Sinatra, who died in 1998, performed on more than 1,400 musical recordings, was awarded 31 gold records and earned 10 Grammys. He also made 58 films and won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for From Here to Eternity.  and is recognized as one of the most celebrated, recognisable and controversial figures yet produced by American culture. 

The Sinatra family is involved with the project through his youngest daughter, Tina, who is an executive producer. Tina Sinatra also worked on a five-hour television mini-series about her father in 1992 that won a Golden Globe and an Emmy. 

Hopefully, it will not be another hatchet job. Despite Sinatra's Iconic status resulting from his Incredible Accomplishments, MUCH was made of him as a neglectful father (Constantly on Tour)  and cheating husband  (An Oxymoron, as with cheating wife) who hung out with the mafia, and Kosher Nostra (who owned the biggest Concert Venues, his "bread and butter"), drank to excess,(but Never a Alcoholic, and would "pale" alongside College "binge" drinkers,(another Oxymoron). and, at one crisis point, attempted suicide.( But never was in the Tabloids or Talk Shows with his "Woe is Me" Tale........ If that's the worst they can come up with..... Frank is worthy of Sainthood.!!!!!!

It is amazing how Hollywood will highlight any presumed "shortcomings" of Italian American heroes, and how Hollywood sanitize, humanize or excuse the documented "failings" of  "their own". 

Neither is it helpful when Tina the youngest of the three Sinatra children of his First of Four wives, was only three when her parents divorced,  while Enjoying all the Celebrity and Financial Benefits, from her father, but seems focused only on "his abandoning her", and No attempt to better understand and admire more than his Talent, but his modest beginnings, his determination in scaling overwhelming obstacles, the fickleness of the biz, the up and down cycles, his tenacity while shackled by depression, Sinatra's dealing with derisively being referred to, and treated like  "The WOP" by Jewish Movie Moguls, and so many other exceedingly admirable traits.

 Most of all his compassion. Sinatra played many  benefit shows for Martin Luther King, Jr. , including one at Carnegie Hall, MLK  at one point during a show sat weeping as Sinatra sang. Sinatra more importantly, played a major role in the desegregation of Nevada hotels and casinos in the 1960s. Sinatra led his fellow members of the Rat Pack and label-mates on Reprise in refusing to patronize hotels and casinos that wouldn't allow black singers to play live, or wouldn't allow black patrons entry. He would often speak from the stage on desegregation..Sinatra put his CAREER "On the line" for his compassion, when it WAS a huge gamble !!!!!!!!! 

So those who would focus on Sinatra's love of friends, fun, and women are myopic. 

See more Sinatra at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra 

Martin Scorsese Confirms Long-rumoured Frank Sinatra Biopic

London Times Online
Ben Hoyle, Arts Correspondent in Cannes
May 15, 2009

(Mario Suriani/AP) No firm casting decisions have been yet although Leonardo di Caprio and Johnny Depp have been linked to the title role

His breakthrough film Mean Streets  was a portrait of cocky Italian-Americans involved in organised crime. He went on to craft perhaps the most admired biopic ever made in Raging Bull  and has since made acclaimed films about the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and the blues. 
So it is hard to think of a director better qualified than Martin Scorsese to film the colourful life of a swaggering Italian-American.... who was  a giant of 20th-century popular music. 

Yesterday the director confirmed for the first time to The Times  that he has finally struck a deal to make a long-rumoured film about Frank Sinatra. 

With no date set for the start of production he refused to elaborate but added: "It's been in the works for many years". 

According to reports in the film press the script is by Phil Alden Robinson who scored an Oscar nomination for Field of Dreams, a sentimental baseball drama starring Kevin Costner. 

No firm casting decisions have been made yet for Sinatra although Scorsese's current muse Leonardo Di Caprio and Johnny Depp have both been linked with the title role. 

It is a plum part for whoever gets it: heroic triumphs, stirring comebacks, tempestuous romances, monstrous ambition, great clothes and plenty of wisecracks for comic relief. The challenge will be persuading audiences to accept them as one of the most celebrated, recognisable and controversial figures yet produced by American culture. 

Whether they succeed or fail they will inevitably be seen to have done it their way. 

One probably insurmountable hurdle has been cleared already: the actor won't have to sing like Frank Sinatra. After two years of behind the scenes negotiations Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman, the producers from Universal Pictures and Mandalay Pictures have secured rights to use Sinatra's original recordings in the film from Frank Sinatra Enterprises - a joint venture of the Sinatra Estate and Warner Music Group. 

The Sinatra family is involved with the project through his youngest daughter, Tina, who is an executive producer. 

Sources emphasised that this does not inevitably mean that the singer and actor's less appealing character traits will be airbrushed out of the story: Tina Sinatra also worked on a five-hour television mini-series about her father in 1992 that won a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Made while its subject was still alive it depicted him as a neglectful father and cheating husband who hung out with the mafia, drank to excess, and, at one crisis point, attempted suicide. 

Still, it will not be a hatchet job. According to Schulman "in any family, you're dealing with a precious life, and in this case, you're dealing with an extraordinary life.We knew Scorsese would lead the troops to a true, fair, exciting and entertaining portrait of the man." 

The director's CV includes some biopics (notably Kundun, about the early life of the Dalai Lama) that paint their subject in a notably more colourful light than others (such as The Aviator, with di Caprio as a crazed Howard Hughes). Casino, while not a strict biopic, was criticised for mythologising the thuggish gambling boss whose life story it was based on. 

Sinatra  will be "an unconventional biopic," Schulman said. 

"It's not a cradle-to-the-grave traditional portrait of the consecutive events in a man's life. Instead it's more of a collage and, in many ways, it will feel like an album itself. It's a collection of various moments and impressions in his life and together we hope they'll tell the full story and present full themes." 

Sinatra, who died in 1998, performed on more than 1,400 musical recordings, was awarded 31 gold records and earned 10 Grammys. He also made 58 films and won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for From Here to Eternity. 

At one time Scorsese was in talks to direct a biopic about Sinatra's Rat Pack buddy Dean Martin but the project never came to fruition. 

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_
and_entertainment/film/cannes/article6296820.ece

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (With Archives) on:
[Formerly Italy at St Louis]