FRANK SINATRA

In the Wee Small Hours (1955)

"You never told me you knew Johnny Fontane!"

"Sure. You want to meet him?"

"Ha... Oh great! Sure"

"My father helped him with his career"

"He did? How?"

"Let's listen to this song"

"No, Michael... Please, Michael. Tell me"

"When Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to this personal service contract with a big bandleader. And as his career got better and better he wanted to get out of it. Now, Johnny is my father’s godson. And my father went to see this bandleader. He offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. So the next day my father went to see him, only this time with Luca Brasi. And within an hour he signed a release for a certified cheque of $1,000"

"How did he do that?"

"My father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse"

"What was that?"

"Luca Brasi held a gun to his head and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract. That’s a true story. That's my family, Kay. It’s not me"

* * *

"I don't know what to do. My voice is... is weak. It's weak. Anyway, if I had this part in the picture, you know, it puts me right back on top again. But this… this man out there. He won't give it to me, the head of the studio."

"What's his name?"

"Woltz. Woltz, he... he won't give it to me and he says there's no chance, no chance… A month ago he bought the movie rights to this book, a bestseller. The main character is a guy just like me. I wouldn't even have to act, just be myself. Oh, Godfather, I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do…"

"You can act like a man! What's the matter with you? Is this how you turned out? A Hollywood finocchio that cries like a woman? 'Ahh... What can I do? What can I do?' What is that nonsense? Ridiculous... You spend time with your family?"

"Sure I do"

"Good. Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. You look terrible. I want you to eat, I want you to rest well. And a month from now this Hollywood big shot's gonna give you what you want"

"Too late. They start shooting in a week"

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Just go outside, enjoy yourself and forget about all this nonsense. I want you to leave it all to me"

"All right"
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(2016)