Product Description

They had ' 'the world on a string' '. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, known as ' 'The Rat Pack' ' set the style and the pace for 1950's America as the nation roller coastered its way towards the swinging '60s. But can the high life last forever? If Frank and the boys have their way by electing John F. Kennedy, the party has only just begun.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15573 in DVD
• Brand: EMI
• Released on: 1998-12-22
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20 pounds
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Hey, chicky baby--it's a cuckoo thing, ya dig? You, too, will find yourself speaking Rat Pack lingo after watching this made-for-HBO biopic about that brief and shining moment when Camelot met Hoboken-on-the-Pacific. The film does a good job of capturing the heady, anything-goes feel of the late-1950s, early-1960s era when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and their running buddies ruled Hollywood, Las Vegas, and, it seemed, the world. The story centers on Sinatra's relationship with John F. Kennedy (William F. Petersen) before and after he was elected president. It's not particularly flattering to either man, as Sinatra pimps Kennedy into a relationship with Judith Campbell, at the same time she was the favorite consort of mob boss Sam Giancana. Ray Liotta is a forceful Sinatra (though it's not much of an impression); Joe Mantegna has the look and the sound of the surprisingly sober Dean Martin; and Don Cheadle does a great job as the racially conflicted Sammy Davis Jr. Not great cinema but it's never less than engrossing. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Flawed but Fun
OK, so there are several problems with this 1998, sensationalist tale of Sinatra, his cronies, JFK and the mob. But, flawed as it may be, there is enough here to make it worth watching.
The major issue is the fact that Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, JFK, RFK, etc., etc. were so visible on screen back in the day and their images are forever preserved in peoples minds and memories forever. So when one sees a film like this, and they see contemporary actors playing historical figures of just a few decades ago, it doesn't always sit well with the viewer. Right off the bat, the cards were stacked against this film. Hell, in that respect it would be easier to make a film about Helen of Troy than Ol' Blue Eyes (We don't know for sure what she looked like, but we know she was attractive enough to launcha thousand ships).
The other issue was that Sinatra himself and his people tried desperately to a put a stop to this film. This is rather odd. Though he's hardly portrayed in the most positive light, he comes across much better here than he did in the 1992 miniseries which was authorized by Sinatra and produced by his daughter. Odd. At least here, Sinatra is seen as being someone who would do anything and everything for his friends.
Really, the plot focuses on Frank and the boys having the time of their lives as they quickly come together, film "Oceans Eleven," help elect Kennedy, and live large. Though their peak lasts only so long, it sure looked like a lot of fun.
Ray Liotta does a great job as the Chairman of the Board. He perfecty captures Sinatra's erratic behavior, volatile personality and borderline manic-depressive personality. He may seem, to some, like an odd choice, but check him out. You will be impressed.
Joe Mantegna tries his best to capture the essence of Dean Martin- an impossible task. While he looks and talks the part quite well, he never seems fully at ease in the role. Still, one must applaud his effort. Not even those closest to Dino knew him that well, so it can't be easy for any actor to truly get inside this enigmatic character.
Don Cheadle is quite good as Davis. Davis' voice and gestures have been so mocked over the years that it would be easy to play this character as a total caricature, but Cheadle brings tremendous heart to this role.
Speaking of caricatures, check out the Kennedy brothers! They may look the parts, but the actors are far from convincing (especially their awful faux-Boston accents).
Perhaps the real find here is Angus MacFayden as Peter Lawford. Not does he only bare a striking resemblance to him, but MacFayden seems to embody this troubled and tragic figure perfectly (Lawford was Sinatra's liason to JFK). His final confrontation with Liotta, at the very end of the film, is explosive and well worth the wait.
Critics may have reached their vedict prematurely on this film, claiming it to be a travesty and a poor depiction of somebody who is regarded as Hollywood royalty. At the end of the day, though, it is just a film and an entertaining one at that. It won't erase your memories of these pop-culture icons, but it will sure make you look at them from a different persepctive.

Entertainment 4 stars, accuracy 2 stars maybe
This movie is indeed good entertainment and nothing more than that. It somewhat captures the swinging late 50s and early 60s before the onslaught of the Beatles changed the music industry forever.

There are a bunch of half truths and rumors in here but the movie is fun to watch anyway if you take it with a grain of salt. For example, by early 1962, Sinatra was no longer at CAPITOL and the song ONE FOR MY BABY was recorded at CAPITOL in 1958.

None of the rat pack except maybe Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford's character closely resemble the real legends in looks and speaking voice.

As stated earlier, this is a good half truth, half fiction movie.

Great Movie - Even If A Little Hard To Follow
As with most HBO productions, this movie is excellent. The story covers the lives of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and John F. Kennedy through the late 50's and early 60's. Although the focus is on these main characters,we also get the likes of Joey Bishop, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Ava Gardner, and Sam Giancana - all portrayed wonderfully by a very talented cast.

As for the acting:

-Ray Liotta is, as always, a fantastic actor who captured the character, if not the mannerisms, of Frank Sinatra. Liotta's speaking voice is too high-pitched to make a believable transition from the many musical numbers which are performed. But he does capture the essence of Frank's on-screen persona.
-Don Cheadle is dead-on as Sammy Davis Jr. He got the moves, the speech, and the quirks all down to a science. He is clearly the most believable character.
-Joe Mantegna was, for me, the biggest disappointment of the movie. Don't get me wrong, he mastered the whole nonchalant, "not a care in the world" personality that made Dino famous. But his voice had too much of a "Barney Rubble" quality for my liking. I found it to be too distracting.
-Honorable mentions should also go out to Angus MacFadyen for his terrific portrayal of Peter Lawford, both in looks and demeanor, and also to William Petersen for his right-on imitation of JFK.

As for the plot:

The movie spins a very controversial tale. Whether it is true or not, the following is clearly implied by the script:

-Frank Sinatra is tied very closely to the mob and, as a result, was treated like a King by his peers. He also wanted desparately to be liked by JFK.
-Peter Lawford was a sad, sniveling coward in front of Frank. He comes off as being afraid of his own shadow.
-Dean Martin was a loner who kept his distance from women, politics, and organized crime. But certainly not from booze.
-Sammy Davis was fighting his own inner battle over the racist jokes that were poked at him throughout the Rat Pack gigs.
-JFK was elected as a direct result of Frank's connections with the mob. He is portrayed as a fast living playboy who loved to sleep around.

How much of this is true? I really can't say. But, one thing is for sure: This movie delivers some pretty powerful messages through its story which, to some fans of the Rat Pack, may border on being "more than we needed to know".

In Conclusion:

This is a well-made movie with many subplots and many underlying implications. In some ways, this makes the movie a little hard to follow at times. Especially when you are expecting to see a movie about entertainers - not politicians. And in the end, that's what you get the most of - politics. So, in summary, the movie is very well acted and very well written, but may be a little heavy for the average Rat Pack fan.