The Sinatra Files (33 page)

Although it is realized that the above information as furnished by PCI
is to a great extent non-specific, it is being brought to the Bureau’s attention in view of the prominence of Senator KENNEDY.
advised that he will be proceeding to
within the next few days where he will be a guest in the
while negotiating with the
movie industry for distribution rights of
motion pictures in the United States. He stated his stay in
will be indefinite. Upon his return,
will be followed closely to assure that any additional information received by him is made available to this office.

    
On March 21
, The New York Times
broke a story that threatened to damage the Kennedy campaign: Sinatra had hired his old friend Albert Maltz to do a screenplay for
The Execution of Private Slovik,
the story of the only U.S. soldier in either world war shot for desertion. Maltz had been imprisoned in 1950 and blacklisted for refusing to cooperate with the red-baiting House Un-American Activities Committee. Sinatra wanted to break the blacklist and restore Maltz’s name, and initially, he stood by him
.

The FBI began looking into the matter right after the story broke. The resulting memos were seasoned with rumors about sex involving Kennedy
.

March 29, 1960

By teletype dated 3/22/60 and radiogram dated 3/23/60, the Los Angeles Office furnished the following information concerning Frank Sinatra hiring Albert Maltz to do the script for the film “Execution of Private Slovik.”

Richard J. Collins, film writer and one-time communist party member, advised the Los Angeles Office that Frank Sinatra’s film producing company, reported to be Essex Productions, had contracted writer Albert Maltz. This deal was handled for Sinatra by Martin Gang, well known Hollywood attorney, while Maltz’s end was negotiated by attorney Martin Popper, of New York, and talent agent George Willner, former Los Angeles Security Index subject, now residing in New York. Another former communist party member, Martin Berkeley, film writer and source of the Los Angeles Office, advised that various film companies in the past have been interested in doing a film on this subject but the Defense Department has wanted to forget the episode and has refused all
cooperation to would-be producers. He said that Sinatra was expected to direct the film but not appear in it himself and that he would receive no cooperation from the Defense Department. Financial arrangements for production not known, however, Sinatra’s partner is reported to be film and TV star Peter Lawford, brother-in-law of Senator Kennedy, which was probable reason contracting parties have been loath to announce the deal.

Lewis Meltzer, member of Screen Writers Council of the Writers Guild of America, furnished the following information, based upon a confidential conversation he had with Dalton Trumbo 3/22/60 (Trumbo has had numerous communist connections). Meltzer said that Trumbo is a close contact of Maltz and Maltz is upset with Trumbo for having filed an application for reinstatement in the Writer’s Club.

Trumbo thinks the Sinatra-Maltz deal was a bad thing politically and told Maltz so. According to Trumbo, Senator John Kennedy has requested Sinatra, probably through Peter Lawford, to hold off on confirmation of the Sinatra-Maltz deal until after the recent New Hampshire primaries. However, following Kennedy’s success in the New Hampshire primary the Senator withdrew his objection to releasing confirmation of the deal.

The Los Angeles Office, by letter dated 3/22/60, advised that a criminal informant indicated that the editors of Confidential Magazine have had a reporter in the Los Angeles area during the past few days for the purpose of checking into a rumor regarding an alleged indiscreet party recently held at Palm Springs in which participants were said to be Senator John Kennedy, his brother-in-law Peter Lawford, the actor, and Frank Sinatra. The informant said that the last time Senator Kennedy was in California for a visit he stayed in Sinatra’s home in Palm Springs. He advised that Sinatra and Lawford are the owners of Puccini’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California.

The informant also advised that Confidential Magazine was attempting to obtain private investigators to verify or disprove the rumors concerning the party. The Los Angeles Office has no
verification or other information concerning this matter. The informant, however, is in a position to know of investigative activities conducted by Confidential Magazine.

An editorial appearing in the March 23, 1960 edition of the Los Angeles Herald and Express severely criticized Sinatra for hiring Albert Maltz and, among other things, pointed out “the impact of Mr. Sinatra’s move may also cause dismay in the campaign camp of Senator John F. Kennedy, through no fault of his own. Mr. Sinatra has put himself forward as a strong Kennedy supporter and the Sinatra recording of ‘High Hopes’ is the Kennedy campaign song.”

A UPI news release dated 3/26/60 stated that Frank Sinatra charged yesterday his critics were hitting below the belt by linking presidential hopeful Senator John Kennedy with Sinatra’s hiring of Albert Maltz. Sinatra said, “I make movies. I do not ask the advice of Senator Kennedy on whom I should hire. Senator Kennedy does not ask me how he should vote in the Senate.”