John F. Kennedy Inauguration Gala
1/19/61 ~ Washington DC
Produced by Frank Sinatra for his good friend, incoming president John Kennedy with a big line up of stars from Broadway, film, television and the classical arts. Entertainment at the Inaugural Gala for John F. Kennedy in 1961 was under the direction of JFK’s most prominent supporter from the entertainment industry, Frank Sinatra. But Frank’s two main Rat Pack pals were not there.  Dean Martin, who was not very political, was filming a movie, and Sammy Davis Jr. was absent due to  his bi-racial marriage to actress May Britt, which caused the Kennedy’s to fear that Sammy’s appearance would inflame conservatives.  It was a major disappointment to Frank, who was a civil rights advocate, but he decided to live with it. Inaugural entertainment included Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, plus comedians Milton Berle and Alan King, dancers Juliet Prowse and Gene Kelly, and actors Sidney Poitier, Bette Davis, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.  Also onboard were singers Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Ethel Merman, and Harry Belafonte, plus gospel star Mahalia Jackson, who sang the Star Spangled Banner. Twenty years later, after switching from  Democrat to Republican, Frank organized the Inaugural show again, for Ronald Reagan. In black and white. Has date of Jan-14-1961 superimposed on screen throughout. Not too sure of the origins of this video, but it was clearly not something that was intended for commercial release-maybe it was produced for the participants. Complete show-approximately three hours.