Show name	Mad Men
Caption	Title card
Genre	Period drama
Creator	Matthew Weiner
Starring	Jon HammElisabeth MossVincent KartheiserJanuary JonesChristina HendricksJared HarrisAaron StatonRich SommerAlison BrieKiernan ShipkaRobert MorseJohn SlatteryMichael GladisBryan Batt
Opentheme	"A Beautiful Mine" (Instrumental)by RJD2
Composer	David Carbonara
Country	United States
Language	English
Num seasons	4
Num episodes	52
List episodes	List of Mad Men episodes
Executive producer	Matthew WeinerScott Hornbacher
Location	Los Angeles
Runtime	47 minutes
Network	AMC
Picture format	480i (SDTV)720p (HDTV)
First aired	July 19, 2007
Last aired	present
Website	http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen

Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The episodes are premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. AMC's current contract with series creator Matthew Weiner entails the production of a fifth season, which will air in 2011. Each season consists of 13 episodes.

Mad Men is set in the 1960s, initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City, and later at the newly created firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The focal point of the series is Don Draper (Jon Hamm), creative director at Sterling Cooper and a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, as well as those in his life, both in and out of the office. As such, it regularly depicts the changing moods, social mores, and political correctness of 1960s America.

Mad Men has received critical acclaim, particularly for its historical authenticity and visual style, and has won multiple awards, including thirteen Emmys and four Golden Globes. It is the first basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning it in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Production

Conception

In 2000, while working as a staff writer for Becker, Matthew Weiner wrote the first draft for the pilot of what would later be called Mad Men as a spec script. Television producer David Chase recruited Weiner to work as a writer on his HBO series The Sopranos after reading the pilot script in 2002. "It was lively, and it had something new to say," Chase said. "Here was someone [Weiner] who had written a story about advertising in the 1960s, and was looking at recent American history through that prism."

Pre-production

Tim Hunter, the director of a half-dozen episodes from the show's first two seasons, called Mad Men a "very well-run show". DVD audio commentary track.}}

Filming and production design

The pilot episode was shot at Silvercup Studios and various locations around New York City; subsequent episodes have been filmed at Los Angeles Center Studios. It is available in high definition for showing on AMC-HD and on video-on-demand services available from various cable affiliates. The writers, including Weiner, amassed volumes of research on the period in which Mad Men takes place so as to make most aspects of the series—including detailed set designs, costume design, and props—historically accurate, Each episode has a budget between $2–2.5 million, though the pilot episode's budget was over $3 million. To convey an "air of mystery" around Don Draper, Taylor tended to shoot from behind him or would frame him partially obscured. Many scenes set at Sterling Cooper were shot lower-than-eyeline to incorporate the ceilings into the composition of frame; this reflects the photography, graphic design and architecture of the period. Alan felt that neither steadicam nor handheld camera work would be appropriate to the "visual grammar of that time, and that aesthetic didn’t mesh with [their] classic approach"—accordingly, the sets were designed to be practical for dolly work.

At the end of almost all episodes, the show either fades to black or smash cut to black as period music or a theme by series composer, David Carbonara, plays during the ending credits; at least one episode ends with silence or ambient sounds. A few episodes have ended with more recent popular music, or with a diegetic song dissolving into the credits music.

Crew

In addition to having created the series, Matthew Weiner is the show runner, head writer, and an executive producer; he contributes to each episode—writing or co-writing the scripts, casting various roles, and approving costume and set designs. As Maria Jacquemetton notes: :We have a predominately female writing staff—women from their early 20s to their 50s—and plenty of female department heads and directors. [Show creator] Matt Weiner and [executive producer] Scott Hornbacher hire people they believe in, based on their talent and their experience. 'Can you capture this world? Can you bring great storytelling?'

For a more complete listing, see List of Mad Men characters.

