Rat Pack

Left to right: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop in Las Vegas

The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made movies and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues.

They originated as a group of A-list show business friends who met casually at the Los Angeles home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

1950's

The name "Rat Pack" was first used to refer to a group of friends in New York, and several explanations have been offered for the name. According to one version, Lauren Bacall saw her husband Humphrey Bogart and his friends returning from a night in Las Vegas and said, "You look like a goddamn rat pack." "Rat Pack" may also be a shortened version of "Holmby Hills Rat Pack", a reference to the home of Bogart and Bacall which served as a regular hangout. The name may also refer to the belief that an established pack of rats will belligerently reject an outsider who tries to join them. Judy Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft, tells the story that a certain gossip columnist (probably Hedda Hopper) wanted to be invited to the group's parties. The group didn't want their private parties becoming the subject of the writer's next column, and so the columnist was never invited. Later, she was said to have written about "that rat pack in Holmby Hills" which Garland found incredibly funny. Garland later had stick pins made for the group in the shape of rats with rubies for eyes. Thus, the "Rat Pack" was born.

Visiting members included Errol Flynn, Ava Gardner, Nat King Cole, Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne , Jerry Lewis, and Cesar Romero. According to Stephen Bogart, the original members of the Holmby Hills Rat Pack were Frank Sinatra (pack master), Judy Garland (first vice-president), Sid Luft (cage master), Bogart (rat in charge of public relations), Swifty Lazar (recording secretary and treasurer), Nathaniel Benchley (historian), David Niven, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, George Cukor, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, and Jimmy Van Heusen.

1960s

Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra

The 1960s version of the group included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Juliet Prowse, Buddy Greco, and Shirley MacLaine were often referred to as the "Rat Pack Mascots". Comedian Don Rickles wrote that "I never received an official membership card, but Frank made me feel part of the fun.". The post-Bogart version of the group was reportedly never called that name by any of its members - they called it the Summit or the Clan. "The Rat Pack" was a term used by journalists and outsiders, although it remains the lasting name for the group.

Peter Lawford was a brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy (dubbed "Brother-in-Lawford" by Sinatra) and Kennedy spent time with Frank Sinatra and the others when he visited Las Vegas, during which members sometimes referred to the group as "the Jack Pack". As a result of Lawford's relation to Kennedy and Sinatra's connections to the Mafia, and the role the group played in campaigning for Kennedy and the Democrats, the Rat Pack had not only influence in entertainment and social circles but some influence politically as well. Sinatra expected that he would be part of Kennedy's circle after the election but was excluded, which in turn led to Peter Lawford's exclusion from the group after 1962. Lawford's role in "Robin and the Seven Hoods" was given to Bing Crosby and spiced up with several songs. (It wasn't the first time Sinatra had treated a Rat Packer that way; Davis's role in "Never So Few" was given to Steve McQueen when Sinatra and Davis had a temporary falling-out.)

Rat Pack members played a role in campaigning for Kennedy and the Democrats, appearing at the July 1960 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Los Angeles. Lawford asked Sinatra if he would have Kennedy as a guest at his Palm Springs house in March 1962, and Sinatra went to great lengths to accommodate the President, including the construction of a helipad. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy advised his brother to sever his ties to Sinatra because of his association with Mafia figures such as Sam Giancana, and he canceled the visit. Kennedy instead stayed at Bing Crosby's estate, which further infuriated Sinatra. Lawford was blamed for this, and Sinatra "never again had a good word" for him. Lawford's role was written out of the upcoming film "4 for Texas", and his part in "Robin and the 7 Hoods" was given to Bing Crosby.

The Rat Pack often performed in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was instrumental in the rise of Las Vegas as a popular entertainment destination. They played an important role in the desegregation of Las Vegas hotels and casinos in the early 1960s. Sinatra and the others would refuse to play in or patronize those establishments that would not give full service to African American entertainers including Davis. Once Rat Pack appearances became popular and the subject of media attention, the Las Vegas properties were forced to abandon segregation-based policies.

