Frank Sinatra in Hollywood by Tom Santopietro

 



Frank Sinatra in Hollywood by Tom Santopietro 



Frank Sinatra ended up becoming one of the most respected actors of the 50s and 60s, including winning an academy award. Before all that Frankie was a sex symbol for the young teen girls across the land. These girls became collectively known as bobbysoxers.  But this book skips all that and deals with his time in Hollywood and talks of his rise to movie greatness. 


Tom Santopietro dives deep not only into the movies he starred in but also into some of the motivations behind his movie choices and his acting choices.


If you know anything about Frank Sinatra you know that he hung out with other famous people and the group was called the Rat Pack - sure everyone knows of the Rat Pack


So the Rat Pack made a good movie. Then they made a bunch of movies. Too many movies for their own good.  “Ocean’s Eleven” is the best of the Rat Pack bunch but there is some fun to be had in the others. Sergeants 3 is a whole lot of fun if you ignore all that is wrong with it, and there is a whole lot wrong with it. “4 For Texas” features Ursula Andress. Ms. Andress is always watchable.


 Actor  Peter Lawford was a part of the pack but lost his position in an odd falling out with Sinatra that had to do with future president John Kennedy. Lawford was replaced by Bing Crosby in the almost musical “Robin and the 7 Hoods”.


There were always rumors swirling around Sinatra and his potential ties to the mafia. Santopietro does address and seems to put the issue to bed. Sinatra didn’t have any real involvement with the mob and regretted that his name had ever been associated with such people.


Sinatra did turn in some great performances in movies that had nothing to do with the Rat Pack. Interested? Check out “ The Man with the Golden Arm”, or “ The Manchurian Candidate” either of which could have won the academy award in their years.


There have been a number of books on Frank Sinatra and some of them, like this one, throw in so much detail and it will end up making their audience smaller. 


If you truly want crazy detail on Sinatra and his Hollywood years then, sure, this is for you. Otherwise, it could be a snooze fest. Read a shorter, snappier biography of Frank Sinatra.

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