The Cinematic Legacy Of Frank Sinatra Hardcover

David Wills

In a film career spanning more than five decades, Frank Sinatra proved to be a roulette wheel of constantly spinning talent, the likes of which Hollywood has rarely seen. Film history is filled with stars created by the studio system. Occasionally, however, a performer emerged who, against all preconceived odds of what a star should be or look like, knocked down the walls of convention by becoming nothing other than what they already were. Frank Sinatra was the embodiment of this fundamental truth. The legacy of his work stands apart from many of his contemporaries, who essentially based their performances on an extension of a core character type. Sinatra, however, was able to take his signature persona and translate it successfully into many film genres-first as the comedic song-and-dance man, then as the dramatic actor and romantic lead, and finally as the tough guy and action hero. Sinatra also respectfully challenged contemporary ideals of acting technique. While being humble enough to learn from his peers, he kept his acting style fresh and instinctual, and earned an Oscar at a time when many actors were either classically trained or coached in the "Method." In The Cinematic Legacy of Frank Sinatra, author David Wills presents a stunning collection highlighting the work of one of Hollywood's greatest stars in roles as varied as those in the classics Anchors Aweigh, From Here to Eternity, Suddenly, Guys and Dolls, The Man With the Golden Arm, Ocean's 11, The Manchurian Candidate, Von Ryan's Express, and The Detective. Pairing more than two hundred first-generation photos with reflections on Sinatra from costars and work associates, and including contributing essays by his children Nancy Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, and Frank Sinatra, Jr., it is an unforgettable showcase of the actor's transformation from world-famous singer, to movie star, to Academy Award winner, and finally to one of the most enduring icons in cinema history.

1250070805

9781250070807

English

St Martin's Press

5/Jan/16

304

David Wills has edited numerous photo collections including MARILYN MONROE: METAMORPHOSIS, and AUDREY: THE 60s. He has contributed visual material from his extensive archives to many museums, such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and has written for publications including The Huffington Post, V Magazine, and Palm Springs Life. He was born in Australia and now lives and works in California.

ONE OF AMAZON'S BEST BOOKS OF 2016 in humor and entertainment *** Original essays and recollections by Nancy Sinatra, Tina Sinatra, and Frank Sinatra, Jr. *** Retrospective quotes by Gene Kelly, Sophia Loren, Steve McQueen, Grace Kelly, Peter Lawford, Angela Lansbury, John Frankenheimer, Janet Leigh, Sammy Davis, Jr., Angie Dickinson, Burt Lancaster, Doris Day, Robert Wagner, Kim Novak, Otto Preminger, Raquel Welch, Stanley Kramer, Jane Russell, Shelley Winters, Fred Zinnemann, Shirley MacLaine, Deborah Kerr, and Sinatra himself Unseen Kodachrome portraits, in full color, digitally restored from their original transparencies Never-before-seen photos taken on the sets of From Here to Eternity, Young at Heart, Guys and Dolls, The Man With the Golden Arm, Sergeants 3, and The Manchurian Candidate Rare publicity and set photography scanned from their original 35mm, 2 1/4", 4x5" and 8x10" format negatives On-set candids and production photos of Sinatra with Marlon Brando, Kim Novak, Montgomery Clift, Doris Day, Dean Martin, Grace Kelly, Gary Cooper, Sophia Loren, Rita Hayworth, Groucho Marx, Natalie Wood, Spencer Tracy, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, Anita Ekberg, and many others Previously unpublished photos by Bob Willoughby, Sid Avery, Zinn Arthur, William Read Woodfield, Al St. Hilaire, and others Restored vintage magazine covers, international movie posters, lobby cards, press photo captions, and other promotional ephemera