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Lot 123
Description:
Very Rare. Only presented to his closest friends & associates
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Exhibited:
- Music, General Literature:
- Memorabilia Medium:
- 565 Circa:
- Collectibles Notes:
- There are only a few 'stars' who shine on through the generations and remain as recognisable today as when they were box office gold or topping the music charts. Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elvis Presley and the Beatles are a few that have endured unlike most of the 'shooting stars' found on 'Hollywood's Walk of Fame' whose light has dimmed through the years and bring blank stares from passing tourists. In the case of Marilyn and James it probably helped that they died relatively young before they fell into a caricature of themselves which was certainly where a jump-suited Elvis was heading before he tragically choked to death on peanut and banana sandwich. And, it was probably lucky that Yoko broke up the Beatles when she did thus insulating their formidable back catalogue of songs from their solo efforts. Another 'artist' that belongs to this 'pantheon of stars' is Frank Sinatra. However, Sinatra is probably unique in the sense that he maintained his 'star status' right up until his death at the age of eighty-two. He was born into a poor Catholic family in Hoboken New Jersey to a father who ran a 'speakeasy' and a mother who worked as a midwife but who supplemented the family income by performing illegal abortions. He definitely started on the wrong side of the tracks and was also acerbic by nature, yet he managed an enduring career in spite of himself first as a 'Bieber-like' singing idol, then as an Academy award winning 'movie star' before morphing into the 'iconic singer' of memorable standards such as 'My Way' and 'New York, New York.' It also probably didn't hurt his career prospects that it was rumoured he was a favourite of 'the mob' which prised open doors that would have been closed to him otherwise. Sinatra was supposedly the inspiration for the 'horse's head scene' in Mario Puzo's 'the Godfather' where mob intimidation secures the Italian singer 'Frank Fontane' a movie role that revives his flagging career. At the backend of his celebrity 'Cranky Franky' travelled the world in a private jet performing his 'standards' to the adoring fans usually accompanied by a large entourage. And, so it was that he was ferried to Australia in 1974 in a private 'G-12 Jet' loaned to him by 'Harrah's Casinos' for a city-hopping tour. He was between marriages on the tour and was accompanied by a bevy of beautiful girls that the local press promptly labelled 'Sinatra's Molls.' In a clumsy retaliatory attempt to square off with local reporters he labelled Australia's women journalists 'buck and a half-hookers' and was promptly hit with a union ban which signalled the end of his tour and left his jet stranded at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport. He escaped to Sydney on a commercial flight where he holed up at the Boulevard Hotel while trying to organise his exit from Australia. To keep journalists and other pesky people at bay his close entourage were provided with a discreet 'Lapel Pin' featuring an angular 'S' which allowed free passage past Sinatra's cordon of bodyguards. This month Smalls Auctions offers a rare 'access pin' owned by the former Manager of Marketing and Public Relations for the Boulevarde Hotel who became a great friend of Sinatra during his enforced stay. He was also central in the negotiations with Bob Hawke (later an Australian Prime Minister) the leader of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in brokering Sinatra's departure for America. The stubborn Sinatra would not apologise but was eventually coerced into issuing a statement of regret for his remarks. Semantics won out on the day and Sinatra returned to America with his reputation as a 'tough guy' preserved. He would later incorporate the incident into his stage banter with the quip - "a funny thing happened in Australia. I made one mistake. I got off the plane." On his return to America he took the Boulevarde's Public Relations Manager with him for an 'all expenses paid' holiday in gratitude for securing his departure and they remained life-long friends, although he still had to wear his pin if he wanted to approach the great one.
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Shipping
AUSTRALIA: Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $5.50 and will be sent by Registered Post. Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.
INTERNATIONAL: Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $20.00 and will be sent by Registered Post International. Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.
Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and require a signature on delivery.
9 February 2020 12:00 AEDT
Paddington, Sydney, Australia
Smalls Auctions
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Bid Increments
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| A$0 | A$249 | A$5 |
| A$250 | A$999 | A$10 |
| A$1,000 | A$4,999 | A$25 |
| A$5,000 | A$9,999 | A$50 |
| A$10,000 + | A$100 |