PREVIOUSLY: In November 1965, a CBS television film crew, including Walter Cronkite and Don Hewitt, spent six weeks with Sinatra. The footage was used in a program about the entertainer (called Sinatra), and was reused in May 1998, the week after he died, for a 48 Hours special called "Sinatra: Living With the Legend."
Here is part three of my "coverage," with part one being the recording of "It Was a Very Good Year," and part two primarily a history lesson on Sinatra from 1942-1965. This part of the CBS program focused on a typical few days in the public life of Sinatra.
It opens with a song rehearsal 
Frank, best pally Jilly Rizzo, and a meaty bodyguard, discussing with incredulity, how a $1,300,000 turbo-prop could only seat eight as they prepare to board Sinatra's Lear Jet, Christina II (named after his second daughter).
Is my idea of nothin' to do!
According to the Cronkite narration, that particular flight was going to Washington, D.C., where he was performing, for some reason, at Lorden Penitentiary with Count Basie and Orchestra. Sinatra's conductor for that strange "gig" was his baton waver of choice at the moment, Quincy Jones, whom he called "Q".
I can't help but think that particular audience would have far preferred a performance from someone like James Brown to Sinatra.
There would have been no better way for Sinatra to unwind after something like that than to hang out at his favorite place, Jilly's.
Cronkite: If it's in to go to Jilly's, you can't get much more "in" than to be invited to Sinatra's table. It's the one in back, near the kitchen door, up against the air conditioner. And if you're ever invited, don't take the old, imitation leather arm chair--it's reserved for Frank. When Frank isn't in town, Jilly puts it away.
Nancy is obviously not yet "famous," because Sinatra is having to introduce her to someone in this shot.
Soupy Sales's (looking rather forlorn) presence must have been the catalyst for the discussion we see between Frank and Sammy Davis, Jr. about pie throwing.
Finally, the CBS footage ends with scenes from a benefit concert the Rat Pack (with Johnny Carson filling in for Joey Bishop) did in support of Dismas Halfway House (named after Father Dismas Clark, the "Hoodlum Priest") in St. Louis.
"Ladies and gentleman, on behalf of Dismas House, I present our hoodlum singer."
Cronkite: In a grown-up's world he was a teenager's idol. Today, in a teenager's world, he's a grown-up's idol...
Nancy, decked out backstage in the latest Carnaby Street fashion, sweetly sings along with "Pop."
Jilly's
5 comments:
Ooooh -- good call on the Liza-Britney connection!
Lisa
The song he's rehearsing with Bill Miller is "Anema Core." Around that time Sinatra was going to record an album of Italian songs, but he couldn't speak a word of Italian, so he gave it up.
Thank you, charley. It's always nice to get compliments!
And I thought I just had Britney Spears on the brain, Lisa. There is a slight resemblance, isn't there!?
"Anema Core"! Thanks. I Googled the lyric I could understand, ("A heaven, mine and yours...") to no avail. Good ear. I'm adding your comment to the post.
Showbiz Al's Love Machine wants to hang at Jilly's. Currently building a time machine.
Nice article, good attention to detail, Charley. I'm a "second-generation" Sinatra fan. I've got a huge collection of his things including matches & glasses from Christina 2 & a jacket from Christina 1 (his yacht) also named after Frank's daughter, Tina. I love the piece, but I do differ on one point, that the inmates didn't dig the band. They weren't all young guys & Count Basie with Q as the conductor was the hardest swinging jazz band on the planet. You can see the people clapping & stomping in time. Frank was the only white guy performing, so it wasn't like Bing Crosby or Pat Boone with generic accompaniment trying to be hip. I saw the original Sinatra special with Walter Cronkite when it aired (I was about 6) and later always wondered what song Frank & Bill Miller (Suntan Charlie) were rehearsing. Great catch on that. If you look closely there are a few old-time showbiz guys at Jilly's. I think Allan King. Frank, of course, is sitting between his daughters Nancy Jr. & his youngest, Tina. Good job & keep up the good work.
Post a Comment