A Little Night Music: Frank Sinatra Sings 'My Kind Of Town (Chicago Is)' From The 1964 Film 'Robin And The 7 Hoods'

I've always enjoyed rewatching the 1964 film Robin and the 7 Hoods with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, and Bing Crosby.

The film is influenced clearly by Damon Runyon's crime stories. I love the cinematic camaraderie of the Rat Pack entertainers as well as the humor and drama of this musical gangster film. I especially love the songs, which were scored by Nelson Riddle.

You can watch Frank Sinatra sing the classic My Kind of Town (Chicago is) in a clip from the film via the below link:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=don1x4DHn2A

You can also watch ole Dino sing Any Man Who Loves His Mother from the film via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NdcSnNSV-0

And you can listen to a selection of songs from the film via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ_EJbjdMnk&list=PL3QK-FeOu2ccno7_XuoIuHKRE7jpsvWYa

Tis The Season For Christmas Songs: Why I Love Christmas Carols

Christmas carols are being aired on a good number of radio stations now and I hear the usual complaints of it being too early for Christmas carols and how some people truly hate the holiday music. A few years back I had tried to answer these seasonal complaints with a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer on why I love Christmas carols. You can read the piece below:   

Note: Above is the cover of a CD my daughter Brittany bought me a few years back. The CD offers some great, classic Christmas carols.

Tis The Season For Christmas Songs: Why I Love Christmas Carols

Christmas carols are being aired on a good number of radio stations now and I hear the usual complaints of it being too early for Christmas carols and how some people truly hate the holiday music.

A few years back I had tried to answer these seasonal complaints with a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer on why I love Christmas carols.

You can read the piece below:

Note: Above is the cover of a CD my daughter bought me a few years back. The CD offers some great, classic Christmas carols.

You can click on the above to enlarge.

Christmas Carols Still Defy Secularism

Christmas carols are being aired on a good number of radio stations now and I hear the usual complaints of it being too early for Christmas carols and how some people truly hate the holiday music.

A few years back I had tried to answer these seasonal complaints with a piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer on why I love Christmas carols.

You can read the piece below:

Note: Above is the cover of a CD my daughter bought me a few years back. The CD offers some great, classic Christmas carols.

A Look Back At the Rat Pack's Frank, Sammy & Dino In 'Robin And The 7 Hoods'

Over at Detectives Beyond Borders, an always interesting crime blog, Peter Rozovsky made a remark about Frank Sinatra not needing his fellow "Rat Pack" "nuchscleppers."

I thought that Peter Rozovsky, a copy editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, where I've been a contributor since 1999, was a bit unfair to Sinatra's pals Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin.

The late great crooners were much more than Sinatra's sidekicks.

Sammy and Dino were great singers and entertainers who more than held their own with Sinatra - and Sinatra himself would have the first to say so.

In defense of the Rat Pack I offered a link to a Youtube.com clip of Frank, Dino and Bing Crosby singing in Robin and the 7 Hoods, the 1964 musical comedy film that best showcased the Rat Pack, in my view.

You can watch the great crooners via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwCYBJe0o2M

You can also listen to Dino sing I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face with Chris Botti from his wonderful CD, Italia, via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiSMSKYsWU4

And you can read the discussion at Detectives Beyond Borders via the below link:

http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2011/12/rat-without-pack.html

If you're interested in international crime fiction, check out http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com