Hollywood Memorial

Starting out as a saloon singer in musty little dives (he carried his own P.A. system), he eventually got work as a band singer, first with The Hoboken Four, then with Harry James and then Tommy Dorsey. With the help of George Evans (Sinatra’s genius press agent), his image was shaped into that of a street thug and punk who was saved by his first wife, Nancy. In 1942 he started his solo career, instantly finding fame as the king of the bobbysoxers – the young women and girls who were his fans. About that time his film career was also starting in earnest. Known as ‘One-Take Charlie’ for his approach to acting that strove for spontaneity and energy, rather than perfection, he was an instinctive actor who was best at playing parts that mirrored his own personality. A controversial public affair with screen siren Ava Gardner broke up his marriage to Nancy Barbato. After a vocal cord hemorrhage that all but ended his career, he fought back and won the coveted role of Maggio in ‘From Here to Eternity.’ He won an Oscar for best supporting actor, yet still didn’t have widespread acceptance in Hollywood. He continued to give strong and memorable performances in such films as ‘The Man with the Golden Arm’ and, especially, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’– probably his best film. He was the leader of the famed ‘Rat Pak’ whose members include Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, and for the rest of the 1960s he concentrated mainly on lighter roles, playing hard-boiled private eyes and hamming it up with his Rat Pack buddies on Las Vegas stages and in films, ‘The Detective’ and the original ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ being the best. Nicknamed ‘Old Blue Eyes,’ and later ‘Chairman of the Board’ he attained the pinnacle of his success in the music industry. Married four times, including, actress Ava Gardner, Mia Farrow and an ex of band member ‘Zeppo’ from Marx Brother, which was his last, Barbara Marx. His epitaph reads, ‘The Best is Yet to Come’ on a small grave in Desert Memorial Park near Palm Springs.