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Frank Sinatra Timex Show (The): An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra - with Ella Fitzgerald (1959)
R0 - America - Quantum Leap/Music Video Distributors Review written by and copyright: Jari Kovalainen (5th May 2007). |
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The Show
 American entertainment legend Frank Sinatra appeared many times on TV as a singer, guest and a host for various shows, but unlike e.g. his friend Dean Martin with his very popular and long running “The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974)”, his own TV show never really got off the ground. In television Sinatra had 2 seasons worth of "The Frank Sinatra Show" in 1950-1952 (CBS) and also one season in 1957-1958 (ABC). Both were short lived. It has been said that this is partly because Sinatra was a “great singer, but bad emcee”. Sinatra obviously wasn´t “bad”, but he was lacking some features that some other entertainers had back then on TV, which was the “gold age” of variety shows; ultra-coolness and improvisation (Dean Martin), variations - where you could sing, dance and make jokes at the same time (Sammy Davis Jr.) or just sheer professionalism (Bob Hope). Sinatra didn´t really want to rehearse (well, this didn´t stop Dino with his TV-show) and far too often let his ego or his personal issues to overcome his focus on his TV-work (mostly meaning the preparation - the important part of the live TV-show). There are stories how he changed everything in the last minute or just disappeared for a while, just to show who´s boss (in his second show for ABC, he was serving as “executive producer”). The comedy material was also often mediocre writing and although Sinatra couldn´t sing badly even if he had wanted to, the singing alone wasn´t enough to carry 30-60 minute variety show. Speaking of those, Sinatra also did a series of TV “Variety Show Specials” for the ABC Television Network in 1959-1960, sponsored by “Timex”. “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show - An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra” was recorded on December 10, 1959 in Sinatra´s home ground in Palm Springs, California. It was aired December 13 of the same year. The DVD is more bluntly named after the biggest stars of the show; “The Frank Sinatra Show with Ella Fitzgerald”. The show is introduced by the only member of “The Rat Pack” on this particular show; Peter Lawford. He´s already making fun of the weather, since it´s raining heavily on the usually sunny Palm Springs - just when the show was scheduled to be held in outdoors. Soon we enter the modest studio, where Sinatra kicks off the first tune and he and Lawford gives some comedy routine. Although Ella Fitzgerald is the biggest guest star of the show, some others also perform. Along with Lawford, another British born entertainer Hermione Gingold is on board mostly to deliver humour (a “helping hand” to Lawford, so to speak), along with the “close-harmony” male vocal quartet Hi-Lo's. Young dancer and actress Juliet Prowse is also introduced and she was having an affair with Sinatra at the time (they also did the film “Can-Can (1960)” together). Sinatra briefly mentions that film, along with Nikita Khrushchev. The leader of the Soviet Union visited the set of the film and apparently was shocked by its “open sexuality”. The basic setting of the show is quite familiar; Sinatra croons and is making jokes with his guests, who also get a change to perform solo. Usually Sinatra also joins in at least one time with each guest. It´s nice that Sinatra again gives versatile song selection, from ballads (e.g. “It's Alright with Me” and “Here's That Rainy Day”) and jazz (superb - but short version of “Too Marvelous for Words” with Red Norvo's combo) to swing (“I've Got the World on a String”). Perhaps one bombastic killer tune from Sinatra is missing from the show, but I take this selection also. Ella Fitzgerald is not really involved in the comedy routines, since her job is to sing on the show, which she of course does great (her performance is quite low-key, though). Especially “He Loves, She Loves, They Love, I Love You”, arranged by Nelson Riddle was the highlight for me and you can hear how the jazz was sung properly in the old days (also with some “scat”). “Hi-Lo's” give some pleasant “accapella”-style singing and Juliet Prowse gives a decent dance-number (these tend to be a let down and what you could call “filler”). You can see that Sinatra and Prowse have a certain “energy” between them, so when Sinatra sings with her, it´s more like “sexuality” than “romance”. Of course, all very innocent in today´s standards. Original commercials are also included, definitely part of the vintage feel. It´s hard to find anything to really complain about, since if you get passed the naďve props and stripped settings and the certain “limitations” that TV-shows had back then (these performers were always at their best at the live concert, outside the tight foot marks and studio cameras), you should have a very good time with the show. Here´s the song list (not including comedy/dialogue moments): -Frank Sinatra: “You're Invited to Spend the Afternoon” -Frank Sinatra: “I've Got the World on a String” -Timex commercial -Hi-Lo's: “Lazy Afternoon” -Peter Lawford & Hermione Gingold: "Comes to Love, Nothing Can Be Done" -Ella Fitzgerald: "There's a Lull in My Life" -Frank Sinatra (inc. Juliet Prowse): “It's Alright with Me” -Juliet Prowse: “Too Darn Hot” (dance number) -Timex commercial -Frank Sinatra (with Red Norvo): “Too Marvelous for Words” -Frank Sinatra (with Red Norvo): “Here's That Rainy Day” -Ella Fitzgerald: "Just You, Just Me" -Frank Sinatra & Hi-Lo's: "I'll Never Smile Again" -Ella Fitzgerald, feat. Frank Sinatra: "Can't We Be Friends" -Peter Lawford, Hermione Gingold & Juliet Prowse: "Puttin' on the Ritz" -Timex commercial -Ella Fitzgerald: "He Loves, She Loves, They Love, I Love You" -Hi-Lo's: "Love Walked Right In" -Frank Sinatra: “Love is Here to Stay” -Ella Fitzgerald, Peter Lawford & Hermione Gingold, Juliet Prowse and Frank Sinatra: "Love is Sweeping the Country/Gershwin Medley" The show also includes some important musical figures to Sinatra´s career, and serving as producers are songwriter Sammy Cahn and composer Jimmy Van Heusen, and the shows´s musical director is the already mentioned arranger/conducter Nelson Riddle. The show is directed by Bill Colleran.
