That’s a delightful outline of the 50s-60s view of religion. Vast numbers of Americans were “interested” in religion, although few of them ever really did anything with it. This was the era of the toga movies. Popular culture got really biblical for a while - but the number of people in actual churches was flat.
According to some anonymous person on the Sinatra Family board, Frank’s responses were ghost written.
Got a link? I have to admit that I’ve never seen or heard anyone use “concomitants” in conversation, but if it’s a deception it’s a rather remarkable one; who would ghostwrite it, and why would Playboy play along?
You think Sinatra would casually mention, “Marxian philosophy and dialectical vagaries”?
Anybody Sinatra paid would happily ghost write it. And why would Playboy object?
Joey Bishop agreed with everything Frank said in this interview because Frank told him he did.
As long as he signed off on them. That’s good enough.
He did the interview his way.
Follow the link to the full interview and search for “Mike Shore”.
Oh yeah, it’s a pretty safe bet these were Frank’s genuine feelings.
Doesn’t seem like they were Holy Ghost written, though.
Meanwhile over at Esquire with Gay Talese and Harlan Ellison… http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ1003-OCT_SINATRA_rev_
As if Frank would actually use “obeisance” and “opprobrium” in the same sentence. Who edited that, William F. Buckley?
Seriously though, I listened to the NPR story of Sinatra’s comeback, and although he had his character flaws, he was a serious balls to the wall performer.
'Cause, y’know, Frank… he controlled all those guys.
Me? I like it when Frank was asking the questions
https://screen.yahoo.com/sinatra-group-000000236.html
Your ghostwriting thesis makes a lot of sense more sense than that it was not ghostwritten.
When you hear Sinatra talk or interviewed, it’s inevitably littered with his “colorful” '50s phrases.
This video is more what I associate with Sinatra, where he talks about his critics as “pimps and whoores.”
The interview mentions a tape. This would imply that either Frank is actually speaking or he has a ghostwriter who is also an impressionist able to fake his voice.
Also, I recently read the memoirs of Michael Caine (who knew Frank and briefly dated his daughter Nancy) – Caine implied that Frank was rather smarter in real life than the wiseguy gangster character he portrayed himself as.
seems to be down, here’s the wayback mirror
let’s start with the most basic question there is: Are you a religious man? Do you believe in God?
Was the interviewer paid by the Pope?
That is a generalisation you can apply to savvy successful people - I’ve met a few, and know people who know e.g. Mick Jagger. They’ve seen him (in his youth) poring over the financial pages in the news, and honestly state he’s one of the smartest people they’ve ever come across.
Brains + street smarts + ability to be a people person = fame and money.
I know we won’t settle this, but I had the feeling it was ghost written as well. Sinatra wouldn’t let it be published if it was too different from his actual views, so I’m voting for a collaboration. In fact I’ll bet it was the interviewer himself who made the text clearer and more erudite than a typical audio tape.
