CBS NEWS SPECIAL: SINATRA (TV)
Summary
A news special about the life and appeal of singer Frank Sinatra.
Sinatra, enjoying immense popularity, discusses the appeal of “crooners” and their ilk. In his 25-year career he has recorded over a thousand songs and earned millions of dollars with Capital, Reprise, and Columbia Records. Footage is shown of one of Sinatra’s recording sessions with Reprise, recording the song “It Was a Very Good Year,” among others. He discusses the relationship between “crooners” and “singers,” and how the former evolved into the latter in a sense. It is noted that Sinatra is considered a perfectionist both in terms of his singing and of the composition of his albums and song structure. Sinatra discusses his upbringing, describing his childhood neighborhood as a “semi-slum area” prone to some of the violence permeating the 1920’s and 1930’s. Sinatra’s rise to fame was marked by several personal problems, including his troubled marriages and divorces to Nancy Sinatra and Ava Gardner and a number of financial and personal difficulties. In addition to his prolific singing career, Sinatra started appearing in films, starting with 1953’s “From Here to Eternity,” earning him his first Academy Award.
His fame has also fueled scrutiny into his personal life from the public and especially the press. Sinatra says that he is undaunted by such criticism, and also notes that he has tried to acquire patience as he grows older, denying most accusations against him concerning his physical violence against newspaper reporters. In 1963 the state of Nevada publicly asked Sinatra to disassociate with any gambling casinos in that state, spurred by speculation of Sinatra’s relationship with mobsters and other criminals. He claims that he used to be involved with such people during the construction of his hotel in Las Vegas and does not appreciate the media’s accusations against him. Controversy also surrounded Sinatra for the public support he gave to John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, as some believed that he and his associates had enormous levels of influence on him and his family. He makes comments about his often adversarial relationship with the press and their misconceptions about him.
His daughter, Nancy Sandra Sinatra, is interviewed and says that his more altruistic or philanthropic work rarely comes up in the press as often as his more violent episodes. Singer Bing Crosby also comments on Sinatra, calling him a more “demonstrative” individual. Sinatra believes that he has a certain indefinable responsibility towards his fans, and is constantly working on music even in the midst of other projects, hoping to make his performance seem effortless. Sinatra visits Lorton Penitentiary in Lorton, Virginia to perform for the inmates at the request of the prison chaplain, accompanied by his entire band. In New York City he visits the nightclub Jilly’s and schmoozes with the other customers; he also meets both his ex-wife Nancy and his daughter Nancy there, as well as Sammy Davis Jr. Later he is driving around with Davis and Dean Martin in St. Louis preparing to perform at a charity benefit concert. Backstage he shares a lighthearted conversation with Davis, Martin, and Count Basie. Sinatra goes onstage, introduced by Johnny Carson, and performs a set of songs, received enthusiastically by the audience. He also does a routine with Davis and Martin, received equally well. Author Leo Rosten discusses the appeal of Sinatra and his fellow performers and their status as “stars.” He also notes that Sinatra occasionally has moments of vulnerability stemming from his fame and talks about the qualities which make him unique. Sinatra concludes by stating how he would like to be remembered. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 17, 1965 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:44
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:83398
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Specials; Music
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1965
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Don Hewitt … Executive Producer
- David Buksbaum … Associate Producer
- Andrew A. Rooney (See also: Andy Rooney) … Writer
- Walter Cronkite … Narrator, Reporter
- Frank Sinatra … Interviewee
- Bing Crosby … Interviewee
- Nancy Sandra Sinatra … Interviewee
- Leo Rosten … Interviewee
- Count Basie
- Johnny Carson
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Ava Gardner
- John F. Kennedy
- Dean Martin
- Nancy Barbato Sinatra