Video
The transfer is obviously presented in 4:3, and the back cover is quite honest about the quality: “The quality of reproduction may not meet modern technological standards”. This is most definitely true, since B&W transfer is soft, washed out, and lacks detail. There´s also some annoying ghosting (and occasional strange “black halos”) during the fast movement (such as dancing), and occasional dirt, specs and print damage. You´ll also find excessive murkiness. The source was probably a “Kinescope” (filming of a TV screen during the broadcast, a common practice by TV Networks back in the days). In any case, you can see the tape drop-outs at the bottom of the frame (at least without “overscan”), so eventually the DVD is taken from a tape-source. “Single layer” disc is coded “R0”, and there are 19 chapters. Note, that the DVD is originally produced by the UK-based “Quantum Leap”, but distributed in the US by “Music Video Distributors”. I had some issues with the disc with some stand-alone and computer based players, but my main player didn´t give any hiccups.
Audio
The only soundtrack is English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, and it introduces a heavy, quite distracting hiss in the background (with “Pro Logic”, the hiss also moves to the rear channels). Music and dialogue itself is still somewhat clear (so you can at least enjoy the music in some degree), but some distortion can be heard in selected moments. There are also clear lip synch-issues at least during the last medley. There are no subtitles.
Extras
A series of fairly interesting text notes are included: - Frank Sinatra (Biography/ Discography/Website: www.franksinatra.com - Ella Fitzgerald (Biography/ Discography/Foundation: www.ellafitzgeraldfoundation.org - Hi-Lo's (Biography/ Discography) - Nelson Riddle (Biography/ Discography) - Juliet Prowse (Biography) - Peter Lawford (Biography) - Hermione Gingold (Biography) “Q L Propaganda” includes bonus segments from the other releases by the UK based -company (which originally released this DVD). They´re divided as follows: *Jazz & Blues (14:33 min): -Willie Dixon: I Am The Blues -Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington Masters 1965 -Cool Summer Jazz: Stan Getz & Alto Madness -Chaka Khan: The Signature Diva Live -Jazz Legends: Art Blakey & The Messengers -Cuby + Blizzards: The Jubliee Concert 2000 -Nina Simone: The Legend *Pop (10:22 min): -Johnny Winter: Pieces & Bits -Kiss - The Vintage -Randy Bachman - Every Song Tells A Story -The DVD Companion - Goth Box *Best Of The Rest (16:56 min): -RHS Wisley: Winter + Spring -The Battle Of Britain -Communism -Ghost Team -Macbeth -The Mad Motorist -Anthology Of Space Exploration -Pearl Harbor -Holiday Spanish There´s also “Quantum Leap” website info; www.qleap.co.uk/
Overall
Frank Sinatra - probably the greatest singer of all time meets Ella Fitzgerald - perhaps the best jazz singer of all time. Do I need to say more? Well, their meeting is probably not as memorable as one could´ve hoped, but very enjoyable nevertheless. Add some mediocre - but harmless comedy from Peter Lawford and the like, great musical energy from arranger Nelson Riddle and Red Norvo's combo and one of Sinatra´s “Timex” specials is again a winner. Perhaps not a TV-classic, but a perfect way to forget the evil world and its problems. At least for while. For more info, please visit the homepage of MVD - Music Video Distributors.
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