"Frank Sinatra Has a Cold"

In which sections of the article can you tell Talese really did his homework?

Talese’s power of observation shows that Sinatra is arrogant. For instance, in a pool room he sees Sinatra criticize a screenwriter because of the way he’s dressed. Later, the screenwriter is told to leave the room. But then Talese exposes another side of Sinatra by interviewing his daughter, Nancy. According to her, Frank’s only way of getting privacy was sleeping on the couch, where he learned to press his tuxedo by sleeping a particular way. But, in contrast to his arrogance, he is sensitive: Frank cried at Nancy’s wedding.

Another section where Talese obviously researched thoroughly is when he observed Sinatra speaking with his father on the phone about how horrible he was feeling about the taping of the NBC show. Then Talese breaks into exposition about Frank’s parents. And he weaves this with an interview with Frank’s mother, Dolly. Through her dialogue, we learn about Frank’s parents and how his mother’s power over people and arrogance was instilled into Frank. The reader also learns about Frank’s upbringing and how he became a singer.

Talese takes this one step further by describing the environment in which he interviewed Frank’s mother – a house that Frank bought for his parents; the interior walls are adorned with photographs of religious figures; and a letter written by Frank hangs on the wall in which he expresses his love for his parents and also shows that he believes in God.

Write about how Gay Talese is able to get inside Sinatra’s head as if he knows Sinatra’s thoughts, feelings, and intentions

Talese shows Sinatra’s thoughts, feelings, and intentions, by interviewing his friends and family and by observing well. For example, in the first scene Talese describes Sinatra: he was silent for most of the evening; “he seemed even more distant, staring out through the smoke” (Talese 1). Here, Talese makes assumptions according to Sinatra’s appearance.
Then Talese combines personal observations with information derived (most likely) from interviews to dig deeper into Sinatra’s psyche: Sinatra was “tired” of publicity; he “disliked” his new movie; he was “angry” about a T.V. documentary that delved into his private life; he “worried” about an upcoming NBC taping and he “was weak and sore and uncertain” (1).

In another instance Talese observes how detached Sinatra can be: at The Sands, Talese observes him strutting through the casino, even though he was drunk. Sinatra plays blackjack and loses $600. But he doesn’t seem to care – he walks away from the blackjack table, calm and cool.

Talese observed Sinatra in many different settings to better understand the vocalist. By doing so, the reader gets a sense of how Sinatra is still just a regular guy. For example, he observed Sinatra in New York City’s Jilly’s restaurant: throngs of people were always around him. From talking with his acquaintances, Talese discovered that Frank always had a caravan no matter if he was in New York or New Jersey. And, as Talese observed in The Sands casino in Las Vegas, Sinatra his friends from all over the country and from different times in his life were with him as he ate at a private table. Talese makes the assumption that Sinatra, despite his fame, is still friendly with people who knew before he was famous.

In connection with this, Sinatra always needs people around him. As his valet, George Jacobs said to Talese, that Sinatra calls as many people as he can to “hang out,” but if no one is available, he calls Jacobs. Most of the time Sinatra cannot stand being alone. And an interview with his manager about Sinatra’s relationship with Ava Gardner showed that Frank needs tons of love: “He needs love. He wants it twenty-four hours a day, he must have people around” (17).

I definitely come away from reading this article with a complete understanding of Sinatra: he can be arrogant. He’s confident. A man who finds security not in money, but in family and friends. He wields power over people but loves helping those he cares for that are in need. He’s passionate and loving. And desperately needs to be loved.

Describe the overall structure of the article

“Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” reads like a story. It’s comprised of eight sections. Each section begins with a short description of the setting – essentially, a scene. He provides observations of what Frank is doing, being it smoking a cigarette at the bar, or singing ecstatically in a recording studio. And Talese uses exposition and flashbacks that preclude dialogue from an interview.


Talese, Gay. “Frank Sinatra Has Cold.’” Dale Keiger.

2006. 20 Oct. 2006. content/FrankSinatraHasaCold.pdf>.