Lead characters

Donald "Don" Draper (Jon Hamm): Creative director and junior partner of Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency and, as of the fourth season, a partner of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, he is the series' main character. He is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking executive with a shadowy past who has achieved success in advertising. He was married to Elizabeth "Betty" Draper and has three children with her, but his history of infidelity, along with his revelations to her about his past led to their separation at the end of Season 3 and eventual divorce. Draper's real name is Richard "Dick" Whitman; he assumed the identity of Don Draper during the Korean War after the death of his Lieutenant, taking his name to escape from his undesirable past. Margaret "Peggy" Olson (Elisabeth Moss): Olson rises from being Draper's secretary to a copywriter with her own office. She becomes pregnant with Pete Campbell's child, a pregnancy that neither she nor her family or coworkers seem to notice, until she goes into labor alone and goes to the emergency room. Campbell is unaware of her pregnancy until the end of Season 2, when Peggy tells him that she gave the baby up for adoption. In Season 3, Peggy is approached by Duck Phillips to leave Sterling Cooper, but turns him down, despite the fact that his persistence leads to a romantic relationship. While he rarely acknowledges it, Don's appreciation of Peggy's abilities leads him to choose her to go with him to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. She is given more freedom to come up with her own creative advertising ideas, though Don continues to push her to be better. Peter "Pete" Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser): A young, ambitious account executive from a privileged background. Campbell tries to blackmail Don Draper with information from Draper's past. However, he and Don develop a grudging respect for each other, culminating in Don's approaching Pete over Ken Cosgrove when forming a new agency. She, the children, and her new husband continue to live in the Drapers' old house, but by the end of the season decide to move to another house in Rye. Betty's relationship with her children is often strained, in particular with Sally.

Joan Harris (née Holloway) (Christina Hendricks): Office manager and head of the secretarial pool at Sterling Cooper. She had a long-term affair with Roger Sterling until his two heart attacks cause him to end the relationship. In Season 2, she becomes engaged to Dr. Greg Harris. By Season 3, they are married and at Greg's request Joan quits her job at Sterling Cooper. Their marriage becomes tested when Greg's difficulties securing work as a surgeon force Joan to return to work at a department store, prompting her to call Roger Sterling to ask for his help in finding an office job. Because of her invaluable managerial skills, she is later hired for the new agency formed by Don, Roger, Bert and Lane. Meanwhile, Greg's desire to assure his career as a surgeon leads him to enlist in the Army, and early in Season 4 he is sent basic training and then to Vietnam. While her husband is deployed, Joan and Roger have a brief sexual encounter, which results in her becoming pregnant. Joan initially decides to terminate the pregnancy, but at the end of Season 4 she is seen discussing her pregnancy with Greg, who is unaware that the child is not his.

Roger Sterling, Jr. (John Slattery): One of the two senior partners of Sterling Cooper, and one-time mentor to Don Draper. His father founded the firm with Bertram Cooper, hence his name comes before Cooper's in the firm's title. A picture in Cooper's office shows Roger as a child alongside Cooper depicted as a young adult. In Season 2, Bertram Cooper mentions that "the late Mrs. Cooper" introduced Sterling to his wife, Mona, whom Sterling is in the process of divorcing in favor of Don's former secretary, 22-year-old Jane.) until two heart attacks changed his perspective, although they did not affect his drinking or smoking habits, which remained excessive. Prior to his marriage to Jane, Roger had a longstanding affair with Joan Holloway. In Season 4, he and Joan have a brief romantic encounter, and Joan becomes pregnant. It was also revealed in Season 4 that it was Roger who had hired Don Draper sometime in the mid- to late-1950s, when Don was a salesman at a furrier, and eager to break into advertising. Season 4 also has Roger less involved with the day-to-day activities at SCDP than he was at Sterling Cooper. His primary function is to manage the Lucky Strike account which is responsible for half of SCDP's billings. However, in the "Chinese Wall" episode, it is revealed that Lucky Strike is moving its account to a rival agency, forcing a dramatic downsizing of the firm.

