He did it his way

FRANK Sinatra

Our recent notes on unforgettable stars and thespic icons have elicited follow-up recollections of other long-gone luminaries who are still lovingly remembered and valued by fans. Leading the follow-up listing is Frank Sinatra, whose loyal fans celebrated his 100th birthday last Dec. 12.

One of the best-selling music artists of all time (he sold more than 150 million records in his lifetime), Sinatra garnered additional fame and fortune as an actor, singer and dancer. His surprising star turn in the 1949 screen musical, “On the Town,” was followed by similarly scintillating portrayals in “Guys and Dolls” and “High Society”

Sinatra was an exceptional performer even in nonmusical movies, even winning an Oscar for his performance in “From Here to Eternity.”

Sinatra may have been lanky and thin as a young man, but he drove many teenyboppers “crazy,” not just with his splendid, soaring voice, but also with his natural magnetism.

In fact, he was linked to some of the most beautiful and desirable female stars in Hollywood, including Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Lauren Bacall and Mia Farrow. Why was he so “devastatingly” attractive to women?

Barbara Sinatra, one of his ex-wives, wryly shared, “He couldn’t help it! Just look at him—the way he moved and how he behaved—was to know that he was a great lover and a true gentleman. He adored the company of women and knew how to treat them!”

On the distaff side, loyal fans cite Catherine Deneuve. Born in 1943, she made her movie debut at age 13 and was famous not just for her ethereal Gallic beauty, but also for her similarly beautiful performances in standout movies like “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,”  “Indochine” and “Belle de Jour.”

In addition, Deneuve has supported worthy advocacies like Amnesty International  and Reporters Without Borders, and was appointed Unesco Goodwill Ambassador for the Safeguarding of Film Heritage.

Ingrid Bergman was the luminous female lead of “Casablanca,” and some viewers remember her for that “signature” portrayal. But she was similarly exceptional in other screen appearances, like  “Anastasia” and “Intermezzo.”

Bergman was such a good actress that, in “Murder on the Orient Express,” she played “only” a cameo role and was onscreen for just seven minutes—but ended up winning a best supporting actress Oscar for that relatively brief appearance!

For her part, Audrey Hepburn is remembered as the eternally gamine star of such well-loved movies such as “Roman Holiday,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Sabrina.” But her diehard loyalists know that she was capable of much deeper characterizations, which she came up with in “Wait Until Dark” and the other more challenging films she made in maturity.

Finally, Grace Kelly was headed to the top in Hollywood—until Monaco’s Prince Rainier married her and made her a real-life princess.

Monaco’s gain was definitely Hollywood’s loss, but Kelly at least left us with striking performances in “Rear Window” and “High Society,” and even managed to win a best actress Oscar for her surprisingly felt  portrayal in “The Country Girl”!