Sinatra. Frank and Friendly
An intimate portrait in photographs”
(Terry O’Neill, editing by Robin Morgan)
Evan Mitchell Books, 2007
By Mahnuel Muñoz
For two decades, photographer Terry O’Neill captured Frank Sinatra with his lens while he was working and in the moments of relaxation before concerts or between takes of filming.
A hundred of his black and white snapshots from the 60s, 70s and 80s were published for the first time in the 126 pages of this beautiful volume to offer us a close and very revealing look at the artist.
The English photographer Terry O’Neill (1938-2019) distinguished himself by showing subjects naturally or in unconventional environments. He started working for an airline and his life changed when he took a picture of British Home Secretary Rub Butler while he was sleeping in a waiting room. His first professional job was photographing the actor Laurence Olivier.
During the 1960s he photographed legends such as Judy Garland, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, as well as several members of the British Royal Family. His work immortalizing Elton John is particularly famous.
Regarding their relationship with Sinatra, O’Neill himself says the following:
” One day in 1968, I was invited to Miami to photograph Raquel Welch in a film she was shooting with Frank Sinatra. I had become friends with Ava Gardner and told her. She told me, ‘I’ll take care of making the introductions,’ and she gave me a letter for Frank. When I arrived on set, Sinatra appeared with his bodyguards and his double, dressed alike. I shot. Frank stood before me. ‘Mr. Sinatra,’ I said, ‘Ava has asked me to give you this letter.’ He read it and smiled. ‘Guys, treat this one well. He’s a friend.’ No, I never knew what Ava wrote.”
The book, in “Coffee Table” format, is structured into seven thematic chapters:
1 Frank in private (photos during filming breaks and before concerts)
2 Frank’s People (images of Sinatra with artists such as Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Leslie Uggams, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan,)
3 The sporting life (Frank playing golf and billiards)
4 The filming set (photos from the filming of films such as “The Lady In Cement” or “The First Deadly Sin“)
5 In rehearsals (preparation for their concerts)
6 Dress to Impress (Backstage Snapshots)
7 Live on stage (Frank in full action)
The pages also include comments from O’Neill that let us see the admiration he had for Sinatra; here is a sample:
“I was often mesmerized not only by his voice, but also by his body—the way he moved with the music, as if every muscle was invisibly tuned to emphasize the song.”
The book is made with extraordinary quality. In addition to the hardcover cover, it comes with a rigid sleeve with the same cover image, and the photos have the characteristic shine of photographic paper.
It is possible to get this book new or secondhand at a very affordable price, and I recommend enjoying it with a nice hot drink and the music of autumnal Sinatra as your soundtrack.
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