Frank, Dean, or Sammy?
I’m working on the assumption that nobody would choose Joey Bishop or Peter Lawford, and if they did I wouldn’t really want to know them.
I’m not sure I could choose between Frank and Dino. Sammy isn’t even in the running (for me). I suppose, as much as I loooove Frank, if you put a gun to my head, I’d pick Dean.
FTR, I had Volare by Dean and Fly Me To The Moon by Frank played at my wedding reception.
I like Dean Martin a lot, but went with Sammy Davis, Jr., because he had the moves as well as the sound. Also he had unbelievable charisma for such a tiny guy (I don’t think he ever weighed much over 100 pounds if he weighed that); his scene in Sweet Charity- The Rhythm of Life (Sammy begins ~1:05)- is a mesmerizing moment in a forgettable movie. (Not that Davis choreographed it, but the Crucifiction imagery at 2:35 must have raised some eyebrows.)
Also a great impressionist. Here he’s singing with Mama Cass and does Ray Charles and James Brown, but he also did most of the old Hollywood stars and crooners, some just dead-on.
I like Sinatra but he’s a distant third.
Dino and Jerry. Gotta go with the comedians. Maybe Sammy Davis,Jr. for his comedy and talent.
I once dreamt that I was Dean Martin and I was in bed with Marilyn Monroe. I woke up not sure which was better – that I was in bed with Marilyn or that I was Dean Freaking Martin.
Depending on if you choose to believe it or not (and I think most people do) Frank is more or less responsible for the line “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” as well. It was said in The Godfather about getting Johnny Fontane into Hollywood, but it’s generally believed that the Johnny Fontane character is loosely based on Frank.
It’s amazing they lived to be as old as they did (64 for Davis, 78 for Martin, 82 for Sinatra) considering that you hardly ever saw any of them without a cigarette. Can you even imagine what their houses and hotel rooms must have smelled like?
Songs for Swinging Lovers is a fantastic album and is pretty much directly responsible for the conception of my first daughter. Sammy and Dino were fine entertainers, but Frank was an amazing talent. Gotta be Frank.
The bandleader was Tommy Dorsey and the movie was From Here to Eternity. Sinatra went full circle with the comparison: Puzo said that he cornered him at Sardi’s (or some other similarly famous NYC eatery) when Godfather was in the theaters and chewed him a new asshole seven different ways and avoided attacking him only because of the witnesses and his handlers being discreet in public- he was rabidly furious over the similarities.
Many years later when Godfather 3 was made he called up Puzo and Coppola both as if he was an old friend and lobbied hard for the role of Don Altobello. They went with (the seemingly immortal) Eli Wallach instead.
I can’t see Sinatra without hearing Ava Gardner’s alleged comment: “Frank only weighs 120 pounds and 100 pounds of that is cock.” I actually prefer his voice in later decades to his 40s/50s heyday.
I actually never listened to the Rat Pack’s stand-alone music much, but I enjoy their movies and the music from them. And as energetic and charismatic as Dino and Sammy could be, Sinatra was simply first among equals.
Elvis wanted to be Dean Martin.
Nuff said.
I’d actually choose Joey Bishop, but otherwise, Davis the the star.
Perfect logic!
I recently saw a clip from Dean’s variety show, where he and Goldie Hawn were hanging all over each other and spouting some gibberish which was funny as hell. I remeber thinking to myself, people must have had a much higher tolerance for tobacco breath in those days!
WRT the OP: Dean-o, by a mile. all around terrific performer. He was even decent in the western movies in which he had roles. And by all accounts a really nice guy in real life. Plus, you gotta love that fact that he told NBC that he wouldn’t rehearse said variety show, that’s the deal, take it or leave it…and they agreed to that arrangement. Ballsy guy.
I voted for SWMBO. I’m not all that excited by the Rat Pack, but she swoons over Sinatra.
Dean Martin was The Coolest Man Who Ever Lived.
I would’ve voted for Joey Bishop. Yes, he was more of an outlier, but have you watched him on What’s My Line? A total hoot.
Otherwise, I guess Dean is my choice.
And his beer of choice- Dos Equis.
Sinatra certainly had the talent, but he seemed to be such a nasty, arrogant prick that I just couldn’t vote for him. Sort of how I like Celine Dion as a singer, but want to vomit when she talks.
Sammy, by all accounts, was a performer that never failed to wow every audience. Plus, he seemed to be a nice, genuine guy in real life as well. Thus, Sammy gets my vote.
BTW, I also heard that in reality, Dean Martin didn’t drink nearly as much as he pretended to on stage, and would usually be the first to leave a party and go to his room, leaving the others Rat Pack to carry on without him into the wee hours.
I’m very surprised by the Deanlove! Who knew?
I visited the set of that shoot. Very fun.