The Sinatra Files (14 page)
Authors: Tom Kuntz
Handwritten notation at the bottom:
Director advised.
The FBI came upon other indications that Sinatra consorted with prostitutes
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was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on December 1, 1947. At that time her “call house customer book” included the name of Frank Sinatra.
Los Angeles Crime Survey,
4-15-48.
A New York Crime Survey Report of April 15, 1949, reported that various prostitutes operating on their own as call girls maintained address books which included the names of many Hollywood personalities including that of Frank Sinatra.
New York Crime Survey report of
4-15-49.
Meanwhile, Sinatra was coming under attack in Washington at hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee and in California, where state senator Jack B. Tenney, a virulent anti-Communist, led HUAC’s counterpart panel in the legislature. FBI reports excerpted and summarized testimony by Gerald L.K. Smith, the far-right radio commentator, and other like-minded citizens regarding Sinatra
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On 1/30/46, GERALD L. K. SMITH testified before the HUAC Committee, which was headed by Honorable JOHN W. WOOD, Chairman. Paragraph 1, of this testimony contained a petition filed with the committee by SMITH. This petition was entitled, “A Petition for Redress of Grievances and for an Investigation into Promoted Terrorism, Denial of Civil Liberty, Conspiracy Against Freedom, Organized Character Assassination, Corrupt Practice, Organized Rioting, etc.” The part of SMITH’s petition pertaining to SINATRA is quoted as follows:
“I petition this committee of Congress to investigate the activities of FRANK SINATRA who, on the surface seems to be just a highly paid emaciated crooner, but who recently gave support to a meeting of the American Youth for Democracy which held an elaborate banquet at the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles and which organization was recently branded by J. EDGAR HOOVER as the successor to the Young Communist League and one of the most dangerous outfits in the nation.”
Of SMITH’s testimony is as follows:
| “SMITH: |
| Shortly after that, the Youth for Democracy, which is the successor of the Young Communist League, held a banquet at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. |
| “Mr. ADAMSON: |
| Is that the American Youth? |
| “SMITH: |
| The American Youth for Democracy, successor to the Young Communist League. The most conspicuous personality used in advertising this meeting was the much publicized crooner, FRANK SINATRA. Then SINATRA entered into a campaign to exonerate these children who had been leaders in this organization for truancy. At this same meeting, the much publicized movie star, INGRID BERGMAN appeared and spoke. At this banquet, were the most outstanding Communists of the state. |
| “Mr. THOMAS: |
| You wouldn’t say FRANK SINATRA was a Communist, would you? |
| “SMITH: |
| He may not be that intelligently, but he certainly is being used by the CP because when you take a man that is publicized as he is and then direct the spotlight that leads right to a young Communist banquet, you overtake millions of young people unprepared for that sort of persuasion and lead them to believe that Communism is respectable. |
| “Mr. THOMAS: |
| Would you say he was sort of a Mrs. ROOSEVELT in pants? (laughter) |
| “SMITH: |
| Well, I would not want to represent myself as an authority on that, but I would say this, Congressman, that I am convinced that FRANK SINATRA is not a naïve dupe. He has been appearing recently and frequently at meetings known to be set up by the CP. |
| “Mr. THOMAS: |
| He and I live in the same county in New Jersey. |
| “SMITH: |
| Well, of course you must consider the SINATRA vote. I don’t think they are for you.” |
Paragraph one, of SMITH’s testimony before the HCUA is quoted as follows:
“There is a cabal in California which includes Congressman PATTERSON, HELEN GAHAGAN, ORSON WELLES, FRANK SINATRA, and INGRID BERGMAN who are playing with STALIN’s first line.”
Of SMITH’s testimony is as follows:
| “SMITH: |
| Here is a copy of a telegram I sent to Miss BERGMAN and I think I sent a copy to this committee. |
| “Mr. ADAMSON: |
| What is the date of it? |
| “SMITH: |
| 1/12/46.” (The telegram mentioned above is quoted as follows:) |
“It is reported that on December 16 you participated in a program held under the auspices of the American Union for Democracy at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, together with FRANK SINATRA and others. About the same time, J. EDGAR HOOVER, speaking before the Catholic Youth Organization of New York City, asserted this organization was successor to the Young Communist League and was positively organizing a campaign to undermine our American government. Did you appear at this banquet with an intelligent understanding of its sponsorship, or were you the innocent victim of a slick program committee? A copy of this telegram has been forwarded to the Congressional Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities and to J. EDGAR HOOVER.”
“I received no reply or recognition to that.”
More than once Sinatra decried the insinuations. In late 1947, he joined Hollywood in opposing HUAC, according to this item in the FBI files
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ACTIVITIES IN CONNECTION WITH HCUA INVESTIGATION OF COMMUNISM IN HOLLYWOOD
According to a November 21, 1947, news article, Sinatra was one of a group of movie personalities who were scheduled to participate in a radio broadcast on November 22, 1947, entitled “Hollywood Fights Back.” This broadcast, which had been arranged by the Committee for the First Amendment, was part of a program protesting the investigation of Communism in Hollywood by the HCUA.
The Committee for the First Amendment was described as “a recently created Communist front in the defense of Communists and Communist fellow travelers” in the 1948 report of the California Committee on Un-American Activities.
