The movie Frank Sinatra hated with a passion: “I’ve seen it, and it’s a piece of crap”
Actors are supposed to pretend their latest movie is the greatest thing they’ve ever been a part of, even if they know in their heart of hearts that it isn’t true. Evidently, Frank Sinatra didn’t care, since he happily savaged one of his own pictures before it had even been released to a wide audience.
History is littered with stars who’ve taken a dump directly on top of their work once it’s had a chance to try and earn some money, but ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ didn’t have time for that nonsense. Instead, it was a matter of public record that he thought his upcoming picture was terrible, and in his defence, he wasn’t wrong.
Sinatra’s big-screen career was inconsistent, with the occasional moment of greatness often complemented by a brazen misfire. It didn’t do anything to dent his standing as one of the most famous faces in entertainment, though, and he could always slip back into the recording booth for another guaranteed bestseller to get himself back on solid professional ground.
Looking back, 1966’s The Oscar was a disaster for just about everyone involved. Director Russell Rouse went into the production under the impression that he was making a drama, but when people had the chance to see it for themselves, the only way they could get any enjoyment out of it was as an unintentionally campy comedy.
Living up to its billing, Sinatra was far from the only Academy Award winner involved in the picture. The star-studded ensemble cast also featured Ernest Borgnine, Broderick Crawford, Ed Begley, James Dunn, and Walter Brennan, with cinematography from Joseph Ruttenberg and costumes by Edith Head.
The plot followed a trio of cabaret performers played by Jill St John, Tony Bennett, and Stephen Boyd, with the latter dumping the former to manoeuvre his way up the Hollywood ladder, become a serious screen actor, and ultimately hire a private investigator to ensure that he wins the Oscar he’s been nominated for.
It was the only feature-length screenplay ever attributed to Harlan Ellison, who Sinatra didn’t recognise when they bumped into each other. When it was brought to his attention that he’d written The Oscar, which was several months away from premiering, the crooner didn’t care: “Well, I’ve seen it, and it’s a piece of crap.” When Ellison pointed out that it hadn’t been released, Sinatra simply repeated himself.
As well as being Ellison’s only dalliance with Hollywood scriptwriting, it was his co-writer Clarence Greene’s penultimate script. It was also the last time Bennett ever appeared in a movie as a character other than himself, and Rouse only helmed one more picture before his directing career petered out.
The Oscar wouldn’t make its bow until early 1966, but in the winter of 1965, Sinatra was already saying the quiet part out loud, because it really was a piece of crap.
