Between 1960 and 1965, when all-American beefcake was giving way to suave, sophisticated, and cool, The Rat Pack ruled Las Vegas. They were five actors and singers, performing regularly at casinos like the Sands. They were famous for living the Cool Life, drinking, gambling, sporting, chasing dames, and having fun. They were famous for their connections to the mob and the Kennedys. But mostly they were famous for being friends. When one appeared, he was asked about the others. Their spats and reconciliations made front page news.The homoerotic subtext of the Rat Pack bond is obvious -- today, anyhow. They were all about male bonding, with the intensity and physicality of romance. And audiences cheered them for it.
Some of them were bisexual in real life. Others were homophobic -- even more than what one expects in the homophobic 1960s. In order, from least to most gay-friendly, they were:
5. Frank Sinatra, age 45 in 1960 (top photo), The Chairman of the Board, a teen sensation of the 1940s, still releasing old standbys and finding a whole new generation of fans. Although he starred in the gay symbolism-heavy On the Town, he also starred in one of the more homophobic movies of the 1960s, The Detective (1968), and was reputedly so homophobic in real life that he threatened reputedly-gay Johnny Mathis.
4.Joey Bishop, 42-year old comedian, sitcom star, later talk show host. Married during the days of the Rat Pack womanizing, kept to himself a lot. Bff of future talk show host Regis Philbin.
3. Dean Martin (left), age 43, whose comedy act with Jerry Lewis in the 1950s had distinctive, perhaps intended homoerotic undertones. In the 1960s he released some popular songs, had a comedy-variety show and starred in the detective-spoof Matt Helm series. His son, Dean Paul Martin, was bisexual.
See also: Dean Paul Martin
Okay, Rock Hudson was gay, Gordon Scott would make sense as the beefcake with a shaved groin (He and Mike Henry are the only two Tarzans I'm aware of with blink and you'll miss it wardrobe malfunctions.) in the 1950s, but I didn't know Merv Griffin was.
ReplyDeleteLeave it to Sammy Davis Jr to not give a damn. Then again, he read that book more than Frank Sinatra, knew that anal sex (and the Bible says nothing about other gay sex acts, other than ejaculation itself being impure, or lesbians) was an ancient form of torture and tied to pagan fertility rites, and, well, funny thing about tribal belief systems: Ethnic identity, and sense of place, is a huge part of them, so many things are sins just because the Jews' neighbors did them.
Archie Bunker kissed Sammy back on ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE. That show, IIRC, had a gay waiter that Archie tried to set up with a woman. Needless to say, it didn't go too well.
ReplyDeleteTo see the "Rat Pack" in action watch the 1960 movie Oceans Eleven. One of my all time favorite movies and I always watch it on New Year's Eve.
ReplyDelete"The Bratpack" were the original group bromance. Lawford went form Gordon Scott to Merv Griffin ?! Wasn't Mike Henry available.
ReplyDeletejust watched ratpack w johnny carson. frank plays with sammys behind during most of the prelude. i think sinatra was gay. or at least bi. witchcraft has forbidden connotations. in an all out male sexual free for all against women what could be forbidden? men? it would have hurt a lot of fans to know frank was gay. i think that is why he did such a strong job against the reality. often i watch homophobes freak and i realize they are attracted to men and it scares them. labels are cruel. male posturing is cruel and it hurts so bad often murder is the only solution. today 33 transwomen have died this year in our country because of this cruelty. when i hear witchcraft i know frank is singing straight to me. and i am a transgender witch which makes the cut even sharper.
ReplyDeleteSinatra is at his gayest as the sailor in "Anchors Aweigh"(1945)in which he bro bonds with Gene Kelly. These two act like a couple even if horny Kelly is always looking for girls. Kelly is at his hottest here specially in his famous dance with Jerry the Mouse- wearing skin tight trousers that live very little to the imagination- no wonder Sinatra was in love with Kelly's bulge appeal
ReplyDeleteWasn’t Gene Kelly rumored to be bisexual as well?
ReplyDeleteThen again, who wasn’t or isn’t in entertainment?
Gene Kelly was straight-but gay directors worship him look at how he looks in Vincente Minelli's "The Pirate"
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