Supporting characters

Lane Pryce (Jared Harris): The English financial officer installed by Sterling Cooper's new British parent company. He first appears in the first episode of Season 3. His role so far has been that of a strict taskmaster who brings spending under control, especially by cutting out frivolous expenses. His efforts are so successful he was to be sent to India to enact cost-cutting measures, a move which Pryce was not looking forward to making after having settled in with his wife and child. An unfortunate accident at work debilitated his replacement, thus allowing Pryce to keep his current position. Pryce is warming to American culture, and foresees some form of cultural and societal changes in his observations on American race relations. When Putnam, Powell, and Lowe is sold, he realizes he has become expendable, and negotiates to become a founding partner in the new agency alongside Don Draper, Bert Cooper, and Roger Sterling, Jr., with his firing the three of them, then getting fired himself, thus voiding the non-compete clauses in their contracts and freeing all of them to build a new firm. Beginning with Season 4, Pryce serves as a partner and de facto Chief Financial Officer of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis): A creative copywriter and Princeton University alumnus, the bearded, pipe-smoking Paul prides himself on his politically liberal views. At some indeterminate time, he had a relationship with Joan Holloway which ended badly, largely because Paul talked about it too much. Paul tried, unsuccessfully, to date Peggy soon after she was hired by Sterling Cooper. Through most of the second season, Paul dated Sheila White, an African-American woman from South Orange, New Jersey. They broke up while in Oxford, Mississippi, where they had gone as Freedom Riders to oppose segregation in the South. He has one admirer, art director Salvatore, who secretly has a crush on him. Ken was promoted in the beginning of Season 3 to Account Director, a role he shared with Pete Campbell. Later on, the more easy-going Ken is promoted over the more ambitious Campbell to Senior Vice President of Account Services. However, at the end of Season 3, Draper and Sterling choose Pete over Ken for their new agency. During Season 4, Ken joins SCDP after working for McCann Erickson (which bought Sterling Cooper) and BBDO. When Pete learns of Ken's return, he is initially upset with Lane Pryce for not telling him, since Pryce had authorized Ken's previous promotion over Pete. However, when Ken agrees to serve under Pete as accounts manager at SCDP, the two reconcile over lunch and Pete comes to realize that Ken is a practical choice to help bring new business to the firm.

Harold "Harry" Crane (Rich Sommer): A bespectacled media buyer and head of Sterling Cooper's television department, which is created at Harry's initiative. Harry joins his colleagues in drinking and flirtations, though he is a dedicated husband and father. However, he does have a drunken one-night stand with Pete's secretary in Season 1, which leads to his being briefly kicked out of his home by his wife, Jennifer. He is ultimately coerced by Draper and Cooper into joining the new agency, although he realizes it is the right move. When Sterling Cooper was in the process of being sold, Harry mistakenly thinks they are considering opening a West Coast office and believes that he would be the person to move to California. Harry later becomes a bit of a braggart, who is overly fond of discussing his Hollywood connections.

Bertram "Bert" Cooper (Robert Morse): The somewhat eccentric senior partner at Sterling Cooper. He leaves the day-to-day running of the firm to Sterling and Draper, but is keenly aware of the firm's operations. Like many of his executives, Bertram is a Republican. He is fascinated by Japanese culture, requiring everybody, including clients, to remove their shoes before walking into his office (which is decorated with Japanese art). He is a fan of the writings of Ayn Rand and implies he knows her personally. Among his eccentricities, Bert frequently walks through the offices in his socks and intensely dislikes gum-chewing and smoking (an oddity for the time, especially considering Lucky Strike cigarettes is a major client). He owns a ranch in Montana and is a widower with no children. Don approaches him about buying back the agency at the end of the third season, which evolves into their forming the new Sterling Cooper firm. In Season 4, Don and Peggy stumble upon an audio tape recording of Roger Sterling's memoirs that reveals that Bert received a war injury that destroyed his testicles. The tape also reveals that Roger and Mrs. Blankenship (Don's new secretary) once had a romantic attachment. Later in Season 4, in the episode "Blowing Smoke", when the agency is forced to radically downsize its staff following the loss of the Lucky Strike account, Bert angrily tells the others that he is quitting.

