Frank Sinatra – They Were Very Good Years
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Main Content: B
Already, one of the most released music artists on DVD is
Frank Sinatra, and that by no means includes his non-music film and TV
appearances. Of course, with a career
like his so long and enduring, there is no shortage of material. That even includes that in the public domain
already, but that does not guarantee any kind of release. Frank Sinatra – They Were Very Good Years
(2003) breaks down his career into five eras, then adds the already released Frank
Sinatra Memorial program that Passport released separately back on DVD in
1999.
Each of the three DVDs has two programs that run over 50
minutes each, and break down as follows:
The Bobby Sox Years
The Hollywood Years
Hollywood: The Second Time Around
The Swinging Years
The Vintage Years
Frank Sinatra Memorial
At first, I did not think this would be anything more than
a typical rundown of already-known items about the man and his career. Instead, it is a much more thoroughly
researched series than expected, digging into all kinds of archives and using
footage from a claimed 57 of Sinatra’s theatrical films (from public domain
theatrical trailers that do not offer the same footage as in the final film). With that said, it is a well-rounded set
that will surprise Sinatra fans in its chronology and detail. It is as informative as it is entertaining.
The image is usually 1.33 X 1 full frame from a variety of
sources, with the rarely semi-letterboxed trailer. The result is typical of a documentary set, with some footage
holding up better than others. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 is monophonic throughout, including the Memorial
segment, where it was erroneously credited as having surround song on the old
1999 DVD. Unlike this set, which has no
extras, that the 1999 DVD also offered two stand-alone programs sampled in the
five new parts in this box. One is the
Oscar-honored 1945 short The House I Live In, and the other is a
13-minutes-long segment of Sinatra interviewed on Edward R. Murrow’s 1950s
series Person To Person. Diehard
Sinatra fans might want to get the single DVD still in print, but others can
stick with this solid boxed set recommended.
- Nicholas Sheffo
