Sinatra in Hollywood 1940-1964

Better make room on the bookshelf, baby, 'cause nearly all of these 160 tracks have never been on CD, and a bunch of 'em never even on vinyl! Here are the original film versions of such Sinatra standards as Night and Day; All or Nothing at All; Time After Time; New York, New York; On the Town; All of Me; From Here to Eternity; Three Coins in the Fountain; Someone to Watch over Me; and more, many (because of the film studios' recording innovations) in stereo for the first time. And the rarities are juicy-a 1947 radio interview for The Kissing Bandit ; 1951 promos/spots for Meet Danny Wilson ; a 1953 Sinatra/Donna Reed interview for From Here to Eternity ; Lucky Strike promo spots, and more! The packaging is of keepsake quality. Monumental! It's hard to imagine any facet of Sinatra's career that hasn't already been explored ad infinitum, but that's just what Rhino has done in this massive, six-disc retrospective that chronicles the Chairman's long association with Hollywood. While most are aware of Sinatra's earning his Tinseltown credibility via From Here to Eternity and The Man with the Golden Arm, his career in films stretched all the way back to 1941's prescient Las Vegas Story. This is quite literally a treasure trove for Sinatra fans. Fully 90 percent of the 160 songs, interviews, and promotional pieces included have never been commercially available before. It is, in a sense, the history of a parallel Sinatra universe, often sharply different--especially after he became a bona fide box office attraction--from the recording career it accompanied. While much of the early material displays the easygoing crooner-teen heartthrob who can often seem like yet another totally different Sinatra persona, the vibrant swing of WWII clearly begins to push him to greater heights. From precious, fly-on-the-wall moments (Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby goofing their way through a Robin and the 7 Hoods tracking session) to Frank hammering Broadway fare into his own likeness (Guys and Dolls, Carousel, On the Town, Finian's Rainbow) and the swinging heights of Pal Joey and The Joker Is Wild, this set offers a remarkably complete chronology of a crucial facet of the singer's legendary accomplishments. Insightful liner notes written by Leonard Maltin, Michael Feinstein, Will Friedwald, Didier C. Deutsch, Scott Nollen, and anthology producer Charles Granata help to focus the set's sprawling scope. -Jerry McCulley

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