[dads]

Great documentary on an incredible figure in history. I just got through Part 1, and I'm blown away, and Part 2 is supposed to be where it actually gets good. Quite a few lessons to learn from how he lived his life, and him talking about hitting rock bottom but still working through to get back on top is particularly enlightening. Also, what I feel is a classic red pill line when his wife discovers evidence of his infidelity. A must watch for everyone.

[YossariansRight]

Yes, well worth the watch. Between Elvis and The Beatles, Frank kinda gets overshadowed in some circles in terms of his impact on pop culture and society overall. What stands out to me though is that Frank was here before either of those 2 acts and outlasted both of them by decades.

Nancy Barbato, Frank's first wife is still alive; she's 97 years old. I think she's the best looking of Frank's 4 wives, and that includes Ava Gardener. Frank's 4th and last wife, Barbara wasn't mentioned at all in the show.

But he was a force. Frank's the man.

[Lion of Judah]

I'm a Sinatra fan so I'll look it up.

Where did you find it, by the way?

[YossariansRight]

^^It's on HBO. 2 parts to it.

http://m.hbo.com/documentaries/sinatra-a...ng-at-all/

[iknowexactly]

I actually have a personal tale to tell.This would be about 35 years ago when I was in my teens.

My late father owned and managed a restaurant in the Hamptons in NY and Frank Sinatra and entourage came in one night and ate there.

Naturally my father was attentive to the star, my father had grown up in NY, was Italian, and was a music fan.

At one point during the dinner Sinatra asked my father "How many people work here?"

My father answered about 30.

Sinatra turned to an assistant and said something to the effect of "Give him[my father] $600, everybody gets a 20$ tip."

This was personally related to me by my father, who was never a bullshitter.

[Horus]

I don't wish to derail the thread, but while I was looking for a link to this documentary I found this clip of Sinatra. At the 1:00 mark there is the most profoundly beautiful advertisement for women.

Quote:

I'm not a pretty woman. I never have been. But I have nice legs. And I make the most of them by wearing my skirt short.

My God, the world would be a better place if our women conformed to these archaic standards while Sinatra sang in the background.

[Akula]

Love Sinatra. BTW he was 50 or so when he married 19-year old Mia Farrow so respect. The stories from his days in the Rat Pack are legendary. Must have been a pretty cool time to live.

[Tokyo Joe]

(05-09-2015 04:24 AM)dads Wrote:  

Great documentary on an incredible figure in history. I just got through Part 1, and I'm blown away, and Part 2 is supposed to be where it actually gets good. Quite a few lessons to learn from how he lived his life, and him talking about hitting rock bottom but still working through to get back on top is particularly enlightening. Also, what I feel is a classic red pill line when his wife discovers evidence of his infidelity. A must watch for everyone.

dads: Thank you for pointing this documentary out. Sinatra is one of my favorite human beings of the 20th century. I'm definitely going to check this out.

A couple of quick comments on Sinatra, for whatever they may be worth:

Setting aside for now his epoch-making music, I think he is one of the most underrated actors out there. Everyone knows his portrayal of Maggio in From Here to Eternity (1953), for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but how many of you have seen these flicks featuring his outstanding performances?

-- Pal Joey (1957). If you ever find yourself in a listless funk this screen adaptation of the old musical might do the trick and snap you out of it.
-- Never So Few (1959). A surprisingly hard-minded WW2 film about American/British commandos fighting the Japanese in northern Burma alongside the native Kachin. The relationship between Sinatra's Capt. Tom Reynolds from Indianapolis and his Brit comrade Capt. Danny DeMortimer is a thing of beauty. (As all too often happens, the introduction of the female character -- played here by Gina Lollobrigida -- takes the movie down a half-notch, but still.)
-- Von Ryan's Express (1965). A very cool WW2 action flick in which Frankie plays Colonel Joseph L. Ryan, an American flyer shot down over Italy, leading to [SPOILERS REDACTED].

Sinatra's last ever major appearance on screen was in Season 7 Episode 18 ("Laura," Feb 1987) of Magnum, P.I. He plays recently retired NYC detective Michael Doheny, who flies to Hawaii for vengeance. The aging face of Frank Sinatra is perfect for this dark and memorable piece of 1980s culture. I think you can find this available for free viewing online.

***
It's too hard to pick a single favorite album from among all the masterpieces, but my choice for best live performance recording is Frank Sinatra with the Red Norvo Quintet: Live in Australia, 1959 (released by Blue Note in 1997). This is Sinatra at or very near his absolute peak, doing a collection of his best songs with a great jazzy flavor. Added Bonus: Sinatra's spoken intros and witty banter with the audience. I heartily recommend that Sinatra lovers check it out if you haven't already.