Salvatore "Sal" Romano (Bryan Batt): The Italian-American art director at Sterling Cooper. Sal is the only "ethnic" in a high-level position at the agency, and is also a closeted homosexual. Reluctant to act upon his homosexuality, he twice avoided sexual encounters with different men. By 1962, Sal had married Kitty, who seems unaware of Sal's sexual preference, yet begins to realize that something is amiss in their relationship. The issue of being closeted for Sal is shown in brief but stark contrast against the newly evolving social attitudes toward homosexuality. Sal's secret crush on Ken Cosgrove comes uncomfortably and awkwardly close to being revealed during a dinner in Sal's apartment. In the premiere of Season 3, Sal has a brief interrupted homosexual encounter with a hotel employee while in Baltimore, the end of which Don witnesses. Don, who was in the midst of a heterosexual encounter of his own at the same hotel, finesses this uncomfortable situation through a coded conversation about their current client, London Fog. He suggests the tagline "Limit your exposure." Later in Season 3, Sal rebuffs the sexual advances of Lee Garner Jr, the tipsy son of Lucky Strike's founder and a key client. Angered by the rejection, the client demands Sal be removed from the campaign and Don fires Sal in order to appease the client and his $25 million account. Don shakes his head at Sal, saying "you people," implying that both the client and Sal are at fault for not keeping their distasteful proclivities out of sight and mind. At the end of the episode, Sal is seen calling his wife Kitty from a phone booth (presumably in Central Park), in an area frequented by gay men cruising for sex. On the phone, Sal was explaining to Kitty he would be home late. Sal did not appear again during the rest of the third season, and does not appear in the fourth season.

Dr. Greg Harris (Samuel Page): Introduced during Season 2, Greg begins dating Joan Holloway, and they eventually become engaged. Handsome and embarking on successful medical career, Greg sweeps Joan off her feet, and she is excited at the prospect of resigning from her job and marrying a physician. It soon becomes apparent that their relationship is not a healthy one. Greg, unhappy with Joan's sexual self confidence, rapes her on the floor of Draper's office one evening shortly before their marriage. Despite this, Joan goes ahead with the marriage. However, Greg's medical career does not come together the way he'd hoped it would when he fails to obtain a residency position at a major New York City hospital. He later enlists in the Army to pursue his desire to become a surgeon, and is shipped to Vietnam by the conclusion of Season 4.

Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley): Introduced during Season 3, Francis is the Director of Public Relations and Research for New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. He is called upon by Betty Draper and some of her friends to get involved in a civic project, but develops a personal connection with Betty, which she reciprocates because she feels no such connection with Don. In Season 4, he and Betty are married and living in the house that she formerly shared with Don. They eventually sell the house and in the season finale are preparing to move to a new house in Rye.

Herman "Duck" Phillips (Mark Moses): Former Director of Account Services at Sterling Cooper. He previously worked at the London office of Young & Rubicam, but an undisclosed fiasco caused him to leave. A tough, driven executive, he often clashes with Don Draper. Duck is a recently divorced father of two children. Duck engineered the sale of Sterling Cooper to a British agency that was seeking a foothold in America. Roger Sterling then asked Freddy to take a paid six month leave of absence, with the implicit understanding Freddy would not be returning to Sterling Cooper; he is referenced in "The Fog" when Duck Phillips notes the apparent connection between Pete and Peggy. He returned in the Season 4 episode "Christmas Comes But Once A Year" bringing a new account to the firm as a freelance copywriter, which Peggy pushes for. His chauvinistic comments lead to clashes with Peggy, although their tensions are later mended and Freddy offers her some personal advice.

Dr. Faye Miller (Cara Buono): First seen in Season 4, she is a market research consultant who is retained by several agencies, including Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. After some initial reluctance, Don takes an interest in her and the two begin a secret romantic relationship. Their relationship becomes tested on a few occasions, one in which Sally shows up unexpectedly at the office and Don imposes on Faye to keep her occupied, and another when Don asks Faye to divulge confidential information about clients of rival advertising agencies. In the episode "Hands and Knees", Don has a panic attack while with Faye and tells her about his real identity. However, by the end of the season, Don's personal and professional relationship with her has ended.

