I treat people as I find them and how they treat me. That's all. There's no secret about that in life.
Sinatra at 72 still has the magic. He's mellowing, but there's an anger he'll never lose.
This rare interview, our inside report from Monday, September 12th, 1988.
Hello everyone. Welcome to the eighth season of Entertainment Tonight. I'm John Tesh.
As you can see, we have a new look and a new sound to begin our new season.
We begin today with Mary Hart, who has one of those great exclusive stories that have always made ET so special. Hello, Mary.
Hi there, John. And once again, coming to you from New York, you know, it certainly is not often that you get Frank Sinatra to sit down for a chat, much less a television interview.
But I did talk with Frank Senior and Frank Junior in Atlantic City.
Hey, the shark has pretty teeth, dear. It's another town, another room and another show for the man who's played them all.
Just a jackknife has MacHeath's, dear. And just in case you think the man's mystique is a mere memory, think again.
Frank Sinatra is still the greatest. This is my grandmother's 80th birthday. I'm in from California to take her to see Frank Sinatra.
There'll always be Sinatra. He's the best that ever lived. There's nobody like Frank Sinatra.
Took us back to our youth. We were the swooners for the swoony.
With scores of movies and records and millions of fans all around the world to his name, why is Francis Albert Sinatra still singing for a supper?
Well, of course he doesn't need to. But when there's a music director on stage named Frank Sinatra Jr., it gives him a good reason.
Let's say hello to my son, Frank, who conducts...
On stage, the father and son relationship is professional and musical. Off stage, the two men are warm, two good friends who respect each other's talents.
What brought you together as father and son on stage?
Well, it was about time that we did work together. He wasn't doing enough work, so I figured I'd better keep him busy.
But I thought it'd be kind of fun to work with Frankie because he's been around the business so long now and we never had much chance to work together.
How was it the first time with the two of you on stage, Frank looking at Frank Jr. as your music director?
Was there that father-son feeling and that pride, or was it a professional relationship strictly?
Well, it's a combination of both, actually. I know that he's an accomplished musician, a pianist, and a conductor.
If you've got somebody who knows what he knows about what we're doing, then I'm straight.
How come you were checkling?
Once again, my dad's being very kind, Mary. You have to understand, though, that I may have made my share of mistakes. Fortunately, he's a patient man. No, he's been very patient with me.
I'm a patient man?
And I'm learning.
That'll be the day.
Believe in me.
Frank Jr. has pursued his own musical career over three decades, a task made at once easier and more challenging by carrying with him the Sinatra name.
Did you ever feel that you got robbed because your dad was so famous?
I wouldn't say for any length of time, no.
He just had his pocket picked a little bit.
And it's all the more pleasant that I get to work with my old man today, now that I'm at this age than it ever could have been at a younger age.
And it's got to fill you with some pride to hear him say those words.
Ah, well, I'm as thrilled as he is, and even more so, probably, you know, because I have rarely worked with anybody as a chum.
You know, it gets lonely out there sometimes when you're doing an hour and a half by yourself.
The toughest time the two men faced together was in 1963, when 19-year-old Frank Jr. was kidnapped, held for ransom, and released unharmed three days later.
The kidnappers were later caught and convicted.
It's been a trying experience.
When you look back on that experience, what does that mean to you?
Well, my feeling about that period was very confusing.
I mean, between anger and anxiety and wanting to hang somebody by the neck if I could find him was a very difficult situation to try to hold onto and be calm.
I remember that time. It was such a horrible thing to have had happened.
It was a painful reminder of reality for a 19-year-old.
I mean, when someone under the pretense of delivering a Christmas package screws a 38 in your ear, it gets your undivided attention.
And you become conscious of many things.
The first thing that struck me was that I had to change my shorts.
You know, that whole issue of being part of a famous family was the cause of it.
How did you feel, and how long did that stay with you?
Being part of what's called a famous family is the reality.
This would not be happening were it not for that.
People who pulled that crime were originally going to kidnap Bob Hope's son.
