The television is full of tribute programs to
Frank Sinatra on what would have been his 100th birthday and
although I am up to my eyes on packing for another trip, I feel I must add my
two cents worth.
I recently watched his first movie at MGM, Anchors
Aweigh (1945) and Robert Osborne commented that Frank credits Gene
Kelly with teaching him how to act in front of the camera, in addition to
teaching him how to dance. Thought that
was nice because I know Gene had always credited Judy Garland as helping him on
his first movie For me and My gal
(1942). Gene had the biggest part in his movie but, this 13 year old girl was
attracted to the shy sailor following his more sophisticated friend on
adventures ashore. I was touched when he sang, “What Makes the Sunset” at a restaurant
table but when he sang, “I fall in Love too Easily” I ‘fell in love’ – me and
millions of other teenage girls all over the globe who saw his movies or heard
his recordings.
If I were asked to rank my favorite performers
on a scale from 0 – 100%. Judy Garland would be ranked at 150%, Frank at 125%
and Ella Fitzgerald at 120%. If I could have sang I would have liked to sound
like Ella. We were lucky in England to have the BBC radio who were determined
we would be exposed to all sorts of music. Apart from classical music they played,
in addition to Pop music all the great jazz performers of the age and of the
1920s. We heard Fats Domino, Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Modern Jazz
Quintet; in addition to the more well-known Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis
Armstrong and all the big swing bands. I loved all the girl jazz sings and Bill
Eckstine. When interviewed many British musical performers refer to this time
when they heard all the great American performers on the BBC radio.
Judy and Frank never played opposite each
other in a movie but they appeared on many radio programs together and were
very good friends. Frank admired Judy and was always there to help and guide
her in any way he could. In fact, it was at his suggestion that she started
recording at Capitol records. We learn about his first recording at Capitol from
the James Kaplan book on Sinatra (2010). As Frank sang “get the string around my fin-ger'' the brass kicked – Bang - and the band was cooking. Frank was smiling as
he sang, Afterwards he asked who made
the arrangement, “Nelson Riddle” says Alan Dell “Beautiful” said Frank. (p.616) this started
their collaboration. Nelson Riddle did one of the first Capitol recordings with
Judy called Judy.
When considering Sinatra’s body of work, we
must not be distracted by his sometimes-volatile private life. His body of film
work is more than impressive, we all know his dramatic roles, From Here to Eternity, The Detective, Man
with a Golden Arm in addition to the musical comedies, Guys and Dolls, The Tender Trap, Ocean’s Eleven and High Society. This work shows his intelligence
and determination. TCM were showing his movies recently and one I had not seen
before was called The first deadly sin (1980) and Frank would have been around 66
years old then. He plays a near retirement serious New York Police Sargent,
Delaney, with a difficult case and ailing wife. There is one 3 or 4 minute scene
when he comes home to an empty house after a particularly difficult day of
police work and a visit to the hospital to see his sick wife. We hear the key
in the lock, the cat murmurs hello and Delaney, says “Hello Rocky.” He puts a
bag of groceries on the counter, takes his overcoat off and puts on a chair,
then his jacket, loosens his tie, goes over, and turns radio on and lights a
cigarette. He walks over to the desk glances at the mail and throws it down
with disinterest. He wanders around the empty apartment, goes over and touch his wife’s a half finished painting. He drifts around the
apartment, turns the lights off and goes upstairs. This scene of utter
loneliness was worth an academy award on its own. Of course, the strings of the
Gordon Jenkins orchestra helped. Roger Edens said in the Chicago Sun-Times. “Who
would have thought, in all honestly, that Frank Sinatra still had this
performance in him?”
The last time I saw Frank perform was at the
Circle Star Theater in the Bay area. I’d taken my pre-teen children because I
felt it was important that they see and witness this giant of the entertainment
business. We also saw Sammy Davis Jr. there. I had seen them both years earlier
at the Palladium, in the 1950s.
A very mellow and kindly Frank came down the
aisle at the Circle Star Theater that night greeting his admirers, with a big
smile and accepting their gifts of flowers and Jack Daniels whiskey. This was a
very happy and contented time of his life.
Thank you Francis Sinatra for all the pleasure
you have given us through the years. Thankfully we have the movies and
recordings.
No comments:
Post a Comment