee-table ho-hum, with tons of
pictures from all sorts of sources, a text which seems to be lifted out
of the gee-whiz book of how-to-write celebrity bio's, and as
it's big selling point, an introduction by cool-celeb of the
moment, Bono. I suppose as an introduction to Sinatra's life
you could do worse, like pick up Kitty Kellys death-on-wheels tome, but
if you want insight, or detail, or feeling in the writing, you might as
well go down to your local supermarket and pick up the latest issue of Archie
Comics. That's about the depth we're
talking about here. A quick, painless look
at the history, accomplishments and high points of Sinatra's life and
loves, this was probably pieced together from various newspaper and
magazine articles, and it reads like many of Frank's
obituaries did at the time of his death - dull, colorless repetitions
of what many people already knew; his famous marriages to Eva, Mia,
Nancy, and Barbara, his rise to fame in the 40s and rebound with
the Oscar-winning performance in From Here To
Eternity, his ebullient Capitol albums and
cocky Rat Pack years are all covered in straightforward text, without
any pesky insight or subtlety to get in the way of the
writing. The mafia are whispered about, but this
text is meant to sell to fans who don't want any dirt, just the
post-funeral adulations. It's too bad, but a sign of the
times that books like these get snapped off of bargain shelves at all
the major retailers, only to find their way into America's
landfills. There are better places to go than to this pale
"portrait."
Frank
Sinatra And Popular
Culture: Essays On An American Icon
Edited
by Leonard Mustazza;
Praeger Publishers, 328 p.
Released December 30, 1998
"With
its trope of a divided, permeable self and its violent drama of eros
versus lucidity, "I've Got You Under My Skin" is a major expression of
the embattled consciousness of fifties America. The record's
amazing power stems above all from Sinatra's ability to
articulate contrasting registers of desire and fear, outward bravado
and inner doubt, through subtle variations in vocal color and phrasing
(a dialogic approach crudely parodied by the 1994 duet version with
U2's Bono, who heavy breathing and moaning in the role of Sinatra's
inner voice turns the erotic turmoil of the original to
kitsch). As the closing diminuendo and final unresolved ninth
chord suggest, the conflicts staged in the record subside without
achieving any clear resolution. The track exemplifies the
inconclusiveness Leo Braudy attributes to fifites art in general, with
its preference for dramatic over didactic or ideaological
energies." [pg. 67]
REVIEW: A
collection of essays, articles and musings written by a potpourri of
authors, Frank Sinatra and Popular Culture is a
fine, readable group of essays, which only occasionally steers itself
into over-thought ponderousness. Contributers to this
well-chosen gathering include Roger Gilbert ("The Swinger and the
Loser: Sinatra, Masculinity, and Fifities Culture"), James F. Smith
("Bobby Sox and Blue Suede Shoes: Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley as
Teen Idols"), Will Friedwald ("Sinatra and Jazz"), Charles L. Granata
("Sounds Of Sinatra: A Conversation with Sid Mark") and yes, even the
Chairman of the Board himself is chosen as one of the
essayists, as Frank's "What's This About Races?" is included
in the batch. Very readable and loose in it's format, the
editor has placed the essays into three sections, but the joy in
reading these missives is their stark variety, their general humor
which leavens the gravity of some of the pieces, and the genuine way in
which the authors connect with the subject matter; these writers
aren't writing just for the sake of writing something clever
and sharp, but for the sheer love of their subject:
Sinatra. Wither it's discussing Frank as a modern
troubadour, or a fine essay which equates music with theology,
or simply an account of attending a Frank Sinatra concert and
writing down the attendant feelings, this is a fun, enlightening read
which might open your eyes to a new understanding of Sinatra's art and
influence. Unfortunately priced at nearly seventy smackers,
this book will best be sought out at your local
library.
Sinatra:
An Annotated
Bibliography, 1939-1998
By
Leonard Mustazza;
Greenwood Press, 312 p.
Released January 30, 1999
"The
duration of Frank Sinatra's fame and the attendant media attention it
received are unprecedented in the annals of popular culture.