Really?
They came out in the investigation because they learned that Bob Hope was wealthier than Frank Sinatra.
Then they decided that Bob Hope being the great humanitarian, that wouldn't be good for their public image.
So instead they took me.
The kidnapping and other rough spots in the life of Frank Sinatra and family have made him reluctant to speak with the press over the years.
Yet Sinatra was seen earlier this year in Australia embracing the press.
We saw you in Australia a few months back with your arms around the reporters.
Are you mellowing? Has your attitude changed or do you want to be perceived differently?
My attitude has never changed. I treat people as I find them and how they treat me. That's all.
I mean if somebody's going to walk up to you and abuse you for five minutes verbally, you're going to get back at them.
Or if they're very nice, you pay it back. That's all.
No matter what his relationship has been with the press, it's Sinatra's stage presence which has created his following.
And after five decades, Old Blue Eyes still has as much sizzle on stage as ever.
You better lock your door and pull the law because my king, that son of a bitch, he's back in town.
Here he comes.
This Saturday night, Frank Sinatra kicks off an Eleven City U.S. tour with Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davis Jr.
John?
Frank Sinatra's magic has been part of the American fabric for five decades dating back to the 40s when he had them swooning in the aisles.
Old Man River, that Old Man River. He must know something, but he don't say nothing.
The man known as the world's leading performer of popular music actually came from modest beginnings.
He grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey, quickly working his way up as a vocalist with the big bands of Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.
Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week.
After being featured on radio's Your Hit Parade, Sinatra's fans multiplied.
During World War II, he was an immediate sensation with his unforgettable Times Square appearances.
To a legion of Bobby Soxers, he was simply the voice.
I fall in love too easily.
Hollywood beckoned, and a long screen career began.
In the 50s, Frank won an Oscar for his portrayal of Maggio in From Here to Eternity.
I done it, Pru. I escaped just like I said.
Sinatra's phenomenal success continued decade after decade. Films, nightclubs, awards, and many humanitarian causes.
The voice of one generation has now spanned many, and will undoubtedly touch many more.
But old man river just keeps rolling along.
Mary, Frank Sr. is not known as a man who is easy to interview. How did you find him?
Surprisingly easy to interview, John. And I really didn't know what exactly to expect, but it was a very pleasurable experience with both Frank Sr. and Frank Jr.
Something I'd gladly repeat.
Good job.
You know, you won't want to miss tomorrow's Inside Report as we show you exclusive footage of a savage 1969 confrontation between John Lennon and Al Capp, the ultra-conservative creator of Lil Abner.
Capp makes today's shock TV hosts look like Girl Scouts.
Whatever race you're the representative of, I ain't part of.
Plus, you'll see John Lennon laugh as he opens his morning mail to find a letter predicting his own assassination. That's tomorrow's Inside Story.
And stick around right now as we show you an extraordinary new book with never-before-seen pictures of John Lennon.
And coming up next, we'll tell you which major TV star is sailing away from Knott's Landing.
Donna Mills reported back to work on the set of Knott's Landing, but entertainment tonight has learned this will be Mills' final season on the successful CBS soap.
Here are the first exclusive details as we take you inside the world of entertainment.
Look, if you don't get out here today, I'm going to slap your company with a lawsuit that'll make your head spin.
For the past eight years, Donna Mills schemed and connived her way through Knott's Landing as the sexy but ruthless Abby Cunningham Ewing.
But now Mills says this year will be her last.
I'm very anxious to do comedy. That's really what my main emphasis is going to be on.
I don't think I'd like to do an hour show like Knott's Landing again. It's awfully hard.
I'm going to go.
It's not known how Abby Ewing will say goodbye, but Mills has her own fantasy ending.
She would become a senator, go off to Washington, and then every now and then somebody at Knott's Landing would just turn on the television and she'd be giving a speech.
To underscore her need for change, Mills will star in the CBS TV movie Outback Bound next month as a Beverly Hills woman down on her luck who moves to Australia for a fresh start.