Francine Hanson (Anne Dudek): One of Betty Draper’s closest friends and neighbors. She spends much time with Betty, gossiping about other neighbors. She becomes furious upon discovering her husband Carlton's infidelity, but she and her husband remain together. She is one of more supportive people of Betty, throughout her separation from Don in the second season, her pregnancy and helping with the children in the early part of the third season, and supporting her in approaching Henry Francis throughout the third season.

Sally Beth Draper (Kiernan Shipka) is the eldest daughter of Don and Betty Draper (age 8 in 1962). Although Sally was a fairly minor character through the first two seasons, she started playing a larger role during the third season as she approached adolescence. Her relationship with her mother is often strained. She formed a very strong bond with her Grandpa Gene when he came to live with the Drapers, but was devastated by his sudden death. She also was distraught when Don and Betty broke the news that they were getting a divorce, reproaching her father for breaking his promise to always be there, and accusing her mother of making him leave.

Bobby Draper (Maxwell Huckabee, Aaron Hart, and Jared Gilmore) is Don and Betty's son, a few years younger than Sally.

Anna Draper (Melinda Page Hamilton) is the widow of the real Don Draper, the soldier killed during an accident at the isolated post he and the young Dick Whitman manned during the Korean War, and first person with whom Don/Dick has shared the darkest secret of his original identity, the sole person who has accepted his duality, and perhaps the only woman that Don/Dick really loved. Anna lived in California during the years after the war, and dies of cancer in May 1965 as revealed in the Season 4 episode "The Suitcase". Don referred to her, upon learning of and mourning her passing, as "the only person who really knew me."

Megan Calvet (Jessica Paré) is Don Draper's secretary during the latter part of Season 4 and becomes his fiance during the final episode "Tomorrowland". Megan is an intelligent, quietly ambitious young French-Canadian woman who manages to get close to Don without being too inquisitive or possessive; she seems surprised by his sudden proposal but readily says "yes." She is unique among Don's paramours because of her immediate rapport with his children and because he tells her that he loves her.

Episodes

Themes

Mad Men depicts parts of American society and culture of the 1960s, highlighting cigarette smoking, drinking, sexism, feminism, adultery, homophobia, racism and antisemitism. The show presents a subculture in which men who are engaged or married frequently enter sexual relationships with other women. It also observes advertising as a corporate outlet for creativity for mainstream, middle-class, young, white men. Along with each of these examples, however, there are hints of the future and the radical changes of the 1960s: Betty's anxiety, early stirrings of the feminist movement (as seen through Peggy), the Beats (that Draper discovers through Midge), drug use, and talk of smoking being harmful to health and physical appearance, which is usually dismissed or ignored. Characters also see stirrings of change in the ad industry itself, with the Volkswagen Beetle's "Think Small" ad campaign mentioned and dismissed by many at Sterling Cooper, although Don Draper spots the nostalgic value and market potential of renaming the Kodak 'wheel' slide projector as the Kodak Carousel.

Themes of alienation, social mobility and ruthlessness also underpin the tone of the show. Draper in particular walks a tight rope when contemplating his rather humble beginnings and the deceitful life he has led as against the power and affluence he wields as a captain of industry, and frequently relieves that pressure by way of excessive and sometimes uncontrolled drinking. At times, Draper is utterly oblivious to the pain he dishes out in condescending confrontations with Betty, Peggy, care providers, in-laws and a rotating crew of secretaries, including those with whom he slept; yet at others, particularly when involving Anna Draper and her family, he is wholly solicitous of other's feelings to a fault. In season 4, the War in Vietnam becomes much more prevalent especially when Joan's husband, Greg, enlists in the U.S. Army and will ship to Vietnam after basic training.

Reception

Ratings

The first season's premiere attracted 900,000 viewers, second season premiere.

The third season premiere, which aired August 16, 2009, gained 2.8 million views on its first run, and 0.78 million with the 11 PM and 1 A.M. repeats.

In 2009, Mad Men was second in Nielsen's list of Top 10 timeshifted primetime TV programs, with a 57.7% gain in viewers, second only to the final season of Battlestar Galactica.

