Distributor:
Umbrella Entertainment Certificate: G |
60 minutes | All Region Pal Format | black and white Available to buy Extras: Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW?
Frank
Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford
WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
This
Frank Sinatra variety special
dating from May 1960 features
Sinatra and his rat pack buddies
Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford
(when he was still on the
Sinatra inner and before he
loused things up for Sinatra
with the Kennedy clan) and Joey
Bishop, laughing and singing
their way through some classic
songs, however Frank had a big
ace up his sleeve in the shape
of Elvis Presley fresh from
Germany as well as his daughter
Nancy's first TV appearance with
her Dad.
SO
IS IT ANY GOOD?
When
Elvis Presley died in 1977 John Lennon famously remarked that for him
Elvis died when he went into the army, before then he had been the King
of Rock N Roll, every song a hip swivelling classic, after he returned
from Germany he settled for increasingly anaemic movies and seldom
appeared live. This May 1960 special can be seen as something of a
passing over of the baton from one ageing Superstar of his era to the
new young upstart, although to be fair Presley's reign wouldn't last
much longer as The Beatles and all things British pop were on the
horizon.
Despite
the vintage nature of the kinescoped material this is one heck of an
interesting release, you can see that Presley is on his best behaviour,
all army suit and Yes Sirs, Sinatra looks genuinely pleased to be
singing with Elvis (they duet on a Love Me Tender and Witchcraft Medley)
but does have something of a condescending air about the whole thing; Presley
sings two other songs - Fame and Fortune and the classic Stuck on You
but the real highlight would have to be Sinatra's duet with his daughter
Nancy on You Make Me Feel So Young. Some of the credits on this show are
amazing too, musical director was the legendary Nelson Riddle whilst
producers were the seminal Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen. On this
release then it is definitely still Frankie's world and Elvis just lives
in it. Well worth checking out.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
Besides
trailers for other Umbrella releases there is a fascinating American
doco running 45 minutes and telling the story of Elvis.
