Frank Sinatra
Singer and actor worthy triumphant, “The Voice” is one of the great myths of American visual culture of the twentieth century.
Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in a humble family in Hoboken, New Jersey (United States). He was the son of a man of Sicilian origin, boxer and fireman named Anthony Martin Sinatra, and Natalie, a woman who came from the Italian city of Genoa.
He worked as a messenger of the Hudson Observer newspaper until 1939, his talent as a singer led him to take the place of vocals in various orchestras, such as Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Previously he had tried on their own without much luck in the group The Hoboken Four.
Its significance as a crooner he quickly became a teen idol, known as “bobby-soxers, and develop a successful solo singing career after 1942.
This success was used by movie moguls, who started to use Sinatra as an actor in the early 40′s, debuting in 1941 with the musical film “Las Vegas Nights” (1941), a film directed by Ralph Murphy.
Although in principle its destination on the screen would be the musicals, the explanatory power of Sinatra, which was improved over the years, led him away to star in many films of the genre, whether comedy, titles or war criminal intrigue.
In 1939 he married Nancy Barbato, with whom he had three sons, his famous daughter, Nancy Sinatra (singer of pop with the help of Lee Hazlewood), the future actor Frank Sinatra Jr., and his youngest daughter Christina.
The most interesting films of Sinatra in the decade of the 40 were “Anchors Aweigh” (1945), a musical by George Sidney was co-starring Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson, and “A Day in New York” (1949), the famous film by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly and Frank again sharing sailor suit with Gene Kelly. The couple was accompanied by Betty Garrett and Ann Miller.
In the 50′s his reputation grew as an actor, and which won the Oscar as best supporting actor for “From Here to Eternity” (1953), Fred Zinnemann’s film set in Pearl Harbor.
His teammates were Eddie Albert nomination for “Roman Holiday” Jack Palance in “Shane,” Robert Strauss “Stalag” and Brandon de Wilde in “Shane.”
Again after qualifying for the statue, now in the category for best leading actor for his portrayal of drug addict in “The Man With the Golden Arm” (1955), a title directed by Otto Preminger. He had no fortune this time and took him Oscar Ernest Borgnine for “Marty.”
Other major films shot by Sinatra in the 50′s were “not a Stranger” (1955) by Stanley Kramer, “Guys and Dolls” (1955), musical directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “High Society” (1956) by Charles Walters, “Pal Joey” (1957) by George Sidney, “Pride and Passion” (1957) Stanley Kramer, “Hole in the Head” (1959) by Frank Capra, or ” Some Came Running “(1959), Vincente Minnelli melodrama co-starring his good friend Dean Martin along with the beautiful actresses Kim Novak and Rita Hayworth.
With Dean Martin and other prominent names in the U.S. show business, as Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr., Frank formed a group of friends very well-matched, the fun-loving and good living, gangsters and political contacts, which was called ” pack rat. ”
Divorced from Nancy Sinatra in 1951 married the love of his life, the actress Ava Gardner, who starred in a number of scenes punctuated by passionate jealousy.
Ava and Frank ended their marriage in 1957, though the actor could never forget the star of “The Barefoot Contessa.”
The rat-pack was the protagonist of Lewis Milestone’s film “The Gang of Eleven” (1960), a title that began a decade in which the actor and singer of Italian descent also starred titles like “The Devil at Four” (1961) by Mervyn Leroy, “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962) by John Frankenheimer, “Sergeants Three” (1962) by John Sturges comedy “Gallardo and skull” (1963) by Bud Yorkin, “Four for Texas “(1963) by Robert Aldrich,” The last of the list “(1963) by John Huston,” Four gangsters of Chicago “(1964) by Gordon Douglas, or the two films in which she portrayed the detective Tony Rome: Underworld Gold “(1967), with Jill St. John, and” Lady in Cement “(1968), with Raquel Welch, both conducted by the said Gordon Douglas, who also would lead to the outstanding” The Detective “(1968).
In the 60′s Frank directed his only film, the war film “All were brave” (1965).
His third wife was actress Mia Farrow, daughter of director John Farrow and actress Maureen O’Sullivan. With Mia, the future wife of Andre Previn and Woody Allen, remained from 1966 to 1968.
With the advent of the 70′s, Sinatra almost completely abandon the film, only rarely returning to the big screen.
The last marriage of singer and actor was with the former showgirl Barbara Marx, former wife of Zeppo Marx, whom he married in 1976.
Barbara would remain with him until the day of her husband’s death, which occurred on May 14, 1998. He was 82.
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Additional details in: Frank Sinatra in IMDB
Frank Sinatra in Wikipedia
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