History Creator / RatPack

* ''Film/Oceans11'' (1960) (all five plus Angie Dickinson, with a cameo by Shirley [=MacLaine=])

* ''Texas Across the River'' (1966) (Dean and Joey)

* ''Film/NeverSoFew'' (1959) (Frank and Peter; Sammy was initially meant to be in it too, but he was replaced by [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]] as punishment for insulting Frank in a radio interview [[note]] he was forgiven in time for ''Ocean's 11'', although the fact that his character in that film was a garbageman indicates that Frank still bore a grudge[[/note]])

A 1998 TV movie biopic, ''The Rat Pack'', starred Creator/RayLiotta as Frank, Creator/JoeMantegna as Dean, Creator/DonCheadle as Sammy, Angus Macfadyen as Peter, Bobby Slayton as Joey and Creator/WilliamPetersen as JFK. Cheadle, who would later star in [[Film/OceansEleven the remake]] of ''Ocean's 11'', won a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenGlobeAward Golden Globe]] for his performance.

The group had a reputation for heavy drinking and womanizing -- Tony Bennett once said that the reason why he wasn't in the Rat Pack was that he couldn't keep up with them. Joey, though, downplayed this in a 1998 interview: "I never saw Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy or Peter drunk during performances. That was only a gag! And do you believe these guys had to chase broads? They had to chase 'em away!"

In 1960, the Rat Pack campaigned actively for presidential candidate UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, whose sister was married to Peter -- hence Frank's nickname for him, "Brother-in-Lawford". Relations were rarely easy, though -- Sammy was uninvited to JFK's inauguration ball on account of his recent marriage to a white actress, and there was a wariness, particularly on the part of [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]], about Frank's supposed Mafia ties which have long been rumoured to have been used to the Kennedy campaign's advantage. Things came to a head in 1962 when plans for JFK to stay at Frank's Palm Springs home during a tour of the West Coast were called off at short notice; Frank, who'd been bragging about the President's forthcoming visit to just about everyone and had even gone to the trouble of ''building a helipad'' in anticipation of it, was furious. This resulted in a quick ticket out of the Rat Pack for Peter, who Frank blamed for not interceding with the Kennedys on his behalf -- the only time the two ever spoke again was when Frank asked him to get Bobby Kennedy's help when his son was kidnapped.

Following Bogie's death in 1957, the group coalesced around Sinatra, who became the ''de facto'' leader. While he always had an entourage which was to all intents and purposes a support crew, he particularly enjoyed the company of fellow-performers, and the Rat Pack served this purpose for him. The other four core members were therefore his friends who were also fellow-performers -- Creator/DeanMartin and Creator/SammyDavisJr, along with the actor and socialite Creator/PeterLawford and comedian Joey Bishop. The likes of Creator/AngieDickinson, Creator/ShirleyMacLaine, Creator/MarilynMonroe, Buddy Greco and Creator/DonRickles were all associated with the Rat Pack, sometimes being referred to as "Rat Pack Mascots"; Rickles later commented that: "I never received an official membership card, but Frank made me feel part of the fun."[[note]]Rickles' career really took off when he noticed Sinatra in the audience at one of his comic shows and proceeded to [[InsultComic bust his chops]]; Sinatra thought the whole experience was ActuallyPrettyFunny.[[/note]]

Following Bogie's death in 1957, the group coalesced around Sinatra, who became the ''de facto'' leader. While he always had an entourage which was to all intents and purposes a support crew, he particularly enjoyed the company of fellow-performers, and the Rat Pack served this purpose for him. The other four core members were therefore his friends who were also fellow-performers -- Creator/DeanMartin and Creator/SammyDavisJr, along with the actor and socialite Peter Lawford and comedian Joey Bishop. The likes of Creator/AngieDickinson, Creator/ShirleyMacLaine, Creator/MarilynMonroe, Buddy Greco and Creator/DonRickles were all associated with the Rat Pack, sometimes being referred to as "Rat Pack Mascots"; Rickles later commented that: "I never received an official membership card, but Frank made me feel part of the fun."[[note]]Rickles' career really took off when he noticed Sinatra in the audience at one of his comic shows and proceeded to [[InsultComic bust his chops]]; Sinatra thought the whole experience was ActuallyPrettyFunny.[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Do you recognise the other two? Left-to-right: Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/DeanMartin, Music/SammyDavisJr, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop.]]

Originally, it was a loosely defined and informal group of actors (and a few actresses) that sprang up in the Fifties, centred on Creator/HumphreyBogart. According to long-standing Hollywood legend, Bogie and his buddies (Creator/FrankSinatra, Creator/DavidNiven, Swifty Lazar (Bogie's agent), etc) came home around dawn after a hard night in UsefulNotes/LasVegas, and Bogie's wife, Creator/LaurenBacall, said, "You look like a goddamn rat pack!"