His public career began when he joined the Harry James band in June of
1939, and it ended with his final live performance in February of
1995. Even after he retreated from the public eye, media,
critical and scholarly fascination with this extraordinary man did not
end. Between that final performance and his death on May 14,
1998, articles and books continued to proliferate, and the announcement
of his death made worldwide headlines and occasioned literally
thousands of news reports and assessments of his contributions to
American life over the course of some sixty years. Popular
culture has a short memory, and accordingly, the media's interest in
its products is short. Still, Sinatra managed to endure, and
there is not a single year in his six-decade run of fame in which he
was entirely absent from the news. [from the
Preface]
REVIEW: Leonard
Mustazza, at the time of this publication was an associate dean and
professor of English and American Studies and Pennsylvania
State University's Abington College, has put together a fabulous tool
for researches and Sinatraholics who are looking for every scrap of
news that has appeared about the Chairman of the Board. This
annotated bibliography is everything it claims to be - a treasure-trove
of information on everything and anything that has been put
into print on Sinatra for nearly sixty years. Divided neatly
into five sections, the first section deals with books which
have had Sinatra as their main subject - books both large and
small, unimportant and vital - you'll find them listed here,
with author, publisher, year, and a brief synopsis. Section
two then digs deeper, listing books which may contain a chapter or two
about Sinatra, whether it be a book on Jazz, or Film Stars,
or The Rat Pack. The third section devotes itself to
chronicling the nearly uncountable articles on Frank which have
appeared in magazines and newspapers for the past six
decades. Over six-hundred references, all listing title of
article, source it appeared in, date and author. The fourth
section devotes itself completely to liner notes which have
been penned for various album released, such as the Complete Columbia
Recordings, but also many older sources which had special notes penned
for their release. Finally the final section details internet
sources which tackle the subject of Frank, unfortunately, this last
section is much more fluid and unstable as a reference source, and many
of the sites listed are no longer viable, while other
sites (like this one) which have sprung up more recently, will not be
found. Still, this is an invaluable resource for
researchers, but at eighty dollars a pop (the common price
for items like this which are sold mainly to libraries and
universities), it won't be found in many fan's homes. Not for
casual fans, but pure gold for scholars.
Rat
Pack Confidential
By Shawn
Levy;
Doubleday Books, 344 p.
Released July 20, 1999
"The
joint was packed; the rest of the town might as well have been
dark. And for what? A movie, a party, a floating
crap game, a day's work, a hustle, a joke: They'd make
millions and all they had to do was show up, have a good time, pretend
to give a damn, and almost as an afterthought, sing.
Sometimes it seemed like Dean had the right idea: "You wanna hear the
whole song, buy the record..." But there was something in the
music, wasn't there? With the right band and the right
number, it was like flying - and like you could drag everybody up there
with you. So let Dean do jokes, and Sammy - Sammy would start
numbers and they'd stomp all over them and he'd like it. But
when Frank sang, it would be straight. It could be New Year's
Eve, the very stroke of midnight, the middle of Times Square, and he
would stop time, stop their hearts beating, and remind them where the
power was. It was in his voice. It was his.
[pg. 4]
REVIEW: Shawn
Levy has written a poetic, clear-eyed love-letter to that
thickest-of-thieves ensemble, The Rat Pack. Not entirely
swayed by their charms, but not unbeguiled either, Rat Pack
Confidential swaggers along almost like the unseen
sixth member of the pack; full of juiced up tales to tell, yet
in with the joke; the author cannily adopts the language of
the Vegas Five in his narrative, dropping phrases like "Frank
had definitely cleared his marker" and "[Marilyn Monroe] was a walking
embodiment of license and pleasure and furfeit and fun - as desirable
and modish and swank as tail fins and sharkskin" [pg. 255].
There's a cadence to his prose that is as much a pleasure to
read as the events and people he writes about; a romanticized
rhythm that occasionally feels like dancing, rather
than writing - it's a pleasure to read. But it's
also tough and ribald, with enough seedy details to remind the reader
that these weren't no choirboys he's talking about; Frank, Dean, Sammy,
Peter, et al., had friends in high places (the Kennedys) and low (Sam
Giancana), and rubbed shoulders with gangsters on both ends of
the political spectrum. The book's language is often too
salty for me, with profanities turning the pages blue with their smoke,
but that's part of the world Frank walked in, and Mr. Levy doesn't turn
a blind eye to his subject's more off-color comments. He
recounts the group's highs - from their infamous live shows in Vegas,
to their lows, like the cinematic flame-out of Four For Texas,
which wilted in the nations movie theaters; from their racist, bigoted,
and often hysterical stage patter, to the half-hearted sets which were
perfuntory and lifeless, the author recounts it all, sometimes in
scenes that play out like episodes from a broadway show, and ties it
all up the way that we all get tied up in the end - the throat cancer
that silenced Sammy; the personal despair that ate away at Dean after
the death of his son; the slow fade that took Peter Lawford from the
spotlight, the loneliness of the last standing native son:
Sinatra. A book that's expertly written, and well worth
perusal, if only for the pleasure of its charms.