The House committee was keeping tabs on the singer, according to this FBI summary of the committee’s Sinatra files
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The following information was contained on indices cards in the general index of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. No attempt was made to check the information with the periodicals or other sources from which it was taken. It is noted that all these cards were entitled, FRANK SINATRA:
(1) Singer—Action for Palestine Rally from the People’s World, September 27, 1947.
(2) Committee for the First Amendment, signer of statement attacking the Committee on Un-American Activities from People’s Daily World, October 29, 1947.
(3) Supported broadcast against hearings on Un-American Activities in the motion picture industry from the Worker, November 2, 1947.
(4) Progressive Citizens of American Film, “The House I Live In” to be shown 11/21/47 at Bret Harte School, from People’s Daily World, 11/21/47.
(5) Daily Worker, 1/7/46, columns one and two. New Masses awards for greater interracial understanding, received award, honored at dinner, Hotel Commodore, New York City, 1/14/46.
(6) Hollywood Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions. FRANK SINATRA was listed as Vice-Chairman of this on a letterhead dated 5/28/46 and 12/10/46.
(7) New Masses Second Annual Awards Dinner; received award for contribution made to promote democracy and interracial unity from New Masses dated 11/18/47.
(8) American Society for Cultural Relations with Italy. Member of the Board of Directors from the L’Unita del Popolo, 3/8/47.
(9) Defended by MIKE GOLD, Daily Worker, 4/12/47.
Carrying such monitoring efforts to the extreme, the FBI in September 1950 created a detailed chart plotting Sinatra’s affiliations with allegedly Communist groups
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REPORTED ASSOCIATION WITH OTHER COMMUNIST FRONT ORGANIZATIONS
Organization | Citation | Nature of Association |
Action Committee to Free Spain Now | (1) | Listed as a speaker for dinner at Henry Hudson Hotel, N.Y.C., 5-9-46 but sent telegram of support and regret at not |
Veterans of Abraham Lincoln Brigade | (1) | being able to attend. |
American Committee for Spanish Freedom | (1) | |
American Committee for Yugoslav Relief | (1) | Sponsor per “Daily Worker,” 1-2-46 of a concert, N.Y.C., 1-1-46 Sponsor per letterhead stationery, 4-8-46 Wife named Chairman of Yugoslav Children’s Food Drive, 1946 |
American Crusade to End Lynching | (3) | Sponsor, 1946 |
American Society for Cultural Relations With Italy, Inc. | (4) | Member, Board of Directors, 1947. Sinatra denied authorizing use of his name. |
Committee for a Democratic Far Eastern Policy | (1) | Sent message of congratulations to dinner held at Hotel Roosevelt, N.Y.C., 4-3-46 |
Free Italy Society, aka Free Italy Movement | (2) | Accepted invitation to speak at annual ball and dinner in Los Angeles, 2-23-46 |
Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions | (2) | Elected as one of the vice chairmen 2-10-46, N.Y.C.; speaker, rally in Los Angeles, 2-25-46, arranged by Music Division, Hollywood ICCASP, and presented with a document signed by Abraham Lincoln for his work re: Racial Tolerance. Elected as one of the vice chairmen of the Hollywood ICCASP, 4-14-46 Speaker, Veterans Emergency Rally, N.Y.C., 5-16-46. In publicly denying that this rally was a subversive meeting Sinatra stated: “It was a rally sponsored by the Veterans Committee of the ICCASP. The Committee was urging passage of legislation to provide houses for veterans. I was trying to help the veterans to get homes to live in. If that is a subversive activity, I am all for it.” Participant, concert in Hollywood Bowl, 9-2-46. |
International Workers Order | (1) | IWO distributed copies of a pamphlet highlighting excerpts from an address allegedly made by Sinatra at a World Youth Rally 3-21-45 on racial and religious discrimination. |
Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee | (1) | Contributor, $100 in 1944 Scheduled to be a speaker at a mass rally to be held 9-24-45, N.Y.C. No record that he appeared. Scheduled to speak at JAFRC dinner to be held 5-7-46, N.Y.C. No record of his appearance. |
Mobilization for Democracy | (2) | Gerald L. K. Smith charged Sinatra cooperated with organization in organizing a picket line protesting Smith’s appearances in Los Angeles. |
“Narodni Glasnik” | (2) | Printed and distributed the 1946 Croatian National Almanac which contained an article by Sinatra. |
“New Masses” | (5) | Received award “for his courageous fight on behalf of all minorities” at dinner held 1-14-46, N.Y.C. |
Southern Conference for Human Welfare | (5) | Master of Ceremonies, dinner, N.Y.C., 12-16-46 |
The code for the numerals appearing under the column “Citation” is as follows:
1 — Attorney General
2 — 1948 report, California Committee on Un-American Activities
3 — Military Intelligence
4 — Informants and Newspaper Articles
5 — House Committee on Un-American Activities.
A subsequent memo went on for pages and pages about the singer’s supposedly subversive affiliations. Just a few entries give the gist and flavor
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ALLEGATIONS OF AFFILIATION WITH THE COMMUNIST PARTY
Frank Sinatra was scheduled to make three appearances at Italian-American meetings in New York City in connection with an election campaign, one of which had been arranged by the Communist Political Association for November 1, 1944. However, Sinatra did not appear at this meeting. No reason was given for his absence by members of the Party, but they were considerably agitated because he did not attend.
