FrankSinatra was all washed up. By 1952 he had been dropped from his record labeland the movie studios weren’t returning his calls. But Sinatra was determinedto turn his career around. He loved the bestselling novel by James Jones, FromHere to Eternity, especially for its characterization of Angelo Maggio, anItalian-American army private stationed in Hawaii on the eve of Pearl Harbor.Aware that Columbia Pictures had purchased film rights, Sinatra pursued thepart.
Asquoted in J. Randy Taraborrelli’s Sinatra: Behind the Legend, the singer-actordeclared: “I was Maggio. No matter who said what, I would prove it, no matterhow many tests I was asked to make, no matter what the money. I was going tobecome Maggio if it was the last thing I ever did.”
Taraborrelli’sbiography, out now in paperback, documents Sinatra’s fierce will to succeedthrough playing Maggio. It’s unclear whether or not Sinatra saw Maggio as hisway back to stardom, or just as the role he most related to. Either way, hewanted it and campaigned for it, calling in every chit. By the time the film’sproducers reluctantly granted him screen test, Sinatra had memorized every lineand internalized the character so completely that he was able to improvisescenes. He earned the part and the acclaim he drew for his portrayal set himback on track. The 1950s proved to be his most creative years, both in therecording studio and on the sound stage. From the ‘60s on, the rest of his lifewas a long coda.
Taraborrelliconstructed his book from many original interviews along with extensive reviewsof articles and videotaped performances. Behind the Legend assembles a clearpicture of Sinatra’s will have to it his way, regardless, sometimes, of thecost.
