Sinatra in Hollywood by Tom Santopietro - Coming to Bookstore in November

Oscar®-winning actor, acclaimed director, and recipient of the Golden Globe Award for lifetime achievement in film, Frank Sinatra carved out one of the biggest careers in the history of Hollywood, yet his screen legacy has often been overshadowed by his achievements as a recording artist. But now, in SINATRA IN HOLLYWOOD (Thomas Dunne Books), Tom Santopietro, acclaimed author of Considering Doris Day and The Importance of Being Barbara, focuses on the film career of this unparalleled star and offers an analytical yet deeply personal look at Sinatra’s screen legend.

SINATRA IN HOLLYWOOD examines two crucial questions about Sinatra’s career: First, was Sinatra a good actor? Says Santopietro: “The answer is no—because he actually was a great actor who, when given the right material, proved himself an artist capable of elucidating the human condition with a depth and range every bit the equal of his work in the recording studio.” Second, just how seriously did Frank Sinatra take his film career? According to Santopietro, he took it very seriously. “Yes, he was the first to joke about cringe-worthy films like Double Dynamite, but contrary to popular, and knee-jerk, reaction, he cared, and cared big time.”

Santopietro writes vividly about Sinatra’s sixty-year career and over 60 films. Drawing on the observations of Sinatra’s contemporaries and the actor’s own self-criticism, he constructs the history of Sinatra’s films, including the musicals (such as Anchors Aweigh and On The Town), the critically acclaimed successes (Pal Joey, The Man with the Golden Arm, Von Ryan’s Express), the failures (The Kissing Bandit, The Pride and the Passion), his “Rat Pack” films (Ocean’s Eleven ranks as the best), as well as his ground-breaking role in The Manchurian Candidate, and his Oscar®-winning triumph in From Here to Eternity. Santopietro also explores Sinatra’s personal life. From his early family history in Hoboken to rumors of Mafia involvement in his career, Santopietro looks honestly and fairly at Sinatra’s rise to the top, his struggle to stay afloat, his ultimate triumph, his marriages to Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow, and what his success cost Sinatra in his personal life.

Although Santopietro touches on Sinatra’s singing career, which was inextricably linked to his acting career and destined to overshadow it, the focus remains on Sinatra, the man and the actor. SINATRA IN HOLLYWOOD is the story of a man with extraordinary talent, drive and savvy who became an idol in his own time and a lasting legend in show business.

“A terrifically lucid and entertaining look at an undervalued area of Sinatra’s achievement….Combining a fan’s ardor and enthusiasm with keen critical insight, [Santopietro] makes the case for Sinatra as a major acting talent…The author analyzes each movie, often scene-by-scene, wittily explaining what works, what doesn’t and why…Santopietro is engagingly thoughtful about the sources of the Sinatra mystique…every aspect of the legend is intelligently addressed…”
- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author:
Tom Santopietro has worked for the past twenty years in the New York theatre as a manager of over two dozen Broadway shows. He is the author of The Importance of Being Barbra and Considering Doris Day.

SINATRA IN HOLLYWOOD will be available from most major bookstores and online book retailers on November 11th.