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November 1952, Frank Sinatra drives golf balls at the Desert Inn Country Club golf course. In 1954 he sells tickets at a Las Vegas premiere of "Suddenly." In 1956, with Lauren Bacall (below) and Kim Novak at the Sands Hotel.
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 t was a birthday party befitting the king of Las Vegas entertainment.Hundreds of friends, family and fans were on hand at the Desert Inn resort in December 1992 for a birthday gala honoring Frank Sinatra, The Chairman of the Board. Sinatra mesmerized his audience with his trademark saloon songs, then offered a moving rendition of "The House I Live In," a poignant song about the American dream. During the long ovation that followed - -one of a half-dozen standing ovations he received during the 90-minute tribute - Sinatra wiped a tear from his eye. "Thank you for helping me celebrate a very important birthday because there aren't many left," he said, drawing moans from the capacity crowd. As the emotion-filled evening ended, Sinatra offered a toast to his audience. "May you live well for 500 years," he told the crowd, "and may the last voice you hear be mine." The setting was ironic -- And appropriate. Sinatra first performed in Las Vegas at the Desert Inn 41 years earlier, in September 1951. He would move a block up the Strip to the Sands two years later.
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In the waning years of the '50s, Sinatra committed to
film a movie in Las Vegas entitled "Oceans Eleven." It
would feature The Chairman and four of his closest show biz friends-
Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. The
five would become known as the Rat Pack, and would leave an indelible
imprint on Las Vegas entertainment. Sinatra later moved to Caesars Palace, where he continued to dominate the Las Vegas entertainment scene. In March 1982 the Caesars marquee read "SINATRA --Frank & Nancy". The attractive blond who earned her own show business niche in 1966 with "These Boots Are Made For Walking" was opening for her famous dad, but this particular evening wasn't going well. Nancy was having trouble with two errant eyelashes and excused herself from an interview when a backstage speaker droned "15 minutes." "When you're opening a show for the world's greatest entertainer, you have to be on time - with or without eyelashes," she laughed, winding up an interview. "Opening a show late is the only sin in the world to him. He can't stand it." Frank Sinatra died May 14, 1998 of a heart attack at his Palm Springs, Calif. home. Former Mirage Resort Chairman Steve Wynn, who had years earlier cut classic commercials with Sinatra for Golden Nugget resorts in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, had some special words about Sinatra upon learning of his death. |
