John F. Kennedy and Milton Berle at the 1960 Sands Summit! SOFT FOCUS on the tight shots- the cameraman screwed up, and was fired after the first night- but you can make out JFK- And the wide shots are pretty sharp.
Dear katrin- thanks for tuning in, and for your kind words! 110 percent agreed, darlin'... We cannot upload any of the Boys' "straight" songs due to copyright restrictions, but at least the satire/parody performances are here for you to enjoy- as well as all the clowning around and special guests on stage and in the audience... Happy Holidays and best wishes to you and yours- Luke Sacher Praeses & Soapbox Productions Inc.
During the time of the rat pack in Las Vegas......those of us that were lucky enough to see this great talent were so very, very lucky. The world will have to wait many, many years before we see talent like this again....if ever.
+John Campana Thanks for tuning in- we produced the 1999 A&E Biography of the Rat Pack. Lots and lots of vintage Vegas and Rat Pack related footage on our channel uploads page if you're interested!
Luke, My memories of Milton. I was lucky to see him live, doing stand up in dinner theater in the 1980's. I had a table close to the hallway that the stars exited down as they left the stage. Milton killed of course...had 3 curtain calls. I could watch him as he left and returned to the stage. He was turning to make a 4th call, when the applause faded out. Hearing the applause end, the man just seemed to shrink and implode, and he walked slowly down the hall to his dressing room. More....
More...Berle, like all performers, myself included, lived, and live for the applause. Many years later, I was in the VIP line to Peter Allen's dressing room at the Universal Amphitheater in LA, after Peter's concert (I was a friend of Peter's). Mr. Berle was in line next to me and I was so star struck, I didn't say a word..hello...zip, nada. He was by himself..just standing in line like me. Looking back, I wish I'd spoken to him.
Love Mr. Bishop, the comic genius behind the Rat Pack. After Hurricane Katrina, I was organizing a benefit for the Hospitality Workers of New Orleans...Mr. Bishop was gracious enough to send me a signed photo for the silent auction, for the event.
+Edward Anthony And such a great guy... here is our interview with him: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OL8qC24pjIs.html Luke Sacher Praeses & Soapbox Productions Inc.
+Edward Anthony Our pleasure. Lots more Rat Pack and vintage Vegas footage on our channel- take a look, you'll probably really like what you find there...
Wow, now THIS is real entertainment by real entertainers. You can have every eccentric outfit, special effect or pyrotechnic in the world, but when you can stand in front of an orchestra with a microphone, clad in a basic tuxedo and totally captivate an audience like this; then that's when you KNOW that you've got it! The "entertainers" of today can't hold a candle to these people. This is raw uncensored entertainment , in a day and time when people could take a good joke and not be offended about how off-color or politically incorrect it might be. And an entertainer's career couldn't be in jeopardy if he made a politically incorrect remark. People are just so bought and uptight nowadays. If I had a time machine, I'd go back to 1960 in Las Vegas and never ever leave. This is as close as I'll ever get, thank you for this post.
As James Kaplan wrote in LIFE's "Rat Pack" book: "The fact that Ocean's Eleven, a medium movie, had gone on to be an enduring and oft-remade cultural artefact is as bizarre as the fact that Rat Pack books are still being written and published a half century after that fact".
Only Dean could zing JFK. The reference to "Lucky" is of course Lucky Luciano...who was deported. My father literally bumped into Luciano on the steps of a NYC courthouse. My father's Dad was a NYPD detective (and a former guard at Sing Sing prison). I was just in New Orleans and while shopping on Royal St. stumbled across a great piece in a collector's shop -- a framed piece with signatures of all the mafia guys..from Al Capone, Lansky, Busgy Seigel, Lucky, et all..to Gotti -- $25,000.
Even more -- back to the dinner theater night. Milton used a local combo for his band. I knew the guys in the band. They told me that Milton instructed the band to laugh at every joke -- very smart! If the audience sees the band laughing, they want to join in. A great lesson I used when I started working cruise ships, in front of a band.
So COOL, Paul! We gotta gab on the horn one day so you can tell me about your grandpa in the Lucky days! WOW! Love it when Dean says "I'll be in the Outhouse"!
Lots of period references that modern audiences might not get. You constantly here "Fight,fight,fight" by the group, which I believe comes from the lyrics of Sammy's big hit "Something's Gotta Give". Also the exclamation "Don't Holler" at 8:23 by Frank was a favorite expression of comedian Harry Ritz.
Luke - we reaaally have to talk one of these days! Loved Bobby Short -- knew him (when we talk I'll have to tell you a funny story on how we first became acquainted) Saw him many times at the Carlyle-last time Oct. '03. Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz were at the next table. Didn't know Raksin took over for Bobby. WOW - your grandfather could do it all - and in so many classics -- Gunga Din -- incredible film and one of my late father's favorites as he served in India WW2.
Everyone knows that Berle was one of the most "gifted" men in Hollywood when it came to below the waist. I had the distinction of seeing "Milton, Jr." one evening.
Luke - WOW, didn't know your Lana bio is on the DVD -- I just pulled out the TB&TB DVD -- and there it is! TB&TB theme, along with the theme from "Laura" (another fav of mine)-- both by Raksin, are two of the most incredible movie themes ever penned. I have a CD of all the music from the film.
