What a gracious interviewee Frank Sinatra was. No attempt to play the big shot, as if he needed to, he was the biggest name in the biz at that time. He also came over as thoughtful and intelligent. To say that he was in a class of his own as a singer goes without saying.
Ohhh wow!! Arlene Francis! Love her on Whats My Line! Great show and she was always intelligent and enchanting. And here she is interviewing Sinatra. Wooww thank you for this.
The best singer that ever lived! I noticed how serious he was on this interview , he only smile almost at the very end. Frank Sinatra, your music will last forever.
The only singer I would put just a little in front of Frank is Elvis. Both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were singers of the very highest stature and talent. They were both literally born to sing and please audiences.... And man did they ever!
It wasn’t a TV series. It was a CBS mini series and the ratings at the time were very good. It’s actually a very good produced piece on his life with a terrific cast. It won two and was nominated for seven Emmy Awards, along with a win and two nominations for a Golden Globe Award.
Frank's concise explanation on the agonising wait to get the part he knew would change the downward spiral of his career at the time is a joy to listen too. "Godfather " or no he certainly scored big time as Maggio and the rest as they say is history. Thanks for posting.
Like all the best interviewers, Arlene gets the interviewee, Francis A., to do most of the talking. Yes, there was no horse's head found in the producer's bed to persuade him to cast the great, young singer in the most important and pivotal role of his lifetime. However, we do know from various well-documented accounts that Hollywood Cosa Nostra representative Johnny Roselli, who was a friend of producer Harry Cohn, did gently suggest to Harry that he hire Francis A. for the part of Maggio. Threats weren't needed. There was an understanding that regardless of how Harry felt about hiring Francis A., that hiring him would benefit everybody and make the picture the most successful it could be. Also helping out was the great director Fred Zinnemann, who told Harry that Francis A. would be great for the part. Additionally, Francis A.'s friend, Eli Wallach, who learned that he wanted the part very badly, agreed to drop out. And Monty Clift, as Francis A. acknowledges here, did a great deal to help him turn in the performance of his lifetime as Maggio. Interestingly, Monty would repeat this effort with Dean Martin's acting, helping him to be the best that he could be in his first important dramatic role. Tragically, Monty died way too young. He was a great acting teacher as well as a great actor.
SINATRA WAS THE BEST SINGER IN HIS ERA & PART OF OURS ALSO, IF YOU WERE IN TROUBLE AND FRANK KNEW YOU HE WOULD GO TO THE END OF THE WORLD FOR YOU LIKE HE DID FOR SAMMY DAVIS JR, HE OWED THE IRS BACK IN THE LATE 1960S AND MR SINATRA PAYED THE IRS BACK FOR MR DAVIS IT WAS AROUND $35.000.00 & MR SINATRA DIDN'T WANT THE MONEY BACK FROM SAMMY DAVIS JR, SO YOU SEE THAT MY FRIENDS THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL A TRUE TRUE FRIEND, THERE BOTH GONE NOW SAMMY DAVIS DIED IN 1990'S AND FRANK SINATRA DIED IN 1998 OF A HEART ATTACK IN PALM SPRINGS CA. R.I.P MR SINATRA & MR DAVIS THE WORLD LOST 2 ICONS & 2 GREAT GREAT ENTERTAINERS IN THE WORLD EVER. 💔💔💔💔💔💓💓💓💓💓💓💖💖💖💖
I honestly don't believe that Sinatra was cast as Maggio in From Here To Eternity as a result of Mafia intervention, as dramatized in Coppola's The Godfather. Sinatra was introduced to Mario Puzo, the book's author, and the co-author of the screenplay, at a Beverly Hills restaurant, and Sinatra began to berate Puzo for writing the Johnny Fontaine character. Sinatra was literally dead in the entertainment industry when the Eternity film was being cast. Eli Wallach was cast in the role initially, and withdrew when he was given a lead role in a Tennessee Williams play called Camino Real. Ava Gardner also intervened with Harry Cohn, the head of production of Columbia Pictures.
Loved the book and wanted the Maggio part - so why didn't he go to Jones and buy the movie rights? Then he could choose who produced, directed and acted in it AND have the Maggio role himself. Strange omission for a millionaire... Redford wouldn't hesitate.