The
Rat Pack: Neon Nights with
the Kings of Cool [First issued as "The Rat Pack: The Hey-Hey Days of
Frank and the Boys"
; Taylor Publishing Company, April 1, 1998] By
Lawrence J. Quirk and William Schoell;
Perennial Currents, 368 p.
Released August 1, 1999
"They
had fun. Loads of it, actually. In between making
hit movies and million-selling records, and sometimes even during their
raucous, anything-goes stage shows, they pursued pleasure like there
was no tomorrow. They surrounded themselves with beautiful
women, celebrities, politicians, actors, singers, songwriters,
gangsters - everybody who was anybody wanted to rub shoulders with the
Pack, to feed off their energy. They influenced dress and
style and music and even social movements. They were the
center of the entertainment universe.
But
that infinite cool hid a dark side: neglected wives and children, ties
to the mafia and corrupt politicians, vicious feuds and betrayals,
rampant alcoholism and drug abuse. [from the front flap]
REVIEW: In
direct contrast to the excellent Rat Pack Confidential
above, Lawrence J. Quirk proves the theorem that for every action there
is an opposite and equal reaction. This is that
reaction. As tepid as the above book is engaging, as flat in
its prose as Levy is poetic, as one-sided and mean as the previous book
is well-rounded, this book is a total rip-off. The reader is
left wondering, 'why write a book on a subject that doesn't interest
you?' as it becomes quickly apparent that the authors of Neon
Nights don't give an olive about the Rat Pack, but are happy
to shell out plain, uninteresting descriptions of the
main players, pulling facts from other sources without embellishment or
style, and are quick to deride every act from Frank, Dean, Sammy and
Peter whether it be their chumminess with the Kennedys or a charity
show put together to benefit men in prison. The authors seem
more intent on insulting and putting down every action with snide
comments, rather than paint a full portrait. The authors
begins the tale by first smearing Humphrey Bogart's affair with Lauren
Bacall; how Sinatra was enamoured by Bogie's high-class circle of
friends and wild nightlife; and how Frank gathered the forces of the
Rat Pack around himself in order to fashion his own "Rat
Pack." Authors Quirk and co-author William Schoell (better
known for writing cheap horror novels) don't bother to find any
psychological or social meaning to the Rat Pack, they simply exploit it
with well-worn recitations of stories told better elsewhere, and lay
the dirt on thick and fast, spewing out tales racial bigotry,
uncorroborated tales of mob influence, weepy accounts of jilted lovers,
and overheated exchanges with power-hungry politicians.
Yecch. This could've been a juicy and grab-you-by-the-throat
account of these swinging hipsters, but due to the inadequacies of the
writers, it reads more like a laundry list. First issued as The Rat
Pack:The Hey-Hey Days of Frank and the Boys, it was retitled for paperback
release. Pass this one by.
The
Frank Sinatra Film Guide
by Daniel O'Brien;
B.T.
Batsford, 224 p.
