His Way_ The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra - Kitty Kelley [120]
Frank returned to the States knowing that his marriage was in precarious shape, but he believed that everything would work out after he completed the forty-one days of shooting required for From Here to Eternity.
Frank was humbled to be working with such accomplished actors as Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, and Donna Reed. He was especially impressed with Monty Clift, who was playing Prewitt, his best friend in the film. Clift, a handsome but troubled man, possessed immense screen presence and tried for perfection in his role. For weeks before filming started he had been studying with Manny Klein, a well-known trumpeter, to learn how to play the bugle. Although he made no sounds on film, he was determined to make his throat and mouth movements on screen look exactly right. Monty also jogged every day to stay in shape for his fight scenes. He worked out regularly with a trainer and took boxing lessons from an ex-fighter, Mushy Calahan. He also boxed with the author of From Here to Eternity, James Jones, who had once been a Golden Gloves contender.
Frank hadn’t seen this kind of driving perfectionism since Gene Kelly’s unsparing dance drills at MGM. Monty even had an acting coach who worked with Clift and Frank together on their scenes. “Monty was so intense about being Prewitt, he raised the level of the other actors,” said Fred Zinnemann. “He cared so much, they started caring.”
Clift also intimidated everyone in the cast. “The only time I was ever really afraid as an actor was that first scene with Clift,” said Burt Lancaster. “It was my scene, understand: I was the sergeant, I gave the orders, he was just a private under me. Well, when we started, I couldn’t stop my knees from shaking. I thought they might have to stop because my trembling would show. But I’d never worked with an actor with Clift’s power before; I was afraid he was going to blow me right off the screen.”
Shooting began in Hollywood on March 2, 1953, and moved to Hawaii for the exterior scenes at Schofield Army Barracks. The first day the cast was assembled, Zinnemann introduced Frank to the unit publicist, Walter Shenson.
“I went over to shake his hand and to say that I was going to be the publicity man on the film,” said Shenson. “I asked him who his press agent was, and he said he didn’t have one. I couldn’t believe it. ‘But who’s putting all that stuff in the papers that I’ve been reading about you wanting the part and going after it and flying in for tests and flying back to Africa and all that stuff?’
“ ‘I did all that with Ava’s help,’ said Frank. ‘She’d call Harry Cohn to lean on him, and then I’d call Louella Parsons, and later we’d both call Hedda Hopper.’
“I congratulated him on a splendid publicity campaign and told him that I could do a lot for him if he’d just behave himself with the press. He was a pussycat. ‘Whatever you say, kid, whatever you say,’ he said. So I started bringing around news people to interview him. A couple of times he said, ‘I won’t talk to that one. He was rude to Ava.’ Then I’d remind him of his promise to cooperate, and he’d be a charmer.
“One day, I got a call from a press guy saying that the government had just released a statement that Frank owed $109,000 in back taxes. He wanted a comment from Sinatra, so I went to his trailer and told him. He looked at me very calmly and said, ‘You don’t think this is news, do you? If you owe $109,000, you know about it.’ I explained that I was getting phone calls from the press wanting a statement. He said to tell them anything I wanted. ‘If I do,’ I said, ‘it will have to be a quote from you.’ ‘Go ahead,’ he said. ‘Tell them whatever you want.’
“ ‘Surely your lawyers and accountants are working with the government,