Critical reception

Mad Men has received highly positive critical response since its premiere." Viewership for the premiere at 10 p.m. on July 19, 2007, was higher than any other AMC original series to date. A New York Times reviewer called the series groundbreaking for "luxuriating in the not-so-distant past." The San Francisco Chronicle called Mad Men "stylized, visually arresting [...] an adult drama of introspection and the inconvenience of modernity in a man's world". A Chicago Sun-Times reviewer described the series as an "unsentimental portrayal of complicated 'whole people' who act with the more decent 1960 manners America has lost, while also playing grab-ass and crassly defaming subordinates." The reaction at Entertainment Weekly was similar, noting how in the period in which Mad Men takes place, "play is part of work, sexual banter isn't yet harassment, and America is free of self-doubt, guilt, and countercultural confusion." The Los Angeles Times said that the show had found "a strange and lovely space between nostalgia and political correctness". The show also received critical praise for its historical accuracy – mainly its depictions of gender and racial bias, sexual dynamics in the workplace, and the high prevalence of smoking and drinking.

However, Mad Men has become the subject of much race and gender based discussion, particularly with the treatment of women characters and characters of color. In Salon, Nelle Engoron explained that while Mad Men seems to illuminate gender issues, its male characters get off "scot-free" for their drinking and adultery, while the female characters are often punished. Amy Benfer, also writing for Salon, used Oprah's fawning segment her on the show (which involved Gayle King visiting the Sterling Cooper offices) to explore how nostalgia for 1960s fashion and social norms obscures most discussion of the rampant racism and sexism during the period, asking "But isn’t it a little odd that a show that, among other things, warns about the dangers of seeing the past in too amber a light has spawned an industry devoted to fetishizing nostalgia for that same flawed past?" Anna Kelna writing in Ms. Magazine points out that "Mad Men itself might ascribe to the feminist agenda, but thanks to its pervasive impact on pop culture, the show is crafting a whole new generation of would-be Bettys (Draper’s stylish wife) not Peggys (the show’s ambitious “career girl”).". Also writing for Ms., Aviva Dove-Viebahn argues that "Mad Men straddles the line between a nuanced portrayal of how sexism and patriarchal entitlement shape lives, careers and social interactions in the 1960s (and, by extension, today) and a glorified rendering of the “fast-paced, chauvinistic world of 1960s advertising and all that comes with it.”" Latoya Peterson, writing for Slate's Double X, argues that Mad Men isn't confronting racial issues, but glossing over them. The Root's Michael Ross points out that the continued lack of black admen is rapidly becoming ahistorical.

The Washington Post agreed with most other reviews in regard to Mad Men's visual style, but disliked what was referred to as "lethargic" pacing of the storylines. A review of the first season DVD set in the London Review of Books by Mark Greif was much less laudatory. Greif stated that the series was an "unpleasant little entry in the genre of Now We Know Better" as the cast was a series of historical stereotypes that failed to do anything except "congratulate the present."

The American Film Institute selected it as one of the 10 best television series of 2007, 2008 and 2009, and it was named the best television show of that year by the Television Critics Association and several national publications, including the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, TIME Magazine, and TV Guide.

On June 20, 2007, the consumer-rights activist group Commercial Alert filed a complaint with the United States Distilled Spirits Council alleging that Mad Men sponsor Jack Daniel's whiskey was violating liquor advertising standards since the show features "depictions of overt sexual activity" as well as irresponsible intoxication. Jack Daniel's was mentioned by name in the fifth episode.

Among people who worked in advertising during the 1960s, opinions on the realism of Mad Men differ to some extent. Jerry Della Femina, who worked as a copywriter in that era and later founded his own agency, said that the show "accurately reflects what went on. The smoking, the prejudice and the bigotry."

