@Linda...how true this is, I don't know. But the talk town is that it was Marilyn Monroe that got the posh supper clubs to open their doors to Ella, whose jazz singing wasn't for those posh supper clubs. Anyone?
Some. Not all. Frank for sure. Elvis, too. Neither of them would allow any racial foolishness at the expense of band members or friends (ask Sammy Davis Jr. if he were alive, or Elvis' 70s backup singers The Sweet Inspirations), but to make a broad generalization might be taking it too far.
TRULY LOVED LENA HORNE MET HER A FEW TIMES IN THE '80'S AND SHE WAS MESMERIZING AND EXQUISITE IN EVERY WAY....AND HER PERFORMANCES BOY CAN SHE SELL A SONG!! GOD BLESS AND RIP BEAUTIFUL!
On a national level, Frank Sinatra was a generous financial supporter of Martin Luther King. He was always willing to headline fundraisers and help the Civil Rights Movement in any way that he could. He received a lifetime award from the NAACP. Very few men have lived a life as complex and controversial as Frank Sinatra’s. But when we examine the ways in which Frank Sinatra and civil rights intertwined, it is impossible not to tip your hat to the Chairman.
He was a true gentleman indeed. He stood up for a lot of black entertainers. I’m sure he saw the worst treatment of ppl he admired. The south was brutal in deep racism
@@Justcallmyname75 It was for those reasons you highlight about someone I admired ad loved his music that I kinda wish that Sinatra had been a tad about the mother of his children. His once wife might've exercised a bit more discretion and avoid describing his private areas. He had children, mind you.
@@joeygonzo Yes, but it really was the marketplace dictating the narrative. Don't you find it ironic that those same hotels and casinos now accept Beyonce and others of the hip hop world? The marketplace!
I love them both...but the frost between them is quite evident. It was no secret that they did not like each other. Thank God they were both supreme performers.
This performance is featured on a dvd compilation of duets w/Frank Sinatra. It includes commentary by Sinatra's children. According to them their dad and Lena we're industry friends. They talked about how Lena visited their home and how regal she was. Considering the times that they were in, I see two performers playing with the television sensors. The races we're not permitted to touch each other on camera(especially between a man and woman). Maybe they were just trying to show how ridiculous the guidelines were by playing them up. Besides, I don't see Sinatra choosing to work with someone he didn't like.
Aquí tenemos un video histórico, la fabulosa Lena Horne y Frank Sinatra rindiéndole tributo a Harold Arlen. A puro swing una serie de temas de gran musicalidad de este gran compositor . "Es sólo una luna de papel","Tiempo tormentoso", "Uno para mi nena", "Alégrate" y otros. El año de este video es 1960.
The network probably insisted that there'd be no physical contact between Sinatra and Horne. That's why they're sitting two feet from each other. In her autobiography, Horne talks about how she accidentally touched Perry Como while singing a duet and she was worried that the sponsors would complain. Como couldn't have cared less and told her so.
In this case, she hated Sinatra for the way he treated her best friend. And your information can’t be true because there is video footage of her embracing white people and kissing them on the sides of cheeks
@@syvallone2146 This footage is included in a dvd retrospective of Sinatra's duet tv performances. It includes commentary from all three of Sinatra's children. One of the daughters talks about Horne and how she had been a guest in their home. Also about how their Dad in fact did have appreciation for Lena's talent. If Sinatra didn't like Lena Horne I can't see him inviting her to his home or even performing with her.
They are really a greatly mismatched pair. She is all drama and he is all understatement. Even when he sings something like "Get ready for the Judgement Day" his singing is understated. And his renditions are not the best while she knocks every song out of the room!
Lena Horne had a bizarre stage presence, made ugly faces when singing and was just a vert mannered singer. She was a beauty, but I've never been particularly fond of her singing.
I'm currently reading "Stormy Weather The Life of Lena Horne" by James Gavin who interviewed Lena in depth. Lena and Sinatra hated each other because she was good friends with Ava Gardner. Lena and Frank only worked together when they absolutely had to, and it really shows in this clip. If you watch her singing with Dean Martin and Bing Crosby you'll see the same treatment with Crosby. She couldn't stand him either.
dos monstruos...............pero lena es lena.......y Frank es Frank......dos monstruos.......del canto.....y de la empatía humana difícil de catalogar........salvo DECIR QUE SON DIOSES DEL CANTO EN LA TIERRA.................
Notice how they weren't permitted to touch each other. We've come along way out of the morass of bigotry since those dark days. They don't make 'em like that anymore.
It looks as if Sinatra was under the influence or was going through a rough patch in his personal life. I have never seen such a lackluster performance by him. Lena shined like a diamond in spotlight
Somehow Frank seemed a little remote in this medley. I didn't feel any spark between the two. Which is strange since they both were at MGM at the same time. This isn't the best medley I've seen Horne in. She might just as well have been singing solo.