Sinatra and friends had no idea this band of five would make entertainment history. The group was remarkable for its upbeat entertainment style and smooth musical and comedy routines, many of which were ad-libbed. Davis said when Sinatra called the initial gathering of the Rat Pack, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, French President Charles de Gaulle, and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was planning a Paris Summit Conference. Not to be outdone, Sinatra observed, "We'll have our own little Summit meeting." The Vegas Summit did not draw diplomats, but it did draw high rollers, VIPs, celebrities, and entertainment buffs, who responded by the thousands.

Often, when one of the members was scheduled to give a performance, the rest of the Pack would show up for an impromptu show, causing much excitement amongst audiences resulting in return visits. They sold out almost all of their appearances, and people would come pouring into Las Vegas, sometimes sleeping in cars and hotel lobbies when they could not find rooms, just to be part of the Rat Pack's entertainment experience. The marquees of the hotels at which they were performing as individuals might read "DEAN MARTIN - MAYBE FRANK - MAYBE SAMMY."

Although the Rat Pack members remained close (with the exception of Peter Lawford), the Rat Pack began to fade in popularity with the rise of the 1960s counterculture, which sent their form of sophisticated "Establishment" entertainment into decline. While its individual members remained hugely popular with the public, the Rat Pack, as such, had ceased to exist by the end of the 1960s.

Dean and Sammy appeared together in the movie Cannonball Run and later were joined by Frank in the movie Cannonball Run II. This would be the last time that Frank, Dean and Sammy would appear in a movie together.

Peter Lawford died on December 24, 1984 of cardiac arrest complicated by kidney and liver failure, at the age of 61. Sammy Davis Jr. died on May 16, 1990, of complications from throat cancer. Dean Martin died at home on Christmas morning 1995. Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998. Joey Bishop was the last surviving of the Rat Pack members until he died on October 17, 2007.

Revival

Early 1980s album cover

Sinatra, Davis, and Martin announced a 29-date tour called "Together Again" in December 1987. At the press conference to announce the tour, Martin joked about calling it off, and Sinatra rebuked a reporter for using the term "Rat Pack", referring to it as "that stupid phrase". The tour was fraught with difficulties as Martin's son had died in a plane crash earlier that year, and he left the tour after only three shows and was replaced by Liza Minnelli.

"The Rat Pack" was a 1998 TV movie about the group. The movie featured Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr., Bobby Slayton as Joey Bishop, and Angus MacFadyen as Peter Lawford. In a smaller role was William Petersen as President John F. Kennedy.

The production of the film was part of a "Rat Pack Revival." Currently, Rat Pack movies, recordings, and filmed performances are again very popular. This reinvigorated popularity led to a memorable remake of "Ocean's Eleven" starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner, and a sequel, "Ocean's Twelve", with the same cast as well as Catherine Zeta Jones. Ocean's Thirteen, a second sequel, features the original cast (except Roberts) as well as Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino.

Dean Martin's son Dean Paul Martin died in a plane crash in March 1987 on the San Gorgonio Mountain in California, the same mountain where Sinatra's mother was killed in a plane crash ten years earlier. Martin had since become increasingly dependent on alcohol and prescription drugs. Davis had hip replacement surgery two years previously and was estranged from Sinatra because of Davis' use of cocaine. Davis was also experiencing severe financial difficulties and was promised by Sinatra's people that he could earn between six and eight million dollars from the tour.

Martin had not made a film or recorded since 1984 and Sinatra felt that the tour would be good for Martin, telling Davis, "I think it would be great for Dean. Get him out. For that alone it would be worth doing". Sinatra and Davis still performed regularly, yet they had not recorded for several years. Both Sinatra and Martin had made their last film appearances together in 1984's "Cannonball Run II", which also starred Davis. This marked the trio's first feature film appearance since 1964's "Robin and the 7 Hoods". Martin expressed reservations about the tour, wondering whether they could draw as many people as they had in the past. Sinatra and Davis complained during private rehearsals about the lack of black musicians in the orchestra. The tour began at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena on March 13, 1988, to a sold-out crowd of 14,500.

