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These rats are COOL CATS
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Three tribute artistes brought back the glorious days when the Rat Pack of Hollywood consistently made tabloid headlines. For ANAND SANKAR, it was like seeing bad boys Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. all over again
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Allen Gregory, impersonating Sammy Davis Jr., is one of the top tribute artistes in the U.S. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
"HOW DRUNK are you, Dean?"
"You know I don't drink, Frank."
"So, where are we now, Dean?"
"We're in London." (Laughter.)
"No, we are performing in Bangalore in India, Dean."
"Gee, I lost a whole country, Frank." (Laughter.)
It was just a couple of hours but for that brief period, I got to relive those magical years at the "summit of cool" that The Sands Hotel and Casino was when The Rat Pack performed.
The occasion was a whisky promotion by Johnnie Walker, which featured The Las Vegas Celebration of the Rat Pack Tribute, a band of impersonators comprising Mark DiMattia as Frank Sinatra, the King Rat, Allen Gregory as the inimitable Sammy Davis Jr., and Bill Whitton as the `sober' Dean Martin.
(The original Rat Pack also included Peter Lawford who was John F. Kennedy's brother-in-law, Joey Bishop and Shirley Maclaine as the honorary mascot and Girl Friday.)
The show was not just about music but also attitude, and was humour, glamour, and style all rolled into one. And, of course, the unforgettable numbers rolled out: "My Way", "New York, New York", "Mac The Knife", "Me And My Shadow", "Memories Are Made Of These", "Mister Bojangles", "That's Life", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Come Fly With Me", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", and "Birth Of The Blues". Classics one could listen to hundreds of times over.
But that wasn't what the Rat Pack was all about. For the original pack, it was living life to the fullest. Wear shiny suits and the finest cologne, date some broads, shoot some movies, perform, and then party like there was no tomorrow.
(The term Rat Pack in fact was coined by Humphrey Bogart's wife, the sassy Lauren Bacall, who screamed: "You look like a goddamned rat pack!" when Frank and his group came straggling in after a night of carousing.)
And the impersonators here did not disappoint.
Billed as one of the best tribute acts around, these guys had it all. The shiny diamond rings, the impeccably tailored suits, the hairdos and of course, Dean's drunken swagger. In between generous sips of whisky, they rendered note-perfect renditions of the originals and all the while kept the crowd in splits with their '60s brand of humour, which invariably revolved around women.
Not having ever seen an impersonation act, I barged backstage to meet the guys to find out how it felt to imitate men who are the stuff of legend.
"You have to respect the men for what they did. It was something special. We only try to give the audience an idea of what it would be like if they were alive today," said Bill, a former Hollywood stuntman who has worked with the likes of Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner.
"Even our jokes are mixed. We use some '60s stuff but also contemporary ones." Which is true because their repertoire even included a Viagra joke.
The trio are all professional musicians and have done their bit for music. "I have been in music ever since I was 14. My father was a musician. I have always felt what I am doing is just natural. But those guys were amazing. They hung out together. They partied day and night, and dated the same women," said Mark, who is considered one of the best among 10 or 11 serious Frank Sinatra impersonators doing the rounds in the U.S. "In fact, it is said that once they were in a room full of women (and possibilities), but they all just sat and talked because they were so tired." added Allen, who is again one of the top tribute artistes back home.
The Rat Pack's lifestyle probably influenced America (including JFK's election) like nothing ever before. Even though The Sands Hotel and Casino has now made way for a family entertainment centre; but a couple of hours and three men in Bangalore proved that their spirit will live on.
* * *
The Rat Pack created their own argot. It was a mixture of slang and terms that helped make them indisputably the kings of cool.
Barnburner: A very stylish, classy woman
Beard: A male friend who acts as a cover, usually for extramarital affairs
Broad: Affectionate term for a woman with sex appeal
Charley: What the rat-packers called one another
Crumb: A person impossible to respect
Fink: A person who cannot be trusted, especially someone in the media
Gas: A great situation; as in "that set was a gas"
Gasoline: Alcohol
Let's lose Charley: A term used among intimates who want to get rid of a bore in their company
Punks: Any undesirables, in particular criminals, gangsters, or mobsters
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