Well, these stamps got my mind in a rambling mode and my fingers surfing. I thought about Frank’s 1968 film The Detective (based on the book by Roderick Thorp), which I owned on laser disc back in the day. I played the old movie for a bunch of hardened MPs at Ft. Campbell Kentucky and they ended up thinking Ol' Blue Eyes was pretty cool. (Hard to believe that was 15 years ago!) What I didn’t realize before my Internet search was The Detective spurred a 1979 sequel by Thorp called Nothing Lasts Forever. This book was made into the movie Die Hard starring Bruce Willis. Two other Thorp novels, Devlin and Rainbow Drive, became TV movies.
Of course, Sinatra contributed quite a few movies to the detective genre including: Tony Rome (1967), Lady in Cement (1968), and The First Deadly Sin (1980). He also turned down some interesting parts. He was scheduled to star in Harper (1966; based on Ross MacDonald’s The Moving Target) and as a San Francisco Police Department detective in Dirty Harry (1971). My favorite Sinatra hard boiled role was on the small screen in Magnum PI. Sinatra plays retired New York City cop Sgt. Doheny whose granddaughter is sexually molested by two sadistic sexual predators. Doheny traces them to Hawaii where one is run over by a bus while Doheny is chasing him. He enlists Magnum’s help to find the other but he informs Magnum (Tom Selleck) that he will kill the other murderer and Magnum accompanies him, hoping to find the killer first and spare Doheny from a murder charge. The episode, titled "Laura", was featured in the seventh season.
So that’s how my mind wanders and how I've become a pseudo-stamp collector. I see Bette Davis has a stamp unveiled this week. My carpal tunnel challenged fingers are already typing What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? into the keyboard...
14 comments:
I saw that episode of Magnum PI. Never watched many Sinatra movies, though. Lana likes his music but I'm afraid I can't handle it.
Thanks for helping to keep my employed.
I watched quite a few Sinatra movies.
I liked Lady in Cement and I thought that Suddenly was pretty good as well. Saw bits and pieces of The Man with The Golden Arm.
Always thought that Sinatra was one of those rare singers who transitioned quite nicely into the silver screen. Not too many can do that nowadays.
I heard an interesting observation on the American Master series re: Davis v. Crawford. Crawford acted naturally on screen but was a drama queen in real life. Davis was over the top on screen but was very natural in real life. Intersting.
Charles, Lana has great taste. I grew up with a Mom that liked Sinatra. Dad liked Johnny Cash. My older sister liked Pink Floyd. I can go from Another Brick in the Wall to Strangers in the Night.
Travis, glad to be of help.
Georgie b, My favorite Sinatra movie is The Manchurian Candidate. I do like the Tony Rome movies quite a bit.
Patti, That is interesting. They were so good together in Baby Jane. It must have been quite a chore for the director working with them on the set.
I have a "Jazz Masters" stamp collection from about 13 years ago. It came with a CD of Warner Bros. artists doing covers of classic tunes. I have no idea how much it is worth, though I've been tempted over the years to send a "Charles Mingus/Thelonious Monk" letter to someone!
Nice call on "Sketches of Spain." That's a good one.
do you know which season of Magnum the Sinatra episode was from? I watched Detective a few nights ago and will review it on my blog soon. Was surprised at how hard hitting it was. The scene where Sinatra gets information from the gay guy by comforting him is amazing.
Got the two Tony Rome films but not seen them yet.
Archavist, It's from the seventh season. If I remember correctly it features a long sequence with the Genesis song Tonight, Tonight, Tonight.
@David
"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight"? Is there a subject on this blog that isn't near and dear to my heart? LOL
I love Genesis, even Invisible Touch era. That must've beena weird episode, though, if it had a sequence with "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight." Eerie song, that.
That comment above is me, actually. I can't figure out how to get rid of the "Chris" that's associated with a now-defunct blog.
Chris, Before Miami Vice, Magnum PI used covers of popular rock songs (probably to save money), but this episode was the first time they used an original track. The episode has Magnum and crew plus Sinatra at night tracking down the killer with that great music accompanying the scene. Hopefully they kept the Genesis version for the dvd. I've heard where other shows, like WKRP, have released dvds and inserted covers for the original music or edited it out alltogether.
Geez-Imagine that DL and Sinatra! I would have never guessed. I remember your fascination with Sinatra when we first became friends
I have seen very few Frank Sinatra movies. And I have Netflix...
I'm always wanted to be a stamp collector. But you've done more than I have.
Fun, rambling post.
Rose, Yes I have been a fan for at least 25 years and usually carry a Frank cd in my collection. Since Swingers(1996)Sinatra and the Rat Pack have enjoyed a healthy resurgence. I couldn't be happier.
Barrie, Sinatra movies to check out are From Here to Eternity, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Detective.
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