Fridays Are For Frank: “More”

Frank Sinatra is famous for a multitude of reasons—one being his Oscar-winning performance in From Here to Eternity.

But there was also the Oscar he didn’t win…

In 1955, Sinatra played “Frankie Machine,” in Otto Preminger’s The Man With the Golden Arm—a story about the ravages of drug and alcohol addiction, based on the novel by Nelson Argen.

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Sinatra for Best Actor in a Leading Role; Joseph C. Wright and Darrell Silvera for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; and Elmer Bernstein for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. Sinatra was also nominated for best actor awards by the BAFTAs and The New York Film Critics.

As for the Oscar, it went to Ernest Borgnine for Marty—and deservedly so.

Sure, Frank had his… but he always wanted “More.”

Written by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero, “More” was translated into English by Norman Newell. In 1963, the song was used in the jarring documentary Mondo Cane and nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. It lost to “Call Me Irresponsible” from the film Papa’s Delicate Condition.

Still, Sinatra and Count Basie took it for a spin on their 1964 collaboration, It Might As Well Be Swing.

Frank Sinatra – More from Ramon Gallegos on Vimeo.