Released September 1, 1999
"Set
in the fictional town of Parkman, Indiana, [Some Came]
Running offers a relentlessly sour take on humanity, its
characters emerging from their selfish, self-protecting shells only
after one of their number is violently killed. Even
hero/anti-hero Dave Hirsh is often contemptible, squandering his
writing talent in pursuit of unfulfilling low-life seductions, and
treating those who care for him like dirt. ...Running
does contain the odd flaw, the cast being generally superior to the
soap de luxe script. Unable to overcome the harsh truth that
writing is a fundamentally uncinematic activity, the film is more
seriously flawed by its blatant misogyny, ...Dominating the proceedings
from frame one, Sinatra's full-blooded performance coneals most of
Running's faults... [pg. 109]
REVIEW: Although
Frank Sinatra's films have never been the artistic equal of his music,
Frank often was fascinating to watch on film, with his bullet
stare and deeply felt performances amply showing why he was nearly as
successful a film actor as he was a singer. This book is a
marvellous resource and commentary on Frank's wide range of roles, from
his earliest, in Higher and Higher and Step
Lively, to his marvellous musicals with Gene Kelly; from his
cinematic slide which corresponded with his popular hemmorage on the
music charts, to his stunning rebound in From Here To
Eternity, to his final major role in The First
Deadly Sin. The authors shun mention of cameo
appearances, which is fine, since only the most die-hard fans will seek
those out, and focuses upon Frank's starring roles. Full of
behind-the-scenes trivia, wise commentary, and no-holds-barred reviews,
this guide serves as an in-depth examination of Frank's films. Pulling
quotes from people who worked on the films, as well as dishing out the
times when Sinatra was difficult on the set, this book also manages to
paint a portrait of the artist who was a different creature while
filming than he was when recording or performing live. Frank loved how
films could put him in front of a large audience, but wasn't always
careful which projects he chose, and with few exceptions, Frank never
was the craftsman in front of the cameras that he was in the recording
studio. In addition to the main commentary, there are several
appendixes which list movies in which Frank was cast, or had an
interest, but didn't appear in, films in which he has a cameo, and a
final detailed appendix which lists personel for each film. My only big
complaint is that I wish the final appendix had been incorporated into
the main text, since I hate flipping back and forth for information on
each film, but that's just a small nit. Filled with black and white
pics of scenes from each film (including some behind the scenes shots),
this book will be a nice addition to fans who love to see Frank on
film.
Sessions
With Sinatra: Frank
Sinatra and the Art of Recording
by
Charles L. Granata;
Chicago Review Press, 238 p.
Released December 1, 1999
"Although
the oft-repeated story about Sinatra leaving the recording studio in
tears after singing "I'm A Fool To Want You" on the March 27, 1951,
session may be apocryphal... this dramatic performance was no doubt
influenced by the singer's deep personal turmoil. So gripping
a performance is this, replete with fragments of the singer's carefully
guarded reserve of personal anguish, that it vies for position as the
single most devastating recording he has ever made. The
precision with which Sinatra controls his vibrato on these late
Columbia efforts is remarkable, and his vocal dexterity is compellingly
displayed in the sotto voce ending... the ending then builds feverishly
until Sinatra's voice becomes one with the soaring choir that brings
the song to an intense climax. [pgs. 75-76]
REVIEW: An
intensely personal look at Sinatra's recording habits, Mr. Granata
traces Frank's long career which spanned nearly every type of recording
medium, from early cylinders to digital technology, Sinatra embraced
every improvement in recording technology which came along. He was one
of the first vocalists to understand and exploit the qualities of the
microphone in singing live. And the author had the rare
opportunity of hearing many of these recordings from the original
session tapes, enabling him to experience "you-are-there" fidelity, and
hear first-hand how Sinatra produced himself in the studio. While not
as thorough as Will Friedwald's book above in it's examination of
Frank's output, Charles Granata's account of Frank's recordings are
more emotionally rewarding for the reader, as
he chooses touchstone moments from Frank's recordings as
examples of how Sinatra chose the right songs, the right arrangers, and
the right engineers to maximize each recording. He draws on
several first-hand accounts and interviews with professionals involved
in the recordings to explain how they were able to achieve the
fidelilty in evidence on each song. So, while the
writing occasionally gets technical with details about which
microphones, mixers, tapes or other specific elements were used on
certain songs, this is far from a dry exposition
of recording techniques. Mr. Granata contantly
brings in the emotional equation to the songs, trying
to explain the how and why a certain song affects the listener
the way it does. He discusses the
arrangements, and how Nelson Riddle could color a chart a certain way
in order to emphasize a mood, or bring in a section of the orchestra
to change the feel of the
lyric. The author carefully notes how Sinatra would
play with a lyric, leaning on a note or slurring a tempo in order to
bring out a meaning which otherwise would've stayed
hidden. One of the finest book on Sinatra's art to
be written, and essential reading for those who love his
music.
Sinatra
- Night and Day: The
Man and the Music
By Fred Dellar and Mal
Peachey;
Chameleon Books (UK) 1997; Carlton Books, Ltd. (US),
142 p.