Paul! Way COOL! :) David Raksin took over Bobby Short's spot at the piano at the Carlyle Hotel in NYC until he passed on in 2004... he also wrote the theme for "Ben Casey"- my grandfather directed a lot of episodes. Sam Jaffe- Dr. Zorba- was his best friend since when they were in Gunga Din together...
Hey Luke, I searched and couldn't find those F Troop bloopers. Maybe you can send me a direct link. Always loved F Troop, and there has been a rumor around Hollywood for ages of a feature film F Troop.
Paulie! I have the whole interview that was used in the Rat Pack bio, uncut- shot at his apartment on Wilshire. I'll try to get around to loading it from the old U-matic window dub into the Avid and get it to you.
Paul- TCM put our Bio of Lana on the same DVD with Bad and the Beautiful... that David Raksin song... "Love is For the Very Young"... is one of the most beautiful ever...
Luke, Douglas -- what a guy! I think he may out live his sons! One of my all time fav films is Vincente Minnelli's "The Bad & The Beautiful" -- with Douglas and an all star cast, including Miss Gloria Grahame -- one of my favorite screen gals.
Sheen had a show run at the same time as Berle's Texaco Star Theatre in the early 50s. Milton once said they both had the same boss, the Sky Chief (double reference to God and a brand of Texaco gas)
Luke, a P.S. Gleason was Catholic, but never attended church. His best friend, and drinking pallie, Jack Haley, was forever trying to get Gleason back into church. Finally, one day -- I think it was St. Patrick's in NYC -- Haley took Gleason to church. As they were walking up the steps, they encountered Irene Dunne and Loretta Young --two STAUNCH Catholics. The two women took one look at Gleason and turned around!!!
What's Peter Lawford even up there for? Absolutely not a part of any of it. He just stands in the back smiling and smoking. Actually, he should be just the butt boy at JFK's table keeping track of everyone's cigarettes, chastising the waters and making sure the correct food and booze keep coming.
Awwww be nice lol! That's ALOT heat that's onstage my friend! Your comment is funny because alot folks give Peter a hard time lololol. I guess that's what you get when your name is "Peter". Its so funny and sad because of the beef he had with Sinatra later.
Peter Lawford married a Kennedy. Sinatra knew JFK was an up and coming politician who could be President. Sinatra wanted to be a part of JFK’s circle and/or have JFK be a part of his own circle. That is why JFK made up with Lawford after their first falling out. Peter provided access to the Kennedy’s. That’s why he was part of the Rat Pack until it fell apart when JFK changed his mind about staying at Sinatra’s home.
Always wondered why the footage of JFK was blurred. Frank mentions that he hopes to visit him in that "great big house". Unfortunately, Frank never got there.
Ha Ha!!! Hans! There's a great story about Jackie Gleason betting that Milton's member was longer than Forest Tucker's. Gleason, Berle and Tucker were in the locker room of a country club and Gleason challenged Tucker to see who was the biggest. Gleason said, "Milton, just take out enough to win the bet".
Luke, In the Snyder interview, Berle reveals the occasion where he first dressed in drag ----off stage, The Kirk Douglas interview would be great--thanks. When you have the time, love to have the Sands Summit material.
+Louis Vidaurri Ahahaha! he WAS fired! If you look at our upload of the 2nd night, everything is tack sharp! Lots more Rat Pack and vintage Vegas footage on our channel- take a look, you'll probably really like what you find there...
@soapbxprod @soapbxprod - As I recall, Dino also dropped out of the proposed Sinatra/Martin/Liza Minella tour in the 1980's before the trio hit the road. The 3 were originally going to band together, but Dino decided they were over the hill and didn't want to be seen or remembered in public as an over-the-hill crooner. So he bowed out before the group performed, and I believe Sinatra and Liza still toured together. Again, smart move by Dino.
coolcat20million I always understood that Dean dropped out of that tour because he was still grieving Dean Paul’s death just a few months earlier, and that they brought Liza in to replace him.
Luke Pallie, my emails to you are bouncing back..kind of like Liz and Richard Burton. I wrote you to let you know that I got the MB download and how much I loved it,,,please let me know when part 2 is up.
***** Luke, Tried the personal address..mail was returned. Sure you've heard about the passing of Mickey Rooney..another great gone. In the Mickster's book "Life Is Too Short" he tells the story of when Milton took him to a brothel for the first time!
Interesting to compare Berle and Hope, when they're invited up on stage. With Hope, you know that it was all planned -the band had the charts for "Thanks For The Memories" and the lines that Hope gave were thought up ahead of time..Hope, the master of the one-liner, was not a great ad-libber. Berle, comes up and kills with ad-libs.
When Tommy Dorsey died, another drinking buddy of Jackie, Dorsey could not get a proper funeral mass due to being divorced. Gleason pulled all the strings he could without success. When Tommy D. died, (also divorced) Jackie had Bishop Sheen intercede, and had a priest (outside the church) deliver the proper send-off.
@soapbxprod He may have hated Joe (who didn't) and didn't like playing stooge for them during the campaign but he didn't "hate" the family (Jack and Bobby)..
The insanity! LMAO! I'll tell you a story about my Roman Catholic childhood experiences with my Grandma in Jersey City- but over the phone! You'll laugh you head off...
