Sinatra Event

DECEMBER 12, 1979 BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY PARTY

The festivities began about 7:45pm when Frank Sinatra, his wife Barbara, and many of their friends met with the news media for a photo session. Then it was on to the Circus Maximus showroom for the gala party which was taped by NBC and televised January 3, 1980.

No amount of money could buy a ticket for the show. Attendance was by invitation only. Guests received their invitations via Western Union a week before the party.

During the show, Sinatra, his family and Dean Martin sat at a horseshoe-shaped table connected to the main stage by a runway. The show opened with Glenn Ford introducing bandleader Harry James with whom Sinatra began his recording career in 1939. Red Skelton, who performed on some of the early James-Sinatra bills, appeared and told Sinatra to pick up the telephone at his table. The caller was actor James Cagney. A poor transcontinental telephone connection hampered the conversation.

Lucille Ball introduced Nancy and Frank Sinatra, Jr., who sang a medley of their father's hit songs. They were followed by comedian Charlie Callas who delivered a George Jessel parody eulogy for "the recently departed Frank Sinatra." Rich Little did impressions of several celebrities, including Cary Grant who was in the audience.

Lillian Carter, then President Jimmy Carter's mother, told Sinatra, "We have two things in common: We both get misquoted in the press and we're both Dodger fans."

Don Rickles said, "Happy Birthday Frank. You're 64 years old - and you look it!"

Actor Orson Welles paid tribute, quoting from Shakespeare: "The elements are so missed in him that Nature might stand up and say before the world, 'This is a man!'"

My Way composer Paul Anka sang new lyrics to the song and titled it, "He Did It HIs Way."

Sammy Davis, Jr., sang The Lady Is A Tramp, and Tony Bennett sang songs about three cities, New York, Chicago, and of course San Francisco. Robert Merrill sang Sinatra film titled in an operatic style, and Gene Kelly and comedian Pat Henry also appeared.

After the songs, praise and jokes, came the awards. Songwriter Jule Styne presented Sinatra with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) "Pied Piper" award for excellence in recording.

Game show host Monty Hall, spokesman for Variety Club International, announced that Sinatra had been chosen the club's 1980 outstanding world citizen and international humanitarian.

Milton Berle announced that one of the fountains at Caesars will be named in Sinatra's honor and all the coins tossed into it by Las Vegas visitors will go to the John Wayne Memorial Cancer Foundation. To get things started, Caesars Palace kicked in an initial $100,000.

The Egyptian ambassador to the U.S. read a congratulatory message from President Anwar Sadat and the Israeli consul-general read a similar message from Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

Dean Martin announced that in Sinatra's native Hoboken, N.J., a Frank Sinatra Student Fund had been established at Hoboken HIgh School. Also presented to Sinatra was a high school diploma. Dino said he felt sorry for Sinatra because he dropped out of high school and didn't get to go to his senior prom, so the two waltzed around the stage together.

After the awards, Sinatra sang New York, New York, It Was a Very Good Year, The Best Is Yet To Come, I've Got You Under My Skin, and I've Got the World On A String.

Thanking his friends for the spectacular birthday-anniversary bash, Sinatra said, "You've been most generous to a band singer tonight." The show ended with Tina Sinatra, Cary Grant, and songwriters Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen leading the crowd in Happy Birthday.

After the show, the guests filed through the crowded casino past onlookers who cheered and applauded when a celebrity passed by. The hungry guests passed underneath a replica of the marquee of the New York Paramount Theater and into a banquet room where a buffet dinner awaited.

Sinatra spent most of his time at the party table-hopping, visiting friends such as Spiro Agnew, Rita Hayworth, David Wayne, Peter Falk, Jack Klugman, Joe Louis, Andy Williams, Henry Mancini, Howard Cosell, Red Buttons, Jackie Gayle, and Tommy La Sorda.

In an interview around the time of the event Sammy Davis, Jr., stated "People better appreciate Sinatra while he's here. Because when he goes there won't be any more like him. He's simply the greatest there is."