Following Bogie's death in 1957, the group coalesced around Sinatra, who became the ''de facto'' leader. While he always had an entourage which was to all intents and purposes a support crew, he particularly enjoyed the company of fellow-performers, and the Rat Pack served this purpose for him. The other four core members were therefore his friends who were also fellow-performers -- Creator/DeanMartin and Creator/SammyDavisJr, along with the actor and socialite Peter Lawford and comedian Joey Bishop. The likes of Creator/AngieDickinson, Creator/ShirleyMacLaine, Creator/MarilynMonroe, Buddy Greco and Creator/DonRickles were all associated with the Rat Pack, sometimes being referred to as "Rat Pack Mascots"; Rickles later commented that: "I never received an official membership card, but Frank made me feel part of the fun."

* ''Never So Few'' (1959) (Frank and Peter; Sammy was initially meant to be in it too, but he was replaced by Creator/SteveMcQueen as punishment for insulting Frank in a radio interview [[note]] he was forgiven in time for ''Ocean's 11'', although the fact that his character in that film was a garbageman indicates that Frank still bore a grudge[[/note]])

* ''Marriage on the Rocks'' (1965) (Frank and Dean)

[[caption-width-right:350:Do you recognise the other two? Left-to-right: Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/DeanMartin, Music/SammyDavisJr, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.]]

The Rat Pack were legendary for their UsefulNotes/LasVegas performances, which were seldom scheduled in advance; sometimes, they'd crash the stage when ''someone else'' was performing and more or less take over. Their peak was perhaps the three-week period in 1960 during the filming of ''Film/Oceans11'', when the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino (which was used as a filming location for the movie) became ''the'' place to be as the movie's stars -- Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter and Joey -- performed on stage together. Scoring a ticket for the "Summit at the Sands" was like winning the lottery. Everybody who was anybody showed up, and audience members were frequently incorporated into the act. Unable to guarantee exactly which of the Rat Pack would be on-stage on any given night, the Sands took to displaying a billboard which proudly presented:

In 1960, the Rat Pack campaigned actively for presidential candidate UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, whose sister was married to Peter -- hence Frank's nickname for him, "Brother-in-Lawford". Relations were rarely easy, though -- Sammy was uninvited to JFK's inauguration ball on account of his recent marriage to a white actress, and there was a wariness, particularly on the part of [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]], about Frank's supposed Mafia ties which have long been rumoured to have been used to the Kennedy campaign's advantage. Things came to a head in 1962 when plans for JFK to stay at Frank's Palm Springs home during a tour of the West Coast were called off; Frank, who had bragged out the President's forthcoming visit to just about everyone and had even gone to the trouble of ''building a helipad'' in anticipation of it, was furious. This resulted in a quick ticket out of the Rat Pack for Peter, who Frank blamed for not interceding with the Kennedys on his behalf -- the only time the two ever spoke again was when Frank asked him to get Bobby Kennedy's help when his son was kidnapped.

It is worth noting that Frank absolutely ''hated'' the term "Rat Pack", because he deeply resented being associated with rodents; instead, he [[InsistentTerminology frequently insisted]] on using terms like "The Summit" or "The Clan" for the group [[note]] although the latter term never caught on due to it being reminiscent of the, err, [[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan Klan]][[/note]]. Years later, he would admonish journalists for using the term "Rat Pack", referring to it as "that stupid phrase". It stuck, though.

In 1960, the Rat Pack campaigned actively for presidential candidate UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, whose sister was married to Peter -- hence Frank's nickname for him, "Brother-in-Lawford". Relations were rarely easy, though -- Sammy was uninvited to JFK's inauguration ball on account of his recent marriage to a white actress, and there was a wariness, particularly on the part of [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]], about Frank's supposed Mafia ties which have long been rumoured to have been used to the Kennedy campaign's advantage. Things came to a head in 1962 when plans for JFK to stay at Frank's Palm Springs home during a tour of the West Coast were called off; Frank, who had already gone to the trouble of ''building a helipad'' in anticipation of the President's visit, was furious. This resulting in a quick ticket out of the Rat Pack for Peter, who Frank blamed for not interceding with the Kennedys on his behalf -- the only time the two ever spoke again was when Frank asked him to get Bobby Kennedy's help when his son was kidnapped.