Mad Men includes references to real life products, events and places. The filming of an Utz potato chips advertisement formed part of the back story of the Drapers' marital strife. Pete Campbell's father was killed on American Airlines Flight 1 in 1962, on the same day that astronaut John Glenn was given a ticker tape parade on Broadway, events that actually occurred as referenced. Characters eat in well known New York restaurants, including the Pen & Pencil and the Palm. Several characters also attended a closed circuit telecast of the Liston vs. Muhammad Ali ("Cassius Clay") boxing match on the day it occurred in real life, May 25, 1965.

Period references in the series have also affected modern interests. Don Draper's rendition of the Frank O'Hara poem 'Mayakovsky' from Meditations in an Emergency at the end of season two, episode one, led to the poet's work entering the top 50 sales on Amazon.com.

Awards and Nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

2008 Award for Outstanding Drama Series

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (John Slattery)

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Robert Morse)

2009 Award for Outstanding Drama Series

2009 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2009 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

2009 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (John Slattery)

2010 Award for Outstanding Drama Series

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (January Jones)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (John Slattery)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Christina Hendricks)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Robert Morse)

Golden Globe Awards

2008 Award for Best Drama Series

2008 Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2009 Award for Best Drama Series

2009 Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2009 Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (January Jones)

2010 Award for Best Drama Series

2010 Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2010 Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (January Jones)

2011 Nomination for Best Drama Series

2011 Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2011 Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

2009 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2009 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

2009 Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2010 Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

2011 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2011 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

2011 Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Satellite Awards

2007 Award for Best Cast in a Television Series

2007 Nomination for Best Drama Series

2008 Nomination for Best Drama Series

2008 Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2008 Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie (John Slattery)

2009 Nomination for Best Drama Series

2009 Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2009 Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

2010 Nomination for Best Drama Series

2010 Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Jon Hamm)

2010 Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Elisabeth Moss)

Writers Guild of America Awards

2007 Nomination for Best Drama Series

2007 Award for Best New Series

2007 Nomination for Best Drama Episode ("The Hobo Code")

2008 Award for Best Drama Series

2009 Award for Best Drama Series

2009 Nomination for Best Drama Episode ("The Grown-Ups")

2009 Nomination for Best Drama Episode ("Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency")

Producers Guild of America Awards

2008 Award for Best Drama Series

2009 Award for Best Drama Series

American Society of Cinematographers Awards

2010 Nomination for Best Episodic Series/Pilot ("Blowing Smoke")

Parodies

Jon Hamm was the host of Saturday Night Live on October 26, 2008, an episode during that show's 34th season. Two skits from that show parodied how the men in the show drink and smoke constantly and often engage in adultery. In one skit, "A-Holes: Pitch Meeting," Hamm is joined by two other Mad Men cast members in cameo appearances, Elisabeth Moss (who was called the morning of the show and asked to play Peggy, since Amy Poehler, who was going to do it, went into labor) and John Slattery. In another skit, "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women," Hamm pokes fun at how easily his character picks up women.

The Simpsons' episode "Treehouse of Horror XIX", which first aired in the United States on November 2, 2008, included a segment called "How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising" The segment, an adaptation of the Mad Men animated title sequence, was the "inspiration" of executive producer Al Jean; it featured a "rotund, lunchbox-carrying figure, undoubtedly Homer Simpson, enter[ing] a living room and then float[ing] past windows bearing Springfield-centric displays that include a Duff Beer ad," with the Mad Men theme music on the soundtrack. Sesame Street's plans for having its own parody of Mad Men were announced in August 2009 before its 40th anniversary season aired. When Miranda Barry of the Sesame Workshop was asked how such a parody is possible "given the drinking, smoking, and womanizing that's a big part of the AMC show", she compared it to their parody of Desperate Housewives: "You may have seen our parody called 'Desperate Houseplants.' It was about a houseplant not getting its needs met by the gardener. So it always works on two levels."

Marketing

In promotion for the series, AMC aired multiple commercials and a behind the scenes documentary on the making of Mad Men before its premiere. The commercials mostly show the one (usually brief) sex scene from each episode of the season. The commercials, as well as the documentary, featured the song "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse.