Released March 6, 2000
"It
always felt good to be back among his people. Frank was at
home with Skinny and his wiseguy pals. There were even made
guys here. Back in New York in the early days, Frank had
watched with awe, the respect handed out to the men with big rings and
fancy clothes. back then they dismissed the little runt with
clothes too big and a mouth to match. Now here they were, in
the 500, watching intently as he, Francis Albert, swung his way through
That Old Black Magic, Birth Of The Blues and a co uple of numbers he
was planning to record in November, Cole Porter's I Get A Kick Out Of
You and George and Ira Gershwin's They Can't Take That Away From
Me. Frank held on to some old stuff for live work, things
like Tenderly and Ol' Man River, but he was starting to create a new
set out of songs he wanted to record, or just had. He mixed
up the swingin' numbers with ballads." [pg. 50]
REVIEW: Yet
another
coffee-table book (I swear, Sinatra has more of these than the
Louvre), with a handsome layout filled with great photographs, and a
fine year-by-year chronological narrative, which is severely undercut
by the sophmoric writing, which self-consciously attempts to cast
itself as the long-lost sixth member of the Rat Pack. First,
the good stuff: I really like the way this book maps itself out -
devoting a couple of columns of text to each year of Sinatra's
professional career, with glossy paper showing off to best effect the
black and white (which gradually begin to include color) photographs
appropriate to each era; and color reproductions of all of his album
covers, also in chronological order, and serving as iconographic tags
for each 'chapter' as it were. It's a very nice book to look
at, from the striking cover image, which cleverly includes the authors'
names in the marquee, to the nicely spaced text.
Unfortunately, the book is saddled with a text which swings
nauseatingly between broad generalizations and fey attempts at
mimicking Sinatra's natural slang. On the fly-leaf, the
author's biography claims that Fred Dellar is 'one of the most
respected music writers in Britain' as has written for NME,
Melody Maker and Vox,
as well as a contributing writer to Mojo; but in
my estimation, it sounds like he making it all up as he goes
along. The textual slang, which is either an
affectation of Sinatra's, or his own, permeates the tone of the book,
and is extraordinarily distracting, even laughable at times, as he
describes the executives at Capitol Records as 'smooth Joes'
or slithering out a sentence like, "...his voice sounded young
again. He was gliding like Tommy's 'bone, holding on to notes
clearly, no wavering. The omens were good." [pg.
46] Whew! There's a fine line between carving out
your own styllistic nitch and leaping off the cliff into self-parody,
and these authors clearly took the plunge. Still, it's an
interesting book, and perhaps your stomach is stronger than mine when
it comes to overheated prose - check out your used and imported book
sellers for this title.
Put
Your Dreams Away: A Frank
Sinatra Discography
By
Luiz Carlos do Nascimento Silva;
Greenwood Press, 640 p.
Released March 30, 2000
"The
recordings of radio programs and of live shows deserve a separate
volume of their own. I have included some that have been
issued as V-Discs or by the official labels (and some labels that at
least have an address) or are ready to be issued, maybe even before
this book is published. In some cases, I have left space for
inclusion, by the collector, of the catalog number for issues that are
being currently prepared. These recordings, however, must be
considered as "bonus tracks", since I list only the tracks issued, not
the whole programs. You will also find some dates that are
different from the ones given in the notes that come with the records,
but I believe the ones I give are the correct ones."
[from the Introduction, pg. xi]
REVIEW: Greenwood
Press, the premiere publisher of reference books concerning Frank
Sinatra, released this thick tome by Mr. Silva which can only be
described as a labor of love. The author claims in the introduction
that this book was actually begun back in 1957, which he was a writer
for a Brazillian monthly magazine, and the creation of which literally
spanned decades of his life. Put Your Dreams Away compiles in
loving detail literally every known recording Frank Sintra ever
undertook, from a 1939 private demo disc which Sinatra recorded with
the Frank Mane Orchestra (where he sang "Our Love", based on the theme
from Romeo and Juliet), to the final Duets
sessions in May of 1994 - this book lists them all. More of a
sessionography than a discography, though it serves both purposes
equally well, each session is listed chronologically with notes on who
played on each session (names and instruments) the studios the sessions
were held at, songs recorded at the sessions, both partial and
complete; the composers/lyricists, arrangers, used takes (if known),
and finally where the finished songs can be found, both LP numbers and
CDs. Also, the author includes several notes for sessions
where there may be discrepancies or where there is missing/lost
data. It's mind boggling the sheer amount of information
here, and if this book were made available generally at a reasonable
price (right now it retails for over a hundred dollars - no wonder so
many Universities are falling into the red), it would be a necessary
for lots of Sinatra fans. Mr. Silva deserves a medal for
putting so much time, effort and love into this book, which is easily
one of the best reference books for Sinatra scholars ever produced.
