The Rat Pack (1998)

First of all, this is a great movie. HBO has done it again by producing another interesting and thought provoking original movie. But, I have one complaint about the film. I am a New Englander such as our former President Kennedy was. He was born in Brookline and grew up in south eastern Massachusetts and he summered often in and around Cape Cod. When it comes to ice cream toppings, we here in New England don't have chocolate sprinkles....we have what we call "Jimmy's." You see, rainbow colored sprinkles are just that...sprinkles but chocolate sprinkles are known as "Jimmys." When Jack and Bobby decide to have some late night ice cream, Jack asks Bobby to get the sprinkles. Bobby hands him a jar of chocolate "Jimmys," not sprinkles. A boy from New England should know better, but the Hollywood based production would have no clue about the difference between chocolate and rainbow colored sprinkles / "Jimmys". Otherwise, the movie was good.

There is a lot to like about "The Rat Pack", the HBO production of Frank Sinatra and his legendary cohorts during the wildly glamorous 'Camelot' days of the Kennedy administration. They were gifted, rich, and idolized, could have anything or anyone they wanted, ruled Las Vegas as demigods, and for a brief moment in history, they shared, with John Kennedy, a pinnacle that no one, before or since, has achieved.Each performer had a clearly defined role in the 'Pack', in 1960; Joey Bishop, 42, was the 'Jester', heralding arrivals, and content with the reflected glory of the 'Pack'; Peter Lawford, 37, was the 'Ambassador', official 'go-between' for Sinatra and the Kennedys (who would swallow his pride, and accept often being little more than a glorified 'pimp' for his more successful friends); Sammy Davis Jr., 35, was the 'Pet', tiny and extraordinarily talented as a singer and dancer, yet still treated as a 'less than equal' novelty act, even by the enlightened Sinatra; and Dean Martin, 43, was the 'Crown Prince', tall, handsome and charismatic, possessing all the qualities Sinatra lacked, and completely hiding a deep-set aloofness by a quick wit and 'way cool' persona. Sinatra, 45, was, of course, the 'King', undisputed leader of the 'Pack'. Short, skinny, and balding, the middle-class kid from Hoboken, N.J. had never truly grown up; while his voice would revolutionize the music industry and make him legendary, his personal life was a continuous elevator ride of highs and lows, with an Oscar, two broken marriages, three children, and a never-ending supply of "booze and broads" masking a child-like need to be liked and accepted.The success of the actors in 'capturing' these legends is a mixed bag. Bobby Slayton, as Bishop, is forgettable in little more than a cameo; Angus MacFadyen's Lawford is, however, very good, capturing the spirit of a man who had 'sold his soul' to both Sinatra and the Kennedys; best of all is Don Cheadle, as Sammy Davis, acutely aware of the patronizing attitude Sinatra demonstrates towards him, but too happy having his friendship to speak up.As for Joe Mantegna and Ray Liotta...Besides sharing wavy black hair, a Roman nose, and oval head, the short, stocky Mantegna barely resembles 'Dino', but he captures the Martin 'attitude' and double life extremely well; Liotta looks even less like Sinatra, but the blocky, very powerful GOODFELLAS star is brilliant as the mercurial star, far closer in spirit to the man than Philip Casnoff, in the family 'approved' TV-movie, "Sinatra" (1992).With flashy supporting roles by William L. Petersen, as a shallow, whoring JFK, and Deborah Unger as earthy, alcoholic pragmatist Ava Gardner, "The Rat Pack" is a 'Who's Who' of the movers and shakers of the times, easily incorporating the Mafia, Ku Klux Klan, and Marilyn Monroe, as well as the transitional 'feel' of the era, as the stodgy conservatism of the fifties was replaced by JFK's dynamic yet ultimately superficial new optimism...until November, 1963, when 'Camelot' would collapse, replaced by a far less idealistic new order, where Sinatra's 'Rat Pack' would be a passé joke.As Montegna's 'Dean Martin' would remark, "Enjoy the ride while it lasts, because nothing lasts forever.""The Rat Pack" is a GREAT ride!

The HBO movie, "The Rat Pack" chronicles the high-living times of the famous Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Peter Lawford) during the years 1958-1962. Supposedly based on fact, the story centers on the collision of personalities between the Rat Pack's leader, Frank Sinatra, and the Kennedy clan. In the story, Frank Sinatra so admires Senator Jack Kennedy that he'll do anything to help him be elected President. When it involves the dirty and unethical dealings of Joe Sr., Frank's reluctant, but game. Frank manipulates friends, brings in the Mafiosi, dumps on the downtrodden. So when Kennedy is elected what's Frank get? The shaft.How much of the story is true? Who knows? But it does make for good entertainment, bringing along Marilyn Monroe, Bobby Kennedy, Joe DiMaggio and other period luminaries. The story is moved along by some excellent acting especially Don Cheadle as the tortured Sammy Davis Jr, Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra and Joe Montegna as Dean Martin. It may twist the truth, but it's decent entertainment.

Thaat's another good surprise from the French Cable stations, not very well advertized here. The movie was announced as LES ROIS DE LAS VEGAS, period, and the surprise couldn't be greater. Although physical resemblance was far from adequate (except the perfect introduction scenes with the silhouette of the aged Sinatra), the movie was a fairly good account of the Camelot unforgettable days. Cheadle and Mantegna serve their roles better than Liotta, mainly because everybody knows The Voice couldn't be 6'tall. I happen to be one of the few here who remembered that Albert Maltz was one of The Hollywood Ten (victims of Senator McCarthy). The big mistake in the film seems to be the f...scene with Sinatra and Gardner, probably figured out after a one night stand in a speakeasy. At that time, Ava was having great fun in Madrid and elsewhere, and certainly didn't care much for Frank, Mickey, Artie or any former husband or lover of hers. Anyhow, if you can name me another country in the world where such a film is possible, you deserve an election. Can hardly wait to see Scorsese's own movie on the subject. P.S. I discovered Don Cheadle in this movie (didn't notice him in OCEAN'S ELEVEN,2001), he's really fantastic. Didn't know Sammy Davis, jr., was a drummer too (or was he?). harry carasso, paris, france