Stealing Sinatra

Forty years ago when Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped, those who read the story weren't sure how seriously to take it. Intentionally or unintentionally, this movie captures the uneasiness. Sinatra Jr. is portrayed as a hapless dweeb, his kidnappers as quixotic eccentrics. An excellent soundtrack featuring period music serves to distance us from the whole 1960s setting. But other touches, particularly James Russo's brief appearances as Sinatra Sr., give a powerful believability to the family's victimization.

True story of the 1963 kidnap of Frank Sinatra Junior. Now we all know the huge, successful story of Frank Senior, in song, dance, movies. And the casino industry, for a short time. Until he had to give it up, for his questionable friendships. Barry Keenan (Arquette) talks his friends Joe and John (Browning and Macy) into snitching the teenage son of Sinatra (Tom Nicholas). Junior was just getting his own musical career going, when he was grabbed at the casino. About two weeks after president kennedy had been shot. And while Frank Senior was filming Robin and the Seven Hoods. The film seems to stay reasonably close to the facts, according to wikipedia. It didn't win any oscars, but just tells the story. Macy is the biggest name here, and gives the best performance, a couple years after Fargo. Directed by Ron Underwood, who has done a mix of film and television. Written by Howard Korder. Currently showing on the roku streaming channel.

I don't know where to begin. Perhaps the whole idea of this movie was just a disaster waiting to happen. There is nothing slightly humorous about a kidnapping. I don't know what was more offensive--the subject matter or David Arquette's "performance". It was like watching a bull get it's penis cut off, although I think the bull felt better afterwards. The filmmakers should find something about Sinatra other than his son's kidnapping to show (like, I don't know, his TALENT AS A SINGER!!!!). His family shouldn't have to relive that horror. Thank GOD it was just shown on HBO and not released in theaters. Please don't watch this if you have any self respect.

Stealing Sinatra: is an average movie good for one time watch, from what i have read on the incident they skip a few things. manly the trial and sentencing which makes this story such a folk legend. With out this i fell the story is lacking completion.

the other movie "The Night We Called It a Day" is more interest story of Sinatra get up on stage in Melbourne Australia and calling a reporter a "$2 hooker". The hotel gets being besieged by protesters and the unions refuse allowing to fuel planes and yacht to leave until he apologized.

Barry Keenan (David Arquette), a graduate from University High School in Los Angeles, was a nobody who wanted to be a somebody. In late-1963, he had a fantasy-plan of kidnapping a celebrity's son for a ransom of $240K, bragging about it to his only celebrity friend, Dean Torrence of the music duo Jan and Dean. Keenan's target became Frank Sinatra, Jr., and he managed to corral two reluctant/skeptical friends of his into carrying out his plot, kidnapping Junior from Harrah's in Lake Tahoe after a nightclub appearance. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the producers of "Stealing Sinatra" are unable to achieve the look of Tahoe or Los Angeles in 1963, this despite countless vintage cars lining the streets. Arquette gives a good performance despite not having much to work with. His Keenan is a weaselly, would-be hanger-on with dollar signs in his eyes; however, there's nothing in Howard Korder's script to suggest the success Keenan would become (now a real estate developer, he's worth some $17M). William H. Macy, playing grounded, cogent cohort John Irwin, carries the film's final third with his solemn voice and hangdog expression, but the impersonations of the Sinatra's (Frank and Frank Jr., Nancy and Nancy Jr.) are disappointing. *1/2 from ****