There's a secret identity hiding out in the movie Moon Over Peridot, and entertainment tonight is about to expose that secret, even though it's a real drag.
Mama! Don't mama me!
Richard Dreyfuss, the phony dictator in the comedy Moon Over Peridot, gets a surprise visit from the mother of the real dictator, but moviegoers are in for a bigger surprise when the camera moves in for that tell-all close-up.
I know you don't like me. Who cares? Your father and I managed to have a child and we hated each other.
It seems that the mother bears a striking resemblance to the film's director, Paul Mazursky.
Yeah, I do. I play his mother. That happened because of circumstances. The woman who was supposed to play the part couldn't show up because of a schedule problem.
And I had a location for a week and I would have lost it and I had to make a decision.
So they fit me out in a wig and I read for the part with Richard and it seemed to work, so I did it.
You are my mother and I love you. Man to love. Come Antonio, watch those fox files you swine.
I have good legs and I now wear that outfit at home. My wife now talks like this, you home? What's on the table? And I say, I'll have your dinner ready shortly, my dear.
I don't know, I'm flipping. This may be the end for me.
We don't know if it's Mazursky's appearance as the mother which has been creating the success, but according to Entertainment Tonight's weekend box office estimates, Moon Over Peridot is the number one film in the country,
knocking Nightmare on Elm Street 4 down to second position. A fish called Wanda tied with Die Hard for third, with Betrayed rounding out the top five.
An estimated 1,500 fans were injured outside a Michael Jackson concert in England last night when a crowd of people without tickets tried to tear down a fence to catch a glimpse of the show.
Michael Jackson's last concert of his European tour was held last night. 125,000 people crowded into Liverpool's Aintree Racecourse.
You got to be thought of something. You got to be thought of something.
But trouble broke out when a crowd of youths without tickets tried to pull down fences, causing a crush that reportedly injured up to 1,500 people.
Most of the injuries were minor, but about 40 folks were taken to the hospital for treatment. The Liverpool Racecourse has never before been used for a concert, but Jackson wanted to sing there because it's the birthplace of the Beatles.
He called his performance a tribute to rock's four greatest songwriters.
This, by the way, is the first serious incident to occur during Jackson's European swing. Since beginning the slated performances May 23rd, over two and one half million fans have attended the shows.
Boy, those are pretty incredible numbers, John. Never before seen photos of John Lennon when we return.
Springsteen made a splash with a new goatee and six earrings in his left lobe, and there was talk of backstage ego clashes, but memories were made when Sting, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, and Springsteen joined forces to sing for human rights.
The saga of John Lennon continues, and his story is as controversial in death as it was in life. As his unauthorized biography by Albert Goldman races up the bestseller list, the Lennon camp is preparing a one-two punch, including the documentary film Imagine, as well as a companion book containing rare material never seen by the public until today.
When the makers of the soon-to-be-released Imagine began a three-year process of going through hundreds of hours of film and videotape of John Lennon, they had little idea of the wealth of other material available about the former Beatle.
There were 230 hours of film and tape, but there were also thousands of photographs and documents, enough to fill two boxcars.
It's been said that John Lennon was one of the most photographed and documented individuals of the 20th century. While Lennon fans, Beatle fans, historians, archivists, and audiences may think they've seen it all, a new book gives the public an even closer look at the legendary performer.
These rare photographs are from the Macmillan book Imagine, John Lennon, and they represent the most comprehensive look back at Lennon ever printed. Some of the pictures have never been published before.
The 250 photographs came from a number of sources. John's first wife, Cynthia, provided early snapshots. Paul McCartney's brother, Michael, provided many others, including one of the first pictures ever taken of the Beatles together.
Paul and George were 15, and John was 16.
It's a unique look at John Lennon, and a totally different view of the former Beatle from the scathing and critical bestseller written by Albert Goldman.
With the soon to be released film coming to theaters October 7th, and an MTV special broadcast planned, Lennon fans, Beatle fans, and the public in general will certainly have a lot to choose from in remembering John Lennon.
