His Way_ The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra - Kitty Kelley [309]
In one of two interviews with Mitch Miller in November 1983, Mr. Miller told the author, “Jimmy Van Heusen once canceled dinner with me by saying, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got to eat with the Monster.’ Everyone called Sinatra the Monster.”
CHAPTER 7
Much of the material in this chapter comes from author interviews with, among others, Fred “Tamby” Tambarro, Nick Sevano, Ben Barton on July 8 and 13, 1983; Minnie Cardinale on February 19, 1983; Connie Cappadona on September 27, 1984; Richie Shirak on January 22, 1983, and Joey (GiGi) Lissa on January 21, 1983. The author also used several published news articles and books.
CHAPTER 8
The author gathered information on the early years of Sinatra’s success from many sources, particularly interviews with Marian Brush Schreiber, Mary Lou Watts, and Tony Macagnano and articles in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, PM, Look, Boston Post, New York World Telegram, Hollywood Reporter, and New York Post.
CHAPTER 9
The story of Sinatra’s war years was obtained from interviews with Phil Silvers on March 14, 1984, Jo-Carroll Silvers on March 15, 18, 19, 27, 1983, and Sammy Cahn. The author also had access to an oral history taped by Jack Keller. Several articles and books were also used.
CHAPTER 10
Material on Sinatra’s early years at MGM was obtained from several sources, among them files at MGM examined by the author and many published accounts, including John Douglas Eames’s The MGM Story, New York: Crown, 1979, and Earl Wilson’s Sinatra, New York: New American Library, 1976, as well as other articles and interviews. Among the sources for Sinatra’s friendship with Joe Fischetti, his trip to Havana and the resulting publicity were MGM files, Joe Fischetti’s FBI files (obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request) in which Fischetti told agents in 1963 that he had known Sinatra for twenty-five years since they were “kids,” and Jack Keller’s oral history tapes as well as numerous books and newspaper articles. Among these were Ovid Demaris’s The Green Felt Jungle, New York: Trident Press, 1963; David Hanna’s The Lucky Luciano inheritance, New York: Belmont Tower Books, 1975; Feder and Joesten’s The Luciano Story, New York: Award Books, 1972; Eisenberg, Dan, Landau’s Meyer Lansky: Mogul of the Mob, New York and London: Paddington Press, 1979; John Rockwell’s Sinatra: An American Classic, New York: Rolling Stone Press, 1984; and articles in the New York World Telegram, New York Post, New York Sun, Havana Post, and Los Angeles Times.
As to MGM legal files, a daily production report is prepared by the assistant director and is a day-to-day report that tells who worked, both cast and crew, the period they worked, and any comments about the day’s activities.
Other information in this chapter, including Sinatra’s feud with Lee Mortimer, was documented by reference to Jack Keller’s oral history tapes, interviews with John Hearst, Jr., on November 4, 1983, William Randolph Hearst on November 1, 1983, Anna Carroll, Hearst’s secretary, on November 6, 1983, Mel Tormé on April 18, 1984, Anna Spatolla Sinatra, Phil Evans on January 31, 1986, and Betty Garrett on July 30, 1983. The author also used Bill Davidson’s The Real and The Unreal, New York: Harper & Bros., 1957, Charles Higham’s Ava, New York: Delacorte Press, 1974, and several articles about Ava Gardner. The author also examined arrest records in Hudson County Courthouse.
CHAPTER 11
Background information about Ava Gardner was obtained from Higham’s book, Ava, as well as Flamini’s book, also entitled Ava, New York: Coward, McCann, and Geoghegan, 1983, and John Daniella Ava Gardner, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1982. Other information in this chapter on Sinatra and Gardner was obtained from many sources as well as these three books, among them, interviews with Nick Sevano, Betty Burns Paps on March 11 and April 18, 1984, Anita Colby