The
Sinatra Files: The Secret
FBI Dossier
By Tom Kintz and Phil Kuntz,
Editors;
Three Rivers Press, 269 p.
Released June 6, 2000
"On
1/30/46 GERALD L.K. SMITH testified before the HUAC Committee, which
was headed by Honoroable JOHN W. WOOD, Chairman. Page 17,
paragraph 1, of this testimony contained a petition filed with the
committee by SMITH. This petition was entitled, "A Petition
for Redress of Grievances and for an Investigation into Promoted
Terrorisim, Denial of Civil Liberty, Conspiracy Against Freedom,
Organized Character Asasssination, Corrupt Practice, Organized Rioting,
etc." The part of SMITH's petition pertaining to SINATRA is
quoted as follows:
"I petition this committee of Congress to investigate the activities of
FRANK SINATRA who, on the surface seems to be just a highly paid
emaciated crooner, but who recently gave support to a meeting of the
American Youth for Democracy which held an elaborate banquet at the
Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles adn which organization was recently
branded by J.EDGAR HOOVER as the successor to the Young Communist
League and one of the most dangerous outfits in the nation."
[pg. 54-55]
REVIEW: Depending
on how you look at it, this book is either a ridiculous
exercise in govenmental prying, or a chilling reminder of how easily
our civil liberties can be wrested from us. What The
Sinatra Files really is however, is a bone-dry exhumation of
hundreds of official government reports on Sinatra's supposed Communist
and organized crime connections over the span of decades, all wrapped
up in a cover depicting Frank's one and only mug shot, taken when he
was arrested on a morality charge early in his life. In fact,
the cover is easily the best selling point of this book, since the text
inside consists of official reports, interviews, letters, and official
minutes, many of which have large sections blacked out for security
concerns. You get a pretty good sense of the hysteria
involved in the passage quoted above - a just-the-facts recitation of
what the petition is about, followed by a direct quote which laughably
describes Frank as a 'highly paid emaciated crooner' who's cow-towing
up to a local youth group. It's a telling time-capsule of the
communist hysteria of the time, which quickly erupted in post-World War
II America into the cold war and the McCarthy witch hunts.
The editors do a very good job of explaining in italicized scripts what
each document entails, and putting each one into historical context,
but even they can't make this deluge of documents compulsory reading -
it's like trying to wade through the tax code. Later on,
Sinatra was heavily investigated due to his chumminess with the
Kennedys and other presidents, and because of his associations with
organized crime figures, especially Sam Giancana. What the
government never seemed to quite 'get' was that Frank was a powerful
figure, and he was drawn to similar people, he had no specific
interests in communism or organized crime; only power and influence,
and the inability of the FBI to pin anything specific onto Sinatra
becomes readily apparent through the mountain of paperwork devoted to
his activities, all leading to a big, fat nothing. This is an
intruiguing subject, but it's hardly engrossing reading - If you're
intrigued, I would suggest checking it out from your local
library before committing cold, hard cash to it.
The
Importance Of Frank Sinatra (September 1, 2000)
By Adam
Woog;
Lucent Books, 112 p.
"What
made him so special? ...It was, first and foremost the voice.
In an era before television made visual images all important, the
quality of a singer's voice was crucial. The words of a song
heard on the radio or a record evoked powerful, private images from the
listener's imagination. Sinatra's elegant long phrasing,
subtle sense of rhythm, and perfect diction made every word clear as a
bell, and he sang with such conviction that his fans had no trouble
believing in him. ...Sinatra recognized the importance of visual
impact, and he turned himself into a master dramatist. Each
song became a mini-drama, a complete story. Since the songs
he sang were generally ones... which touched him personally, he was
able to convincingly convey their emotional power." [pg
38]
REVIEW: Although
this slim book is primarily aimed at children ages twelve to sixteen,
it makes an ideal introduction for anyone wanting a clear-eyed,
unbiased, and brief overview of Sinatra's life and impact.