Along with the book and the movie, a soundtrack of the documentary is also scheduled to be released next month. Extraordinary excerpts from Yoko Ono's private home movies of John Lennon. John?
John Lennon's original gold record of Imagine sold for $4,200 at an auction in London that included other Beatle and rock and roll memorabilia.
11 hundred, 12 hundred, 13 hundred.
The centerpiece item at Sudby's was a 30 page scrapbook owned by Pete Best, the Beatles' first drummer. It sold for $30,000. But prices across the board soared.
A 1963 Brian Epstein telegram went for 9,300. John Lennon's glasses, an autographed Usher's uniform, and Brian Epstein's original contract with the Beatles all went for well over 4 grand.
The auction brought in a total of $320,000.
And coming up next, we'll take you inside a tribute to America's favorite playwright and show you the real jungle of Hollywood.
Air transportation furnished and a promotional fee paid by Delta Airlines. Delta offers you a choice of more flights to more cities than any other airline system. At Delta, we love to fly at its shows.
Celebrating birthdays today, singer Barry White is 44, singer Maria Moldauer 45, actress Linda Gray is 48, singer George Jones 57, and singer Billy Daniels is 73.
The insider says look for Priscilla Presley and daughter Lisa Marie to be tooling around in new 1989 Oldsmobiles. They got the cars and split a reported $600,000 in cash for appearing in General Motors television commercials.
Plus, the insider learns that soul singer James Brown has lost his commercial gig with Polaroid reportedly after shooting up his wife's car with a hail of bullets.
And the insider wants to nip in the bud a story that is sweeping Great Britain today. The London Daily Mirror reported that Eddie Murphy and Stevie Wonder got into a verbal bash at New York's Apollo Theater.
That tabloid newspaper said Wonder called Murphy, quote, a talentless peanut head. Murphy was furious and demanded an apology as Wonder invited him on stage to sing a duet.
Now, the Daily Mirror said Wonder suggested they try Part-Time Lover. Murphy answered, I can't sing this, man, to which Wonder replied, that's okay. I've never seen your movies.
Now, a spokesman for Stevie Wonder tells the insider that is hogwash. As a spokesman for Eddie Murphy, ridiculous. Eddie and Stevie are the best of friends.
Playwright Neil Simon, a man of perfectly chosen words, leads off our Entertainment Tonight newsreel, stories told with perfectly chosen pictures.
Big stars, big tribute. Honored guests, honored Broadway's biggest scribe. Another trophy for the mantelpiece. And what's his secret for success?
I have a large family and they won't bring their friends to the plays.
Big Apple and Little Feet, dancing on the big ivories, were the kids from the movie Big introducing a new toy piano made famous by the film.
It's great. I have no musical ability, but it's real easy to play.
Big game on the loose back home, Beastly Ball brings in big bucks for the Los Angeles Zoo. Though Jimmy Stewart almost got bit big time.
But it was a real rumble in the jungle across town.
Oh, six actors, one role. A lucky loin cloth will be handed out for the upcoming film Tarzan in Manhattan.
Choosing the new ape man is a hair raising experience, even for big stars.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Nice looking chimp. Tomorrow, something big from Tom Hanks as he speaks out on not one, but two new movies.
Mary, take care from New York.
And I will see you there soon in Los Angeles, John.
Today we're going to wrap it all up with more of Frank Sinatra singing one of his biggest hits all the way as he did it 30 years ago on the Dinah Shore Chevy Show.
Goodbye everybody, see you tomorrow.
Goodbye everybody.
Who knows where the road will lead us?
Only a fool would say.
But if you let me love you, it's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way.
Tonight, Paul Newman and Eva Marie St. Lee Jewish refugees out of Cyprus sent home to Israel in Exodus.
Tonight at 8 on Prime Movie 25.
But right now, it's television's most controversial magazine, A Current Affair, next on Fox 25.
I'm gonna love you all the way.
All the way.