In 1960, the Rat Pack campaigned actively for presidential candidate UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, whose sister was married to Peter -- hence Frank's nickname for him, "Brother-in-Lawford". Relations were rarely easy, though -- Sammy was uninvited to JFK's inauguration ball on account of his recent marriage to a white actress, and there was a wariness, particularly on the part of [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]], about Frank's supposed Mafia ties which have long been rumoured to have been used to the Kennedy campaign's advantage. Things came to a head in 1962 when plans for JFK to stay at Frank's Palm Springs home during a tour of the West Coast were called off; Frank, who had already gone to the trouble of ''building a helipad'' in anticipation of the President's visit[[/note]], was furious. This resulting in a quick ticket out of the Rat Pack for Peter, who Frank blamed for not interceding with the Kennedys on his behalf -- the only time the two ever spoke again was when Frank asked him to get Bobby Kennedy's help when his son was kidnapped.

It is worth noting that Frank absolutely ''hated'' the term "Rat Pack", because he deeply resented being associated with rodents; instead, he [[InsistentTerminology frequently insisted]] on using terms like "Summit" or "Clan" for the group [[note]] although the latter term fell out of favour due to it being reminiscent of the, err, [[UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan Klan]][[/note]]. Years later, he would admonish journalists for using the term "Rat Pack", referring to it as "that stupid phrase". It stuck, though.

[[caption-width-right:350:Do you regconise the other two? From left-to-right: Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/DeanMartin, Music/SammyDavisJr, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.]]

Remember that gang of cool kids at school who everyone else wanted to hang out with, but weren't cool enough to do so? This was the grown-up, showbiz version of that.

Originally, it was a loosely defined group of actors (and a few actresses) that sprang up in the Fifties, centred on Creator/HumphreyBogart. According to long-standing Hollywood legend, Bogie and his buddies (Creator/FrankSinatra, Creator/DavidNiven, Swifty Lazar (Bogie's agent), etc) came home around dawn after a hard night in UsefulNotes/LasVegas, and Bogie's wife, Creator/LaurenBacall, said, "You look like a goddamn rat pack!"

Following Bogie's death in 1957, Sinatra took over as the group's ''de facto'' leader. It wasn't long before Creator/DeanMartin and Creator/SammyDavisJr joined in the fun; along with the actor and socialite Peter Lawford and comedian Joey Bishop, they formed the basis of the group -- with Frank, Dean and Sammy as the inner core. The likes of Creator/AngieDickinson, Creator/ShirleyMacLaine, Creator/MarilynMonroe, Buddy Greco and Creator/DonRickles were all associated with the Rat Pack, sometimes being referred to as "Rat Pack Mascots"; Rickles later commented that: "I never received an official membership card, but Frank made me feel part of the fun."

The Rat Pack were legendary for their UsefulNotes/LasVegas performances, which were seldom scheduled in advance. For a three-week period in 1960 during the filming of ''Film/Oceans11'', the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino (which was used as a filming location for the movie) became ''the'' place to be as the movie's stars -- Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter and Joey -- performed on stage together. Scoring a ticket for the "Summit at the Sands" was like winning the lottery. Everybody who was anybody showed up, and audience members were frequently incorporated into the act. Unable to guarantee exactly which of the Rat Pack would be on-stage on any given night, the Sands took to displaying a billboard which proudly presented:

In 1960, the Rat Pack campaigned actively for presidential candidate UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, whose sister was married to Peter -- hence Frank's nickname for him, "Brother-in-Lawford". In 1962, though, the Kennedys started to distance themselves from Frank due to the latter's supposed Mafia ties [[note]] most notably, a planned visit by JFK to Frank's Palm Springs home during a tour of the West Coast was nixed by [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Bobby Kennedy]] after Frank had gone to the trouble of ''building a helipad'' in anticipation of the President's visit[[/note]], resulting in a quick ticket out of the Rat Pack for Peter, who Frank blamed for not interceding with the Kennedys on his behalf; the only time the two ever spoke again was when Frank asked him to get Bobby Kennedy's help when his son was kidnapped.

[[caption-width-right:350:The Sinatra-led era of the Rat Pack. From left-to-right: Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/DeanMartin, Music/SammyDavisJr, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.]]

A 1998 biopic, ''The Rat Pack'', starred Creator/RayLiotta as Frank, Creator/JoeMantegna as Dean, Creator/DonCheadle as Sammy, Angus Macfadyen as Peter, Bobby Slayton as Joey and Creator/WilliamPetersen as JFK. Cheadle, who would later star in [[Film/OceansEleven the remake]] of ''Ocean's 11'', won a [[UsefulNotes/GoldenGlobeAward Golden Globe]] for his performance.

It's also the name of [[Recap/TheSopranosS5E2TheRatPacl an episode]] of ''Series/TheSopranos'', the title referring to a painting of Frank, Sammy and Dean which Jack Massarone gives to Tony.