The movie Frank Sinatra was banned from starring in: “He would have been sensational”
As one of the biggest stars of his era on two different fronts, Frank Sinatra wasn’t used to being told no, with his track record of success in the recording booth and on the silver screen ensuring that he usually had his pick of the projects.
‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ was one of the best-selling singers in the business and cemented his acting chops with an Academy Award win for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 1953’s From Here to Eternity and notched a ‘Best Actor’ nod two years later for The Man with the Golden Arm, which kept his star burning brightly.
Sinatra turned down several classic movies throughout his career, though, with the roles he rejected becoming iconic in other hands. He backed out of playing the title character in Dirty Harry, allowing Clint Eastwood to step in and create his second indelible cinematic figure after Sergio Leone’s ‘Man with No Name’.
Almost two decades later, he was contractually obligated to be offered the part of John McClane in Die Hard, having previously headlined The Detective, and he was one of many actors who turned their noses up at the production before Bruce Willis secured what became both his breakthrough and career-defining gig.
He was briefly attached to On the Waterfront after Marlon Brando had initially knocked back the chance to play Terry Molloy, only to lose out when producer Sam Spiegel pushed the boat out for Sinatra’s soon-to-be arch-nemesis, with Charles Bronson’s Death Wish antihero Paul Kersey another notable character that landed on his desk first.
However, Sinatra was effectively banned from starring in one major motion picture. This stemmed from the project’s creative driving force, who was adamant that he wasn’t a nice enough man to spend an entire shoot working closely with. As the original Broadway show’s star, Barbra Streisand was awarded some degree of creative control when Funny Girl was adapted for the screen.
Jule Styne, the musical’s co-creator and the film’s composer, envisioned Sinatra as Nicky Arnstein. He was interested, but there were demands: He wanted his screentime expanded and new songs written specifically for the character. Meanwhile, producer Ray Stark thought he was simply too old, with Omar Sharif, who was almost two decades younger, getting the nod.
“Sinatra as Nicky Arnstein opposite Streisand, that would have been the collector’s item of all time,” Styne told Focus on Film in 1975. “Imagine having four songs in that score sung by Sinatra, imagine a duet between these two great people. He wanted to do it, but Ray Stark said he was too old. He would have been sensational!”
Stark thought Sinatra was too long in the tooth, but that wasn’t the only factor working against him. When his name was mentioned to Streisand, she completely vetoed his prospective casting. As much as she admired and respected his talent as a crooner and thespian, she disliked him personally, which meant she would never commit to having him play the male lead in her feature debut, which won her an Oscar for ‘Best Actress’.
