His Way_ The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra - Kitty Kelley [316]
CHAPTER 24
The kidnapping of Frank Sinatra, Jr., has been well documented in The New York Times, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, New York Post, Herald-Tribune, and Daily News. In addition, the author interviewed Frank Sinatra, Jr. on January 15, 1983, Peter Lawford, Ed Pucci on April 13, 1984, one of the federal agents who worked on the case and requested anonymity, Nelson Riddle, and Robert Carl Cohen on March 17, 1984, and also read the record of the trial of the kidnappers. Robert Carl Cohen wrote a screenplay about the episode entitled I Kidnapped Frank Sinatra, Jr.: The Full Confession by the Perpetrator of One of the Century’s Most Controversial Crimes, a copy of which he allowed the author to read.
Other information in this chapter was obtained from interviews with Patricia Bosworth on December 15, 1983, Corinne Entratter, Chuck Moses, Brad Dexter on April 8, 9, 13, 25, May 25, June 28, 29, September 9, 21, December 11, 1984, and February 10, 1985.
In his autobiography, An Open Book, New York: Knopf, 1980, John Huston wrote: “Later, when I was editing a picture in Rome, I heard that [George C.] Scott broke into Ava’s suite at the Savoy, which caused a scandal. When she came back to the United States, I think Frankie Sinatra commissioned a couple of his lads to go around with her.” At the same time, Frank was quoted in Photoplay, April 1965: “If there’s one guy I don’t tolerate, it’s a guy who mistreats women. They are the real bullies in life and what they need is a real working over by a man their own size.” Stories circulated that after beating up on Ava, Scott returned to his hotel room and found that all of his shirts and sweaters and suits had been cut off at the shoulders.
Among his friends, Frank was renowned for sending telegrams. On the day Lady Adele Beatty, one of his former lovers, married Stanley Donen, Frank sent her an unsigned wire, saying: HOW COULD YOU?
CHAPTER 25
Sinatra’s relationship with Mia Farrow has been widely discussed in, among other places, the Ladies’ Home Journal, New York Post, Life, Photoplay, Seventeen, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and the New York Journal-American. The New York Post reported that when Robert Vaughn was on the $10,000 Pyramid television game show, he wanted to give his partner a clue to the word “Sinatra.” In the excitement he said, “Mia Farrow’s father.” His partner said, “Oh, sure, Frank Sinatra” and won!
Regarding Sinatra’s physical fights with others, Richard Condon said, “Frank once told me that the only way to negotiate a dispute figuratively was to kick the disputant in the ankle and as he hopped on one foot, holding the injured foot, to belt him soundly across the chops.”
Other material in this chapter was derived from, among other sources, interviews with Brad Dexter, Franklin Fox on April 18, 1984, Corinne Entratter, George Jacobs, Laurence Eisenberg on October 24 and November 1, 1983, Edith Mayer Goetz, and a member of Frederic Weisman’s family who requested anonymity.
In an interview with Alan Horowitz on April 5, 1984, Horowitz told the author:
“Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen originally wrote that song [‘September of My Years’] that way for Frank but they got scared and changed it to “September of His Years” because the other way sounded like Frank was getting old. When Sammy went to play it for Sinatra, he changed it back.”
Various other newspapers, magazines, files, and books were also consulted.
CHAPTER 26
Material in this chapter was obtained from interviews with a number of people, including Brad Dexter, a woman who lived with Jimmy Van Heusen, Jim Mahoney on June 22, 1983, Jackie Mason on December 20, 1983, Edmund (Pat) Brown, Sandi Grant Bennett on June 7 and July 7, 1983, Shecky Greene, David Susskind on February 2 and April 5, 1984, William Hundley on October 28, 1985, Joseph Shimon, and George Franklin on June 30, 1983.
The author also examined the Las Vegas Sheriffs office records and reports, Justice Department files on Joe Fischetti, and numerous newspaper articles and books.
Sinatra put his friends in the movie Tony