The author, Adam Woog, masterfully chooses first-hand accounts from
close friends and Sinatra himself, to illustrate his narrative, which
artfully balances Sinatra's art, and his life, in a manner that other,
more densely-written bios fail to accomplish. Part of its
success must lie in the fact that it's written for children, and is
part of a series of biographies written for educational
purposes. Because the series' goal is to educate, rather than
deify or villify, the true pattern of Sinatra's life and importance
come shining through. The author's list of books
cited as sources is impressive for such a short work, and although some
of the less savory biographies are cited, their influence isn't the
prevalent flavor; and a wide range of both pro- and con- sources were
synthesized to make this remarkably balanced book. Primarily
chronological is format, the book takes the time to analyze Sinatra's
influences, his childhood, his breakthrough with the Hoboken Four, his
initiation with Harry James and flowering with Tommy Dorsey; his swift
rise into fame, his affair and marriage to Ava Gardner, and his decline
from fortune, and his remarkable rebound and lasting popularity and
finally his death. It takes the time to analyze his success
with different arrangers, his film career, and peeks at friends and
associates surrounding Sinatra. Peppered throughout the book
are quotations from friends, associates and family, as well as Frank
himself, lending credulence to each era of Frank's life, as well as a
fine selection of black and white photographs appropriate to each
period. I don't think I can overstate how impressed I was with the
even-handedness of this book. In my eyes, it would serve as an ideal
templet for the perfect Frank Sinatra bio. The only downside I can see
is that the writing is dry, but well-suited to it's purpose and
audience, and after having read so many biographies which lean heavily
on one aspect or another of Frank's life, this book was like a breath
of fresh air. Highly recommended.
My
Father's Daughter: A Memoir
By Tina Sinatra with Jeff
Coplon;
Simon & Schuster, 313 p.
Released October 10, 2000
"As
Kirk [Douglas] and I chatted, a tall, reedy, silver-haired man came out
and approached us. It was Sidney Korshak, the legendary (and
absolutely charming) attorney who'd cut his teeth with Al Capone, a man
who could fix the bitterest labor dispute. Sidney had a
unique perspective on the day's big event. He'd once courted
my mother, in the late fifites, before marrying Bea Korshak, Barbara's
matron of honor. He knew Dad's new bride better than any of
us. After settling into the next chaise lounge, Sidney
retrieved a black Flair pen from his breast pocket and handed it to
me. "Keep this as a memento," he said amiably. "It
just saved you a lot of money and
aggrivation." Kirk and I traded quizzical glances.
"I don't get it," I said. It was the pen, Sidney explained,
that Dad and Barbara had just used to sign their prenuptial
aggreement. Just in time to seal the deal. [pg.
158]
REVIEW: A
lot of fans had high hopes for this memoir from Frank's second
daughter, Tina. The expectations were, if anyone could
provide new insight into Sinatra's character, it would be one of his
children, right? The bubble popped in a big way with this
dully-written, self-absorbed memoir, which seems more
concerned with name-dropping and reiterating tired cliche's than with
giving a thorough, nuanced portrait of the greatest entertainer and
fascinating character of the twentieth century. Tina
quickly rips through Frank's early years and career, barely touching
his time with Dorsey, his marriage to Nancy, his commercial
ups and downs, and flings with torchy celebrities.
Instead, she quickly gets all that out of
the way so she can concentrate on her real reason for
writing this book: a barely-concealed attack on her
mother-in-law, Barbara Sinatra. She writes vitrolically of
her suspicions, heated encounters and snubs from her new in-law,
and disparages her influence on Sinatra from the
moment she arrives in the narrative. Her mother, Nancy,
appears as the patron saint of ex-wives, lacking only wings and a
halo to complete the celestial portrait the author grants her
mother. But not content to merely be a thinly-veiled
offensive against Barbara, Tina also decides that this book is
the ideal forum to list the vast catalogue of famous people
she has met. Barely a page goes by
in which the readers aren't introduced to Dinah
Shore, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, James Darren, Jack
Benny, Joe E. Lewis, Mia Farrow, Jackie Gleason, etc., etc., ad
nauseum. And Tina's vapid descriptions of these personalities
rarely rises above the level of "cool" or "exciting." It
quickly becomes apparent that Tina's only agenda with this book
is the character assasination of any of Frank's wives who
isn't her mother, and the painfully elongated hospital
scenes of Frank's during his later years is shamefully used as
a platform for Tina's writing-with-blinders-on
approach. A pathetic, green-eyed monster of a book, which
should never have seen the light of day.
