Let Me Be Frank

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Frank Sinatra career spanned six generations; Bill Zehme quite profoundly stated “Where the action wasn’t he [Sinatra] wouldn’t be” (30). He defined a time with playboy style and swagger that created great admiration that endures to this day. He has been idolized and mimicked by very successful entertainers in their own right; which shows the impact left from this icon. He came from Hoboken, New Jersey which through social segregation and prejudice put an edge on his character. He was an arrogant, self centered bad boy that oozed with talent.

What separated Frank from other crooners of his time was the sexual, black blues tone in his vocals. When Frank sang, he would also make it his own; he would inject it with his mood. Frank Sinatra also took up acting in Hollywood and eventually became a talented actor with an onscreen presence matched by few. Frank had fierce lifestyle outside of the limelight that fed his grandiose ego. Loneliness was his enemy and he fought it with a passion. Frank had an insatiable appetite for late night conversations fueled by Jack Daniels. This created a legend in itself He was considered the leader of the “Rat Pack” a social group created by his idol Humphrey Bogart. This group of friends would propel each members careers by stacking their performances.

Frank Sinatra was the definition of a care free playboy, he represented what few could be but in a way that could admired. Frank offered us a glimpse of what it’s like to be at the top. Frank was a family man earlier on and this made his appeal to a broader range of individuals even more enticing. Frank was also looked at as a womanizer in a time that cheating was taboo. Compared to what was socially acceptable of a father in his...

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...tor at best which had a singing routine. Well we all know he could sing, but his abilities as an actor didn’t improve until he had a real acting role. Frank started out as a popular but average actor. Franks first big hit was Anchors Aweigh was a musical, which kept him in his singing realm. Even though his roles contained singing his movie career was vast but largely overshadowed by his singing career.

Works Cited

Baird, Robert. “Sinatraism.” Jan 2011: p.146 Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Apr 2011

Pugliese, Stanislao G. “Frank Sinatra; History, Identity and Italian American Culture.” New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Print.

Rojec, Chris. “Frank Sinatra.” Cambridge: Polity Press, 2004. Print

Santopietro, Tom. “Sinatra In Hollywood.” New York: St. Martins Press, 2008. Print

Zehme, Bill. The Way You Wear Your Hat. New York: Harper Collins, 1997. Print.

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