On May 14, 1998, the legendary singer, actor and show-business icon Frank Sinatra dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles, at the age of 82.
Sinatra emerged from an Italian-American family in Hoboken, New Jersey, to become the first modern superstar of popular music, with an entertainment career that spanned more than five decades. In the first incarnation of his singing career, he was a master of the romantic ballads popular during World War II. After his appeal began to wane in the late 1940s, Sinatra reinvented himself as a suave swinger with a rougher, world-weary singing style, and began a spectacular comeback in the 1950s.
In addition to his great musical success, Sinatra appeared in 58 films; one of his earliest was Anchors Aweigh (1945). Playing a cocky Italian-American soldier who meets a violent death in From Here to Eternity (1953), co-starring Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift, Sinatra won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His film career flourished after that, as he starred as Nathan Detroit in the movie musical Guys and Dolls (1955) and played a heroin addict in The Man With the Golden Arm (1955), for which he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor. He also starred in the musicals High Society (1956) and Pal Joey (1957) and turned in a memorable performance as an Army investigator in the acclaimed film The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
By the late 1950s, Sinatra had become the epitome of show-business success and glamorous, rough-edged masculinity. He even headed up his own entourage, known as the Rat Pack, which included Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. The group had originally formed around Humphrey Bogart, who died in 1957. The Rat Pack first appeared together on the big screen in 1960’s casino caper Ocean’s Eleven. They would go on to make Sergeant’s Three (1962), Four for Texas (1963) and Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964). Onscreen and in real life, the Pack’s famous stomping grounds included Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York (notably the Copacabana Club).
Sinatra worked steadily in film throughout the 1960s, though many of his performances seemed almost perfunctory. His last major Hollywood role came in 1980’s The First Deadly Sin. A famous heartthrob, Sinatra married four times, divorcing his longtime sweetheart Nancy Barbato after a decade and three children (Nancy, Frank Jr. and Christina) to marry the actress Ava Gardner in 1951. Their marriage lasted less than two years, and in 1966 Sinatra married the 21-year-old actress Mia Farrow, 30 years his junior; they were divorced in 1968. In 1976, he married Barbara Blakely Marx (the former wife of Zeppo Marx), and they remained together until his death.
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Can’t help but also notice how healthy, thin and clean people were back then. I’ve seen old videos of just everyday life on city streets and nary a fatty or slob among them.
My Dad, a WWII vet, always called Frankie Mr. 4-F.
Mine too…and John Wayne.
Wayne had one lung, he wasn’t going any to any war anywhere.
He lost it in the 1960’s, not WW2.
John Wayne Dodged the Draft in WWII, But These 6 Movie Greats Did Not
https://coffeeordie.com/john-wayne-dodged-the-draft/
Look, born in 1949 I grew up on John Wayne and Frank Sinatra movies…and a lot of other rah…rah…rah red/white & blue brainwashed bullshit.
Besides the fact WE ALL HAVE been living mostly rah…rah…rah red/white & blue bullshit TRUMAN lives (whether realized or not)…these two ‘STARS’ lived in a time that wasn’t known by 99.9% of Americans…compared to probable 10% to 15% that know it now…and probably 85% of regular posters here.
That said they both not only dodged any risk at all at that time of perceived national survival (yea, Pearl Harbor was a set up) here is the kicker…they both made movie after movie after movie portraying men who risked it all for their country…when both actually cut and hid until it was safe…and nothing of real consequence would be asked or expected from them.
Yea, WAR IS A RACKET…but this two played heroes who really were just good at dodge ball, swagger, and pretending to be a type of man they really weren’t.
Shit, my wife’s dirt poor West Texas grandfather had 6 kids in 1943, was drafted and went off to war without even trying to take a dodge.
He was irreplaceable.
Frank was great, but he preformed in public WAAAAY past his prime, like Elvis and kind of tarnished his legacy.
Wasn’t a character in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” based on him?
He most definitely had some mob affiliations.
Here’s a picture of when he was arrested at 23, I’m not sure what for.
This mug shot picture was hanging on the wall in the “Bada Bing” office in The Sopranos HBO series, right next to Al Capone.
Sinatra gave millions of people like me hopes & dreams of becoming fabulously rich.
Was he a great actor? He was OK but absolutely not “great”. Did he have a world class voice? Hardly. Every song he sings sounds mostly the same.
Saint Frank, patron saint of mediocrity. I still have a shot, baby!!
His voice was instantly recognizable, world wide.
That was hard to do back then and even harder now.
IMHO, Nat King Cole had the most beautiful male singing voice of all time.
Good points. A couple other “instantly recognizable” voices;
Johnny Cash
Rod Stewart
Elvis
Dolly
Cher (sorry, but true)
Chris Kläfford
Chris Kläfford
Don’t forget Bob Dylan (I personally can’t stand his voice).
Song writer …oh hell yes….voice? GAG
Kind of like Bruce Springsteen.
I always liked John Prine ( the poor man’s Dylan) may he RIP.
Neal Young….we could go on and on and on and on……………….
Neil Young.. Unforgettable.
HAHAHAHA!
Axyl Rose
Pat Benatar
Grace Slick
I enjoyed Lou Rawls. I always thought he had an exceptional voice and range.
Plainfield…Sinatra did a good job acting in:
Sinatra and his peer “entertained” back then. Today’s so-called entertainers project on to the audience what they are directed to. Plain and simple….it’s in the terms and conditions of the contract.
riposare a pezzi mio vecchio amico
The Chairman Of The Board was a legendary voice.
Not arguable.