The Rat Pack (TV 1998)

A look at the famous "Rat Pack" of the '60s, and how their glamorous alliances and carefree sophistication created a mythical lifestyle.

Director:

Rob Cohen

Writer:

Kario Salem

Stars:

Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna, Don Cheadle

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ray Liotta	...	Frank Sinatra
Joe Mantegna	...	Dean Martin
Don Cheadle	...	Sammy Davis, Jr.
Angus Macfadyen	...	Peter Lawford
William Petersen	...	John F. Kennedy
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Bobby Kennedy
Bobby Slayton	...	Joey Bishop
Megan Dodds	...	May Britt
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Ava Gardner
Veronica Cartwright	...	Rocky Cooper
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Joe Kennedy
Robert Miranda	...	Momo Giancana
Barbara Niven	...	Marilyn Monroe
Michelle Grace	...	Judy Campbell
Tyrees Allen	...	George Jacobs

Storyline

In the 1950's and 1960's Frank Sinatra was the head of the infamous "Rat Pack". He, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop worked and played together. This film dramatizes their volatile relationships with each other and the Kennedys, Marilyn Monroe, mobster Sam Giancano, Judith Cambell and the FBI. Sinatra helps John Kennedy get elected in 1960 with a little help from Giancano. Lawford, married to a Kennedy, is an unhappy go-between. Davis is fighting racism and insecurity. Cambell is sleeping with both Giancano and JFK who is also sleeping with Monroe.

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Plot Keywords:

rat pack | 1960s | president | 1950s | fbi | 

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Taglines:

It was their world. We just lived in it.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

El clan Sinatra

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Original Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Liotta, along with the usual preparation of watching Frank Sinatra's performances and films, also watched Nixon starring Anthony Hopkins. Liotta was inspired by Hopkins because Hopkins did not resemble Richard Nixon but convincingly portrayed him.

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Goofs

On election night, Frank Sinatra is talking on a phone. The receiver is clearly connected to the phone wire with an RJ-11 jack. That kind of connection is common now but did not exist in 1960.

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Quotes

Joey Bishop: Hey, did we kill tonight or what?
[Dean does not reply]
Joey Bishop: We killed tonight. I haven't laughed like that...
Dean Martin: ...since I played a little club in Poughkeepse back in 1944.
Joey Bishop: What're you saying, we weren't funny tonight?
Dean Martin: What I'm saying is erm... watch this.
[to two women]
Dean Martin: Scuse me ladies
[he babbles, and they laugh]
Joey Bishop: Yeah, so?
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Hey There"
Written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
Performed by Joe Mantegna, Don Cheadle, Ray Liotta, Angus Macfadyen and Bobby Slayton

User Reviews

Surprisingly entertaining, a couple flawless performances, history slightly askew...

THE RAT PACK is surprisingly entertaining. The performances are all excellent, with Joe Mantegna (Dean Martin), Don Cheadle (Sammy Davis, Jr.), Bobby Slayton (Joey Bishop) and Angus Macfadyn (Peter Lawford) delivering completely flawless work. The music is great. The settings and cinematography are just fabulous. The story has punch, covering a stretch of American history that is shrouded in the Camelot illusion while delivering a couple of very involving personal stories.

And that's the big problem with THE RAT PACK -- the title suggests that it's an ensemble film, but really only three of the Rat Pack members live dramatically interesting lives and become the focus of the film. The Joey Bishop character is sadly ignored, despite the excellent work of Bobby Slayton. Dean Martin is a man without conflict -- although flawlessly played by Joe Mantegna, Dean was a man without any great ambition, having reached the top of the heap and looking at his "success" with an ironic and jaded eye. He's left to wander the scenes making wry comments, but his character goes nowhere.

THE RAT PACK boils down to the story of Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr. (more so) and (most of all) Frank Sinatra. Their stories are very involving. But it's just not enough to make the film complete.

Ray Liotta, as Sinatra, has most of the screen time. Unfortunately, he's the weakest member of the cast. His work is serviceable, but never reaches the pitch of his co-stars. He captures Sinatra's fascination and thirst for power, but never actually convinces you that he is anyone other than Ray Liotta.

Certain of the scenes lack the production values and staging of a feature film, descending momentarily to movie-of-the-week quality.

William Peterson is excellent as JFK, and Zelko Ivanek is good as RFK. Unfortunately, the film presents them (especially late in the story) as being just as party-happy as the Rat Packers, which diminishes their characters. The JFK and RFK of THE RAT PACK would never have had either the guts or the brains to face down Kruschev in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The ice cream scene late in the film is ridiculous.

But, overall, THE RAT PACK is very entertaining.