His Life And Times - Frank Sinatra DVD Review

DVD Review

'Ol' Blue Eyes' is back, as Francis Albert Sinatra gets yet another dust-down with the release of a documentary originally released in 1997. His Life And Times, released March 20, is a timely coincidence as the new high-tech show hits the Palladium in London. It can never be said that this DVD provides us with anything new about his career or personal life, obviously, due to the date it was made.

Part one, comprising his most significant events, is crammed with endless film clips, mostly 'Theatrical Trailers', which become more and more irritating as the chronology or time line unfolds.

Rising through bands like Harry James then onto Tommy Dorsey, followed by his solo work we get a celebration of his career, and little about his controversial side.

In terms of actual Sinatra input, there's snippets of radio interviews that don't always marry-up to the visuals which is equally as irritating. We do get to see 'The Chairman' reflecting on his role in the legendary film, The Manchurian Candidate along with the writer and producer. It doesn't shy away from the horrendous gaffs either, like the monumental disaster Dirty Dingus Magee.

If you're looking to advance your knowledge, forget this. If you're starting-off, it's a more than adequate package, but it's a bit of a slog. You simply can't knock the research - the archive footage is splendid, but the outcome is very 'dated'. The narrative is very 'Hollywood', with some of the sound quality woefully inadequate. One concluding observation is Sinatra's progression from band singer to Grammy award winner, then on to Oscar winning actor ( From Here To Eternity ), who could handle the serious / comedic roles to musicals. A remarkable achievement for a man with a perforated eardrum.

Part two looks at his live TV appearances on the Bob Hope, Dean Martin shows and his charitable work.

Bonus features include more TV snippets from the Bob Hope show and others. This final part could be run as a CD listening experience, though not on your conventional CD player.

Coming in at a whopping 3 hours, (a condensed version of 80 hours worth of footage from the video series) it's far too long for the casual viewer.

Definitely one for Sinatra anoraks.

Elly Roberts