The Rat Pack. I never knew there was a 1950's version and

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (0) Message Board
wowhappens28 Bhawks #6293
184
The Rat Pack. I never knew there was a 1950's version and a 1960's version. Was Bhawks a member? :-) e is quite famous?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Pack

The Rat Pack is a term used by the media to refer to an informal group of entertainers centered on the Las Vegas casino scene. Having its origins in a group of friends that met at the Los Angeles home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, by the 1960s, it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group that called itself "the Summit" or "the Clan", featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop among others; they appeared together on stage and in films in the early 1960s, including the movies Ocean's 11,[1] Sergeants 3, and Robin and the 7 Hoods (in the last film, Bing Crosby replaced Lawford). Sinatra, Martin, and Davis were regarded as the group's lead members.[2][3]

1950s
he name "The Rat Pack" was first used to refer to a group of friends in New York.[4][5] Several explanations have been offered for the famous name over the years. According to one version, the group's original "Den Mother", Lauren Bacall, after seeing her husband, Humphrey Bogart, and his friends return from a night in Las Vegas, said words to the effect of "You look like a goddamn rat pack."[4] "Rat Pack" may also be a shortened version of "Holmby Hills Rat Pack", a reference to the home of Bogart and Bacall[4][5] which served as a regular hangout.

Visiting members included Errol Flynn, Ava Gardner, Nat King Cole, Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne, Jerry Lewis and Cesar Romero.

According to Stephen Bogart, the original members of the Holmby Hills Rat Pack were: Frank Sinatra (pack master), Judy Garland (first vice-president), Bacall (den mother), Sid Luft (cage master), Bogart (rat in charge of public relations), Swifty Lazar (recording secretary and treasurer), Nathaniel Benchley (historian), David Niven, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, George Cukor, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, and Jimmy Van Heusen.[4][5] In his autobiography The Moon's a Balloon, David Niven confirms that the Rat Pack originally included him but neither Sammy Davis, Jr. nor Dean Martin.

1960's
The 1960s version of the group included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Juliet Prowse, Buddy Greco, and Shirley MacLaine were often referred to as the "Rat Pack Mascots". Comedian Corbett Monica also worked as the frequent opening act for Frank Sinatra - later including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. - and played Larry Corbett, manager and friend, to Joey Bishop’s character on “The Joey Bishop show” from 1963-1965.[6]

The post-Bogart version of the group (Bogart died in 1957) was reportedly never called that name by any of its members – they called it the Summit or the Clan. "The Rat Pack" was a term used by journalists and outsiders, although it remains the lasting name for the group.


Sands Hotel and Casino
Often, when one of the members was scheduled to give a performance, the rest of the Pack would show up for an impromptu show, causing much excitement among audiences, resulting in return visits. They sold out almost all of their appearances, and people would come pouring into Las Vegas, sometimes sleeping in cars and hotel lobbies when they could not find rooms, just to be part of the Rat Pack entertainment experience. The Rat Pack's appearances were of unprecedented value because the city would always become flooded with high rollers, wealthy gamblers who would routinely leave substantial fortunes in the casinos' coffers. The marquees of the hotels at which they were performing as individuals would read, for example, "DEAN MARTIN - MAYBE FRANK - MAYBE SAMMY" as seen on a Sands Hotel sign.

Peter Lawford was a brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy (dubbed "Brother-in-Lawford" by Sinatra),[7] and Kennedy spent time with Sinatra and the others when he visited Las Vegas, during which members sometimes referred to the group as "the Jack Pack". Rat Pack members played a role in campaigning for Kennedy and the Democrats, appearing at the July 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.[8] Lawford had asked Sinatra if he would have Kennedy as a guest at his Palm Springs house in March 1962, and Sinatra went to great lengths (including the construction of a helipad) to accommodate the President.[9] When Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy advised his brother to sever his ties to Sinatra because of the entertainer's association with Mafia figures such as Sam Giancana, the stay was cancelled.[10] Kennedy instead chose to stay at rival Bing Crosby's estate, which further infuriated Sinatra.[11] Lawford was blamed for this, and Sinatra "never again had a good word for [him]" from that point onwards.[12] Lawford's role in the upcoming 4 for Texas was written out, and his part in Robin and the 7 Hoods was ironically given to Bing Crosby.[11]

On June 20, 1965, Sinatra, Martin, and Davis, with Johnny Carson as the emcee (substituting for Bishop, who was out with a bad back), performed their only televised concert together during the heyday of the Pack at the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis, a closed-circuit broadcast done as a fundraiser for Dismas House (the first halfway house for ex-convicts) and fed live to movie theatres across the country. Thirty years later Paul Brownstein tracked down a print of the "lost" show in a St. Louis closet after someone noticed mysterious cameras onstage during a CBS documentary on Sinatra which filmed part of the show. It has since been broadcast on Nick at Nite (in 1998) as part of The Museum of Television & Radio Showcase series[13] and released on DVD as part of the Ultimate Rat Pack Collection: Live & Swingin.

More in the link plus photos.
Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

AI, GLP-1, and the Food Revolution Unveiled

Updated Category News Views 123

How the Food Industry Faces a Formulation Shake-Up In a world where diets are shifting like never before, food companies are adjusting their game plans or risk getting left in the dust. With one in five U.S. households reportedly housing a GLP-1 user by May 2026, the food game looks more like a strategic chess match than ever. Balancing taste, nutrition, and price is no...

Continue Reading
Bloomberg Law Integrates Docket Data with AI Platform

Updated Category News Views 95

Bloomberg Law's Game-Changer for Legal Pros Here's something that'll make legal eagles perk up on this fine day: Bloomberg Law has rolled out a connector for Claude, marrying court dockets and litigation smarts to AI. Let's face it, the legal world always runs on precision and timing above all. So when an integration like this drops, it ain’t just a memo on the office...

Continue Reading
Solink Secures $100M: NYSE Sees Tech and Sports Moves

Updated Category News Views 101

Folks, it’s a busy day on Wall Street, with Solink leading the charge by landing over a cool $100 million in fresh funding. Let's break this down because when startups pocket nine-digit figures, it's time to pay attention. Solink's Leap Forward Now, what’s Solink doing with all that cash? They're not scrambling for coffee money, that's for sure. Instead, this funding...

Continue Reading
NC Community Colleges Let Students Shape New Initiatives

Updated Category News Views 21

Fresh Faces Drive Change in Community Colleges There's a new crew in town, calling the shots on how North Carolina's community colleges operate. Ten spunky students across the state are now in the driver's seat, ready to give the old system a tune-up. It's about time someone got serious about what students need from their college experience, and the North Carolina...

Continue Reading
Duolingo Lawsuit Looms Over Securities Allegations

Updated Category News Views 36

Duolingo Lawsuit: A New Headache for Investors Seems like every time you blink, another tech darling is getting dragged to court, and now it's Duolingo's turn to face the music. They're locked in a class action lawsuit food-fight over violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, specifically, §§10(b) and 20(a), and Rule 10b-5. The Core of Allegations Against...

Continue Reading
Bulletproof Gets Nod for AI Expertise, Eyes Future Growth

Updated Category News Views 97

Bulletproof's Recognition: A Sign of AI Prowess Let's dive right into today's news: Bulletproof just snagged a spot on the 2026 CRN AI Innovators list. Now, this is big leagues stuff, especially since this list highlights the top dogs in the AI space across North America. We're talking about managed service providers, value-added resellers, and all those tech wizards who...

Continue Reading
wagamama Spruces Up U.S. Market with mamago Launch

Updated Category News Views 112

What's Cooking at wagamama with mamago? Here comes wagamama, striding into the American dining scene with that familiar bold Pan-Asian flair, now offering more than just a seat at their tables. The fresh move to a direct-to-door model dubbed ‘mamago’ ushers in an era where their signature dishes don't just seduce your taste buds at their restaurants. Nope, they are...

Continue Reading
Samyang Bolsters Sugar Reduction at SupplySide Global

Updated Category News Views 41

You ever take a stroll around a trade show floor packed with folks jiving over the latest in food and wellness? That's what's going down at SupplySide Global 2026 in Las Vegas, and Samyang Corporation is strutting in with a heap of sugar reduction solutions and dietary fiber goods that would make any nutritionist grin from ear to ear. Debuting Tapioca-Based Resistant...

Continue Reading
FirstEnergy Bolsters Support for Shelter Initiatives

Updated Category News Views 96

FirstEnergy Foundation's Commitment Shines Bright Alright, here's the scoop. FirstEnergy Foundation isn't just about keeping the lights on anymore. They're throwing down $620,000 to tackle one hell of a tough nut—shelter and stability. This latest infusion spreads across five states, with ten nonprofit warriors in New Jersey alone locking in $120,000 of that pot for...

Continue Reading
Hyundai and Texas Children's Boost Child Safety in Houston

Updated Category News Views 25

A Meaningful Partnership for Safer Houston Roads There's a good feeling about corporations genuinely pitching in for community welfare, and Hyundai teaming up with Texas Children's Hospital to boost child passenger safety around Houston is exactly that. Pairing philanthropy with safety is more than just a business move—it's a testament to human decency. With a $25,000...

Continue Reading

Top 5 Most Recently Viewed Articles

Diversified Transportation Expands Services to Lithium Project

Updated Category News Views 183

Diversified Transportation Wins Industrial Busing Contract Diversified Transportation LTD, part of the Student Transportation of America (STA) family, has secured a significant industrial busing contract to support construction at a major lithium project. This partnership with Bechtel Infrastructure and Power Corp highlights the commitment to mobilize skilled labor...

Continue Reading
Tim Lamb Group Navigates Successful Toyota Dealership Sale

Updated Category News Views 358

Tim Lamb Group Facilitates Sale of Toyota of Warren In a significant development within the automotive sales industry, the Tim Lamb Group has successfully orchestrated the sale of Toyota of Warren to Rafih Auto Group. This marks yet another landmark achievement for Tim Lamb and his team, who have sold a remarkable 120 dealerships in Ohio alone. A Bond Built Over Years The...

Continue Reading
Renasant Corporation Announces Exciting Dividend Update

Updated Category News Views 139

Renasant Corporation Dividend Announcement The board of directors at Renasant Corporation has recently approved a quarterly cash dividend of twenty-two cents ($0.22) per share. This dividend will be distributed on September 30, to all shareholders of record as of September 16. The decision showcases Renasant's ongoing commitment to provide value and returns to its...

Continue Reading
Discover the Beauty of Big Sur with Strategic Travel Tips

Updated Category News Views 315

Plan Your Unforgettable Big Sur Road Trip Exploring the majestic beauty of Big Sur and its surroundings has never been easier with recent travel guides and resources now available. Travelers can embark on a bucket-list road trip along California's iconic Highway 1, cruising through stunning coastal views and vibrant landscapes. The Launch of HOW 2 HWY 1 Initiative...

Continue Reading
ACRES Commercial Realty Corp 2024 Year-End Financial Overview

Updated Category News Views 101

ACRES Commercial Realty Corp Announces Financial Results ACRES Commercial Realty Corp. (NYSE: ACR) has recently announced its financial results for the quarter and year ending December 31, 2024. The company specializes in originating, managing, and holding commercial real estate mortgage loans and equity investments. The reported GAAP net income for the final quarter of...

Continue Reading