Davis opened the show, followed by Martin and then Sinatra; after an interval, the three performed a medley of songs. During the show, Martin threw a lit cigarette at the audience. He withdrew from the tour after just five shows, citing a flare-up of a kidney problem. Sinatra and Davis continued the tour under the title "The Ultimate Event" with Liza Minnelli replacing Martin as the third member of the trio.

Davis's associate stated that Sinatra's people were skimming the top of the revenues from the concerts, as well as stuffing envelopes full of cash into suitcases after the performances. In August 1989, Davis was diagnosed with throat cancer which caused his death in May 1990. He was buried with a gold watch that Sinatra had given him at the conclusion of The Ultimate Event Tour.

A 1988 performance of "The Ultimate Event" in Detroit was recorded and shown on Showtime the following year as a tribute to the recently deceased Davis. A review in The New York Times praised Davis's performance, describing it as "pure, ebullient, unapologetic show business."

Legacy

Interest in the "Sin City" era of Las Vegas has spawned a number of Rat Pack "tribute" acts, which feature celebrity impersonators performing on stage with musical accompaniment. One such show, "The Rat Pack Is Back: The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey, and Dean", performs nightly at the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino Star Theatre in Las Vegas.

Concerning the group's reputation for womanizing and heavy drinking, Joey Bishop stated in a 1998 interview: "I never saw Frank, Dean, Sammy or Peter drunk during performances. That was only a gag. And do you believe these guys had to chase broads? They had to chase 'em away."

The name of the Rat Pack lives on, leading to the naming of at least two groups following the Rat Pack - the 1980's "Brat Pack", a group of actors starring in many movies about teenagers and teenage life; and the 2000's "Frat Pack", a group of actors starring in movies about college life and popular with college students.

Reputation

Concerning the group's reputation for womanizing and heavy drinking, Joey Bishop stated in a 1998 interview: "I never saw Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy or Peter drunk during performances. That was only a gag! And do you believe these guys had to chase broads? They had to chase 'em away!"

Films

"It Happened in Brooklyn" (1947) (Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford)
"Meet Me in Las Vegas" (1956) (Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. – cameo appearances)
"Some Came Running" (1958) (Sinatra and Dean Martin, co-starring Shirley MacLaine)
"Anna Lucasta" (1958)
"Never So Few" (1959) (Sinatra, Lawford, and initially Davis, who was replaced by Steve McQueen)
"Ocean's 11" (1960) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Joey Bishop, cameo by MacLaine)
"Pepe" (1960) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford, and Bishop – all cameos)
"Sergeants 3" (1962) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford, and Bishop)
"The Road to Hong Kong" (1962) (Sinatra and Martin – cameos)
"Come Blow Your Horn" (1963) (Sinatra; cameo by Martin)
"Johnny Cool" (1963) (Davis and Bishop; Peter Lawford, executive producer; Henry Silva of Ocean's 11 starred)
"4 for Texas" (1963) (Sinatra and Martin)
"Robin and the 7 Hoods" (1964) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, and initially Lawford, who was replaced by Bing Crosby)
"Marriage on the Rocks" (1965) (Sinatra and Martin)
"The Oscar" (1966) (Sinatra uncredited, and Lawford)
"A Man Called Adam" (1966) (Davis and Lawford)
"Texas Across the River" (1966) (Martin and Bishop)
"Salt and Pepper" (1968) (Davis and Lawford)
"One More Time" (1970) (Davis and Lawford)
"The Cannonball Run" (1981) (Martin and Davis)
"Cannonball Run II" (1984) (Sinatra, Martin and Davis, plus MacLaine and Silva)

Shirley MacLaine also had a major supporting role and Frank Sinatra a cameo in the 1956 Oscar-winning film "Around the World in Eighty Days". MacLaine played a Hindu princess who is rescued by and falls in love with David Niven, and Sinatra had a non-speaking, non-singing role as a piano player in a saloon, whose identity is concealed from the viewer until he turns his face toward the camera.

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