• The Rat Pack rareandcollectibledvds
1 1

rareandcollectibledvds

The Rat Pack

The Rat Pack

$10.45 AUD
$10.45 AUD
Sale Sold out
Material
Before you ORDER please check do you wish to order a DVD or a Digital Download file
For DVD use the GET DVD Button
For a Digital Download use the DOWNLOAD Button

The Rat Pack : Storyline


The Rat Pack, In the 1950s and 1960s Frank Sinatra was the head of the infamous “Rat Pack”. He, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop worked and played together. This film dramatizes their volatile relationships with each other and the Kennedys, Marilyn Monroe, mobster Sam Giancana, Judith Campbell Exner and the FBI. Sinatra helps John F. Kennedy get elected in 1960 with a little help from Giancana. Lawford, married to a Kennedy, is an unhappy go-between. Davis is fighting racism and insecurity. Campbell is sleeping with both Giancana and JFK who is also sleeping with Monroe.

HBO Does Another Good Job
 
The Rat Pack, 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.


Fascinating look at the Sixties.
 
Most of us of a certain age will remember the events in this movie as newspaper headlines. I have no idea how much fictionalisation there is but the film does capture the mood of the time and the sleazy blend of Las Vegas show business, gangsterism and American politics. There is no attempt to get look alikes for the main roles but their personalities are suggested rather cleverly. In the smaller roles I thought Dan O’Herlihy was a standout as the evil, conniving Joe Kennedy. The musical numbers are well integrated into the plot and nicely done.

View full details