I think that has more to do with tv censorship and the times. Blacks and Whites couldn't even touch each other on television back then. Looking into each other eyes or attempting to create some sort of chemistry would have had the tv censors going nuts. The fact that they we're even sitting next to each other was borderline scandalous.
There is no eye contact going on here, quite a disconnect between Mr. Sinatra and Ms. Horne. I don't get any chemistry here like I did when Frank sang with Ella for example. Very strange
They had very strict racial codes for television back then. You couldn't even shake hands with a black person if you were white especially from the opposite sex.
These two were not allowed or to give any sign that there was anything more than just singing this song. I see this clip as very sad indeed - a White Man and a Black Woman singing to the camera only, following directions at a time when mainstream entertainers had better do so
@@thomasbrian3227 Dean Martin would later publicly flout that unwritten "rule" when he had Lena on his variety show. He made a point of being physically close to her on her many appearances, and would often hold her hand, which made the White bigots nuts, of course.
@@94110mission ... The Dean Martin clip I just seen that bought me here .. Dean kept his arm around her waist for most of it except when Dean was being his silly self. I think Dean was the type he did what he thought was right.
'Chris Rivers', but they thought enough for her to sing with Frank Sinatra. If they are that racist why don't they just have a white women sing with him. There were plenty of white singers to sing with. The thing is, they couldn't resist or deny her. They really liked her, but let their pride of racism get in the way. Gladly years later in the 70's, 80's, etc. whites finally gave in and had better interactions with blacks, and let their mental illness of racism of some degree diminish.
You better learn your facts better then that if you are going to make those accusations. You are not old enough to know how much FS did to change the whole racism picture with entertainers in this country. It was government it was free enterprise and the government led from behind even then.
Look at the Como/Horne duet on youtube.. There was eye contact, Como held her hand. He smiled at her. By contrast, Frank and Lena looked like they were on different planets. Yes, I know, Sinatra did "something" to defend Horne in Vegas (the Sands), but, geez, he could have told the TV sponsors to take a hike. It is well known, that Sinatra was told by the TV show sponsors to keep his distance from Horne prior to this taping.
Yes Yes!! This is a VERY RACIST clip. It happened before Brown vs Board of ED and the Civil Rights movement. You can see Frank Sinatra was doing all he can to avoid eye contact with Lena Horne. Since the NETWORK felt she was looking to beautiful and passable for their white audiences to accept. let alone see past them even touching shoulder to shoulder like some of his other clips with white women. Which shows more obvious appreciation of the singer. This was the way Television networks operate back in the day with CODES OF TELEVISION ETIQUETTE. Even though she was light skin and considered approachable to white audiences at the time it was not appropriate to have any major white recording artist seen showing STAGE chemistry to someone of COLOR, let alone someone who would make other white women feel THREATEN their boyfriends or husbands could actually consider a LIGHT SKIN female over another WHITE women to be with, HEAVEN FORBID! at that time. So even if Frank Sinatra didn't personally feel this way, who would know . Sad time in AMERICAN history though but regardless of the circumstance lena, ignored what was orchestrated around her and made the clip memorable where she stood out more.
How on Earth is this racist? They were both uncomfortable with each other, that's it. Frank made several medleys and songs with Ella Fitzgerald in which you can see their chemistry, they touch each other, they hug each other.
Tati P Ella Fitzgerald was beautiful in a different way from Lena. Frankly, Ms. Fitzgerald probably provided an image white America is more familiar and comfortable with - she looked like she could've been old enough to be his mother. (Although she wasn't). Lena fell into the beautiful and sexy category. A white man touching her on tv would've set off a crap storm.
You are race baiting. Frank Sinatra dated black women. Him and Lena hate each other because he mistreated her homegirl, Ava Gardner. Just like in contemporary fashion, you would probably hate the person who played your friend. But they had a committment.
Brown vs Board of Education (separate but equal schools are NOT equal) was 1954. This is 1960. I am siding with the personal animosity argument here and not the larger race relations as allowed on TV theory. Frank could be a louse with women. Lauren Bacall hated him too from personal experience after Bogey died.
I just loved Lena for her talent and beauty and Frank was also a great talent but a monster to women! Lena knew it and could not mask it with pretense.
TONI JAY. YOU SAID LENE SPENT HER LAST YEARS LOCKED IN HER HOUSE HALF INSANE AND YOU SAID TO LOOK IT UP. WHERE DO I GO TO LOOK IT UP. PLEASE LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I WANT TO READ THAT INFORMATION FOR MYSELF.
Noreen Jackson - I'm sure what you are perceiving as coldness is rather that they were on a public tv show during a time when if he had shown any friendly admiration toward her, the show might be cancelled, careers over, etc. Even when Lena appeared and sang with fellow female artists there could be no friendly touch on the hand or shoulder. It's history.