For the second season, AMC undertook the largest marketing campaign it had ever launched, intending to reflect the "cinematic quality" of the series. The Grand Central Station subway shuttle to Times Square was decorated with life-size posters of Jon Hamm as Don Draper, and quotes from the first season. The DVD box set, as well as a Blu-ray disc set, was released July 1, 2008; it features a total of 23 audio commentaries on the season's 13 episodes from various members of the cast and crew.

In the spring of 2010, Mattel released a series of limited-edition collectible Barbie and Ken dolls based on the characters Don and Betty Draper, Joan Holloway, and Roger Sterling.

For the third season, Banana Republic has partnered with Mad Men to create window displays to be displayed at Banana Republic stores nationwide. The displays present clothing inspired by the famed fashion and style of the show. Banana Republic also offers a style guide with the intent to help the customer dress like their favorite Mad Men character. The style guide comes with a code that is to be entered into a competition. The competition is an opportunity to submit a picture in "Mad Men style" with a public voting component.

Another clothing promotion from the series' third season includes a "Mad-Men Edition" suit offered by American clothing retailer Brooks Brothers. The suit is designed by the show's costume designer, Janie Bryant, and is based on an actual style sold by Brooks Brothers in the early 1960s.

Product placement

Mad Men integrates product placement into its narratives. For instance, in a second season episode, the beer manufacturer Heineken is seen as a client seeking to bring its beer to the attention of American consumers. This placement was paid for by Heineken as an additional part of their advertising on the show. Cadillac has a similar deal with Mad Men. Other examples remain less obvious, such as ads worked on by the firm, or companies sought as clients such as Utz potato chips, Maidenform, Gillette, American Airlines, Clearasil and others.

The closing episode of season two was broadcast (for its premiere) in the United States with only one brief commercial interruption: a short ad for Heineken beer.

During the fourth season, Unilever created a series of six retro commercials to be aired during the show in the United States. The ads are set at the fictional Smith Winter Mitchell advertising agency and take place during the same time period as Mad Men. The products used in the ads are Dove, Breyers, Hellman's, Klondike, Suave, and Vaseline.

References

External links

Australian Site

Seeing History in Mad Men - interactive timeline by The New York Times

Category:2007 American television series debuts Category:2000s American television series Category:2010s American television series Category:AMC network shows Category:American drama television series Category:BAFTA winners (television series) Category:Best Drama Series Golden Globe winners Category:English-language television series Category:Period television series Category:Television series by Lionsgate Television Category:Television shows set in New York City Category:1960s in fiction

Name	Don Draper
Series	Mad Men
Caption	Jon Hamm as Don Draper.
Portrayer	Jon Hamm
Birth date	1925
Creator	Matthew Weiner
First	Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (1.01)
Alias	"Don" (nickname) "Dick" (nickname) Richard Whitman (birth name)
Occupation	Founding Partner, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce
Age	38
Parents	Archibald Whitman (father; deceased) Abigail Whitman (step-mother; deceased) Evangeline (mother; deceased)
Siblings	Adam Whitman (half-brother; deceased)
Spouse	Betty Draper (ex-wife)
Romances	Midge Daniels (ex-lover) Rachel Katz (née Menken) (ex-lover) Bobbie Barrett (ex-lover) Suzanne Farrell (ex-lover) Dr. Faye Miller (ex-girlfriend) Megan Calvet (fiancée)
Children	Sally Draper (daughter with Betty Draper) Bobby Draper (son with Betty Draper) Gene Draper (son with Betty Draper)

Donald Francis "Don" Draper is a fictional character and the protagonist of AMC's television series Mad Men. He is portrayed by 2008 Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm. Until the third season finale, Draper was Creative Director of Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper. He became a founding partner at a new firm, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, after he and his superiors abandoned their old agency in advance of an unwanted acquisition.

Draper's character is partially based on Draper Daniels, the creative head of the Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago in the 1950s who created the Marlboro Man campaign.

In 2009, Don Draper was named the most influential man in the world by Ask Men ahead of such figures as Michael Phelps and Barack Obama.

Character biography

Most of the characters in the series know little, if anything, of Draper’s history and true identity; Harry Crane remarks in the third episode of the series, "Draper? