Frank Sinatra

New Photography Book Brings Rat Pack To Life

Filed under: Books

The legendary Rat Pack is celebrated in a new luxury book by Reel Art Press that brings you inside the inner circle of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. The limited-edition volume includes photographs from the Cal Neva Resort in North Lake Tahoe and parties at Peter Lawford's Santa Monica beach house. Hollywood and Las Vegas images also feature many of the glamorous women surrounding these gentlemen such as Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall.

The LA Times reports that editor and Reel Art Press co-founder Tony Nourmand worked with Andy Howick of the MPTV photo agency to trace shots from the entertainers' glory days unearthing unprinted negatives and rarely seen images. The book starts at $650 for the Masters Edition and $1,650 for the Deluxe Edition, which includes a wooden slip case and a bonus image of Sinatra and Martin signed by the photographer, Gerald Smith. The customizable, $4,000 Heritage edition, which is limited to 30 copies adds in a rare, vintage photograph of your choice and signatures from Nourmand, Levy and art director and designer Graham Marsh. Certain rare photographs are also being sold individually. The images are well worth a look: there's a great sequence of the Rat Pack goofing around in a hotel room taking a swing at each other. The book can be ordered off the Reel Art Press website.

Tags: art books, frank sinatra, photographs, rat pack

Sinatra's Shirt Part of New Year's Day Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

For some New Year's Day is a chance to recover and watch football but for Don Presley Auctions the 2011 auction year begins on New Year's Day with an annual sale. Approximately 600 lots will be offered including several pieces of Hollywood memorabilia. A tuxedo shirt made by Beverly Hills men's clothier Nat Wise for Frank Sinatra is one of the intriguing lots. The consignor bought it in a neighbor's yard sale for $5 and is estimated for $10-$1,000. A two-piece eyelet-trimmed sleeveless blouse and skirt is believed to have been the property of Marilyn Monroe. The outfit ensemble previously belonged to Robert Slatzer, the late Hollywood biographer and newspaper reporter who claimed he and Monroe were wed in Mexico in 1952. The sale will also feature bronze fountains and other pieces owned by Liberace.

[via Antique Trader]

Tags: frank sinatra, memorabilia

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 11/07/10

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

From the Wall Street Journal:
--Hedge-fund pioneer Paul Tudor Jones is asking $30 million for his 6,250-acre hunting retreat on Maryland's eastern shore. It is our estate of the day on Monday.
--A 44-acre Aspen, Colorado estate sold for $31.5 million, for what brokers say is a record price for the area this year. The seller of the property was Bob Zangrillo, founder of private-equity firm Z Capital.
--After nearly four years on the market at $33 million, a roughly 6,500-acre Carmel Valley, California ranch, shown above, has seen its asking price cut 35 percent to $21.5 million. The listing is here.

From the NY Times:
--Renee Zellweger has listed a pair of apartments on New York's Upper East side. 82nd Street, The apartments take up the entire second floor of a co-op on 82nd Street at Madison Avenue. She paid $8.2 million for all three units. One, a three-bedroom unit is $6.975 million. The listing is here.

From Newsday:
--A three-acre estate in Sagaponack that includes land once owned by businessman Ronald Lauder as well as a planned 11,600-square-foot, 10-room traditional home designed by architect Francis Fleetwood has has a price cut to $14.995 million down from $17.75 million. The listing is here.
--An Old Westbury estate that once belonged to the family of the late commercial shipping magnate Michael P. Grace had had a price cut. The five-bedroom Colonial was listed at $4.498 million but is now listed at $3.968 million. The listing is here.

Gallery: Wheatley Road

From the LA Times:
--"CSI: Miami" star Rex Linn has bought a Sherman Oaks home for $1.415 million.
--Iron Chef Michael Symon has picked up a two-story loft in the Dogtown Station mixed-use development in Venice. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit was listed at $1.1 million.
--Judd Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann, have sold their Pacific Palisades home for $5.26 million.

From Housing Watch:
--Actress Jessica Alba is trying to lease out her 3,035-square-foot Beverly Hills home for $8,950 a month. The listing is here.

Gallery: Rent Jessica Alba's Beverly Hills Home

Tags: Amanda Seyfried, celebrity real estate, chris noth, doutzen kroes, frank sinatra, gerard butler, jessica alba, judd apatow, leslie mann, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, michael symon, renee zellweger, rex linn, tom thibodeau

Continue reading “Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 11/07/10”

The Classicist: London's Famed Savoy Hotel Back After $350 Million Revamp

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

London's renowned Savoy hotel has just reopened following a massive $350 million revamp encompassing one of the most ambitious restorations in British history. The world famous landmark, built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, originally opened in August 1889. Originally managed by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and Maitre Chef Auguste Escoffier, the hotel quickly became known for impeccable service and cuisine as well as glittering parties and famous patrons. Over the decades George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Noel Coward entertained there, while famous guests included King Edward VII, Harry Truman, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Coco Chanel, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and numerous others. The property, now managed by Fairmont, has been closed for nearly three years while the impressive restoration project took shape.

120 years later the hotel's two main design aesthetics, Edwardian and Art Deco, have been carefully revitalized under the direction of world-renowned designer Pierre Yves Rochon. More than 1000 craftspeople, artists and artisans worked tirelessly to create interiors that are in keeping with the hotel's original and much-loved spirit. 38 new River Suites and guestrooms have been added, offering the same stunning views over the River Thames that inspired Whistler and Monet. Nine Personality Suites pay tribute to a few of the artists and well known figures who made the legendary hotel their London home away from home including Sinatra, Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. The suites contain art, literature, photographs and artifacts that evoke the time and spirit of the stars including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival.

The reopening also includes the addition of a stately $16,000-per-night, 325-square meter Royal Suite featuring two bedrooms, a study, sitting room, dining room, master bathroom, dressing room (with a specially ventilated shoe closet) and a master bedroom with a bespoke Savoir bed. The suite has been specially designed so that all the rooms enjoy one of the finest views of London. The legendary River Restaurant meanwhile gets a contemporary interpretation of Art Deco décor, and the famed cocktail mecca the American Bar is back in business while Savoy Grill returns under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings with Chef Patron, Stuart Gillies and Head Chef, Andy Cook. [continued]

Gallery: The Savoy Reborn

Tags: Art Deco, bar, cocktails, Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Fairmont, Fairmont hotels, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Gilbert and Sullivan, Gordon Ramsay, hotel, hotel suites, London, luxury hotels, Maria Callas, Marilyn Monroe, Monet, Ritz, Savoy, Savoy hotel, tea, Thames, The Beatles, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: London's Famed Savoy Hotel Back After $350 Million Revamp”

Is Frank Sinatra A Real Estate Draw?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Earlier this week, Curbed LA reported that 320 North Carolwood Drive in Los Angeles, the former seven-bedroom home belonging to Frank Sinatra has hit the market for $22.5 million. This is where Frank's daughter Nancy Sinatra grew up. Sinatra eventually divorced Nancy's mother, Nancy Barbato and moved out. The home is on around 2.3 acres of prime real estate. The interior pictures look a bit dated prompting Curbed LA to wonder if this older home is headed for a teardown. The home is on the market for the first time in 50 years.

This isn't the first Sinatra home we've seen take a spin on the MLS. Twin Palms, the original Palm Springs home of Frank Sinatra was listed in 2008 for $3.25 million and sold for $2.2 million in 2009. It looks like it can still be rented out. Still up for sale however is Villa Maggio, the home Sinatra built in the Palm Desert. That one started off at $4.995 million in 2008 but is now down to $4.4 million. The virtual tour for the seven-bedroom home is here.

Gallery: Frank Sinatra on Carolwood

Tags: celebrity real estate, frank sinatra, los angeles real estate

Dunhill Opens 1st U.S. Bespoke Tailoring Floor in NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

London luxury goods firm Dunhill has just announced the opening of the new bespoke and custom tailoring floor of its Madison Avenue flagship store in New York (above), the first of its kind in the U.S. Overseen by Bruno Cosentino, Dunhill's resident master tailor who personally hand makes every bespoke item, the space is entirely dedicated to the brand's exceptional tailoring service. Working one-on-one with each client to create the ultimate in tailoring indulgence, Cosentino first guides clients through thousands of luxurious fabrics, from the finest 'super grade' wools to Mongolian cashmeres and lightweight linens. The master tailor then suggests appropriate fits and styling to complement the client's lifestyle and ways to personalize each sartorial investment. Once the design of the pattern is complete, it then becomes part of the Alfred Dunhill archives, kept in reserve for returning clients seeking additional bespoke services. Dunhill's custom tailoring tradition includes a tuxedo made for Truman Capote to wear at his infamous Black & White Ball in the 1960s as well as bespoke suits made for Frank Sinatra.

Tags: Dunhill, Frank Sinatra, London, New York, suits, tailoring, Truman Capote

Frank Sinatra Wine Launches

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Can the Sinatra name sell wine? The Sinatra Family Estates has announced its first wine offering, Come Fly With Me, a limited-production 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.The winery partnered with the Frank Sinatra Estate and his three children (Tina, Nancy and Frank Jr.) to produce the wine. The wine is being produced from a five-acre vineyard site in Napa Valley, and only 500 cases will be bottled and are selling at a steep price of $570 for six bottles. The website says the wine has notes of cherry with hints of leather and spice and says it has a 92 rating but no indication of where that rating came from. Each vintage will be named after a Sinatra classic and the wine label features a logo of a record.

[via Limewire]

Source

Tags: cabernet sauvignon, CabernetSauvignon, frank sinatra, FrankSinatra, red wine, RedWine, wine

Sinatra & Dean Martin Cars Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

Classic cars owned by Rat Pack-ers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra will be auctioned off in Carmel, CA on August 14 during Bonhams' annual Collectors' Automobilia and Motorcars sale at the Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club. Sinatra's car is a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, estimated at $275,000 - $325,000, and Martin's is a beautiful 1962 Ghia L6.4 coupe (above), one of only 26 made by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Ghia, estimated at $185,000 - $225,000. Both cars have bespoke touches; Sinatra's Caddy features an original set of magnetic shot glasses and a cigarette case in the glove box, while Martin's Ghia comes with set of custom fitted calfskin luggage matching the tan leather upholstery.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Tags: Bonhams, Cadillac, California, Dean Martin, DeanMartin, Frank Sinatra, FrankSinatra, Ghia, Rat Pack, RatPack

Clown Painting By Frank Sinatra Among Julien's Summer Sale Auction Items

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Celebrity Design

Darren Julien may have lost the Michael Jackson auction but he's got plenty of other celebrity items up his sleeve. The Julien's Auctions Summer Entertainment Sale is an annual memorabilia event that usually always features a few items from blue-chip celebs like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley as well as a treasure trove of ephemera for old movie buffs. The sale will be held at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on June 26th and 27th, 2009.

The Marilyn Monroe items include clothing from her personal and professional wardrobe and furniture from her Brentwood, California home. Marilyn's dining room table is estimated at $10,000 to $12,000 and other pieces including a coffee table and a tapestry are priced for less.

On the Elvis tip you can rather ghoulishly acquire prescription bottles made out to Elvis as well as many other personal items. But maybe the creepiest item of all is the Frank Sinatra oil painting of a clown. Old Blue Eyes painted this 22 by 24-inch painting which he gave as a gift to producer Guy Della-Cioppa. Apparently Sinatra began painting clowns before painting more abstract pieces. If you want it haunting you from your wall you'll have to bid in the $10,000 to $20,000 range.

[via NY Daily News]

Source

Tags: auction, frank sinatra, FrankSinatra, juliens auctions, JuliensAuctions, marilyn monroe, MarilynMonroe

Frank Sinatra's Gold Pasha de Cartier Watch Gifted To Sammy Davis Jr. At Auction

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Also included in the June 11th Antiquorum watch auction is this Cartier Pasha watch model that was a gift from Rat Packer Frank Sinatra to other fellow Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. The watch auction comes with news photos of Davis Jr. wearing the watch, while the rear of the watch still bears the engraving by Sinatra that reads, "Sammy, I Luv Ya, F.A.S." A highly collectible item for Cartier fans and Rat Pack devotees alike.

The 18k gold Pasha watch is printed with its manufacture date of 1987, and bears a quartz movement, being the "in" thing of the time. Today this would lead you to believe that Sinatra might have been miserly with his gift, but this was not the case in the late 80's when quartz movement based watches were much more popular than mechanical ones. The watch complications include the time, date with day, moon phase, and second time zone. The watch is very rare, and is estimated to go for a likely lower than actual auction price of $10,000 - $20,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: antiquorum, auction, cartier, frank sinatra, FrankSinatra, gift, pasha, sammy davis jr., SammyDavisJr., timepiece, watch

Dunhill Brings Back Elvis' Lighter

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style

London luxury goods firm Dunhill is offering a new limited edition gold lighter based on a model from their archives that was owned by Elvis Presley in the 1950s.

The slim, elegant 18-karat yellow gold Apex lighter features a classic crosshatch pattern in Dunhill's famed Rollalite style. Only 50 pieces are being produced at $13,000 each.

Dunhill, which dates back to the 1890s, produced its first lighter, dubbed the Unique, in 1923. Noel Coward, Coco Chanel and Frank Sinatra, who also had his tuxedos made the firm, all owned Dunhill lighters as well.

The precious but understated lighter indicates that before he got sloppy Elvis was a man of taste. Some of his later, more vulgar accouterments are currently being auctioned off in NYC.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Alfred Dunhill, AlfredDunhill, Coco Chanel, CocoChanel, Dunhill, Elvis Presley, ElvisPresley, Frank Sinatra, FrankSinatra, gold, lighter, London, smoking

The Classicist: The Holy Grail of Lamborghinis

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist

Between 1966 and 1972, Lamborghini built what has come to be known as the "Holy Grail" of its many famous sportscars: the legendary Miura. Named after a Spanish ranch famed for its ferocious bulls, the Miura's (pronounced me-you-rra) flamboyance and engineering astounded the public when it was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show in 1965. It quickly became the supercar of choice for the coolest of the cool and richest of the rich - members of royal families and two of the world's most famous and stylish musicians owned one, for starters.

Miles Davis is said to have driven his Miura around with a .357 Magnum stashed under the seat and enjoyed outrunning police cars while terrified passengers like Jimi Hendrix held on for dear life. He crashed the car in 1972, breaking both ankles in the process, and immediately ordered another. Frank Sinatra arrived at the Lamborghini factory outside carrying a roll of specially tanned wild boar skin with which he instructed the workmen to upholster the interior. He chose orange metallic paint for the exterior and matching shag carpet within.

So why are we talking about the Miura now? Because Joe Sackey, the world's leading authority on the vehicle, has just published the definitive volume on it - aptly titled The Lamborghini Miura Bible - after 20 years of diligent research. Sackey makes the case that the Miura is nothing short of "The Most Beautiful Sports Car of The Postwar Era." Having himself himself owned, maintained and restored five Miuras, he knows whereof he speaks. "The Miura is not a car without its flaws," Sackey notes. "But, what a benchmark post-war classic! A special car, it is to be enjoyed and indeed put on a pedestal. In terms of reliability and utility, it may not be the ultimate example of a sports car, but for sheer charisma and emotion the Miura is hard to beat."

Gallery: Lamborghini Miura

Tags: Frank Sinatra, FrankSinatra, Joe Sackey, JoeSackey, Lamborghini, Lamborghini Miura, LamborghiniMiura, Miles Davis, MilesDavis, Miura

Continue reading “The Classicist: The Holy Grail of Lamborghinis”

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up, 12/28/08

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Twin Palms, shown above, the original Palm Springs home of Frank Sinatra is now for sale for $3.25 million. The listing is here.

Luxist reader Nick reports that the Bridgehampton Idea house which we profiled as an estate of the day in January has had a deep price reduction. It was listed at $18 million, was down to $15 million when we wrote about it and now is listed at just $9.95 million. The listing is here.

From Newsday's Real LI:
--Fox Hall, an estate we've been watching since 2005 when it was listed at $20 million has a new broker and a new price, $14,999,999 million. The listing is here.
--Billy Joel 's Centre Island home is back off the market once again. Joel purchased the home in 2002 for $22 million. He listed the Tudor-style waterfront mansion for sale in September 2006 with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty for $37.5 million when it was our estate of the day and later tried to sell it for $32.5 million.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
Director Rob Cohen has listed his Malibu home. It's our estate of the day later today.

From Cityfile's Buyers and Sellers:
--Bruce Lisman, the former co-head of global equities at Bear Stearns, has cut the price of his apartment at 923 Fifth Ave. The four-bedroom is now $16.75 million, down from $22.5 million. The listing is here.
--Kenneth Cole has reduced the price on his New York City penthouse. We'll be checking it out as the estate of the day on Monday.

From the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties:
--Fashion designer Domenico Vacca has reduced the price on his New York City condominium from $9.5 million to $8.9 million. The listing is here.
--Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Thani, of Qatar, has listed his three-bedroom apartment at Trump Park Avenue for $14 million. The listing is here.
--Hollywood producer George Furla is asking $3.495 million for his unfinished penthouse apartment in downtown Chicago. He paid $3.15 million for the unit in 2005. The listing is here.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--Colombian ambassador to the U.N. Claudia Blum and her husband Francisco Barberi have paid $3.9 million for a third-floor co-op at 936 Fifth Avenue, which is next door to the other apartment in the building thy bought for $3.35 million earlier this month

Tags: billy joel, BillyJoel, bruce lisman, BruceLisman, celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, domenico vacca, DomenicoVacca, fox hall, FoxHall, frank sinatra, FrankSinatra, george furla, GeorgeFurla, kenneth cole, KennethCole

Wynn Encore Will Have Sinatra-Themed Restaurant

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Steve Wynn has announced two restaurants for his Encore hotel in Las Vegas. The first, called Sinatra, will be an homage to Frank Sinatra. The Italian restaurant will be decorated with Sinatra memorabilia including Sinatra's Academy Award for best supporting actor in "From Here to Eternity," and his Grammy awards loaned from his family. Paul Anka is contributing the gold record he won for writing the English lyrics for "My Way," one of Sinatra's most famous songs. Wynn says the restaurant won't be a museum. His other restaurant announcement is called Switch, which will feature transformations during dinner including changing walls and ceilings and the staff switching clothes. The Wynn Encore opens December 22.

Source

Tags: encore, frank sinatra, FrankSinatra, hotel, las vegas, restaurant, steve wynn, SteveWynn, wynn encore, WynnEncore

$4 Million Jaguar Headlines Goodwood Auto Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

An ultra-rare 1955 Jaguar D-Type (above), the first production example ever made, is being auctioned off by Bonhams during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex, England on July 11. The car, which carries an estimate of $4 - $5 million and has a colorful racing history, is one of the most coveted sportscars ever produced; a similar one was owned by Steve McQueen.

Also featured in the historic sale: a super-cool lime green 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400S Series II Berlinetta similar to those owned by Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, est. $440,000 - $500,000; a rare 1968 Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 coupé, exhibited at the first Louis Vuitton Concours D'elegance in 1990, est. $400,000 - $500,000; a 1962 Cooper-Climax Type 61 'Monaco', raced by several famous name and one of only three believed to be in existence, est. $300,000 - $360,000; a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 competition saloon, est. $200,000 - $240,000; and more.

Gallery: Bonhams Goodwood