The Rat Pack was the sum of its parts. ELLIOT THORPE considers what the key members each brought to the table…
Frank Sinatra was called Chairman of the Board because of his status within Reprise Records. It had nothing to do with his position as self-appointed leader of the legendary Rat Pack.
Nevertheless, he called the shots in both cases. There’s a great response from Dean when he was talking about appearing on stage at one point: he was only there because Frank told him he had to be!
It’s this tongue-in-cheek retort that belied an element of control that Sinatra wanted to convey, was able to convey. As a result, he was the guy that got things done. He’d pull everyone together to make a movie, to play at the Sands, to stand up for Sammy’s rights, to work in the recording studio. After all, someone had to be in charge, and Sinatra wasn’t the kind of person who would be told what to do. If anyone was going to do the telling, it’d be him!
Dean on the other hand, was quite literally the opposite. This wasn’t to say he was ever Sinatra’s patsy, but he knew his mind and knew what he wanted to do. Simply, he was less inclined to be actively pursuing engagements or film roles: he’d be quite happy to be approached, and from there he’d say yes or no. He would very easily say no to Sinatra if it wasn’t something he was comfortable with or didn’t interest him. On stage he’d be the joker, but he wouldn’t be the fool. He’d usually be the only one who’d never finish a song, would parody the lyrics and even interrupt Frank or Sammy’s solo performances. He was there to have a good time – and he’d make sure everyone else did to.
Sammy was the showman, the all-rounder. He could dance, sing, do impressions, even crack jokes to equal Dean. On many occasions, he and Dean would pair off and ridicule Frank. In many ways, Sammy was the glue of the group, crossing styles and disciplines with veritable ease. It’s telling that he is considered one of the ‘big three’ in the Rat Pack, because, out of the five, he was the most versatile. His influence casts long over the others, and rightly so.
Three hugely talented men; three vastly different styles; three expert entertainers. Together they were something akin to lightning in a bottle. Their like had never been seen before and will never be seen again.
Taken from the latest edition of JUST DINO, our official – and free! – monthly magazine. To subscribe to receive your digital copy, simply join our mailing list today.
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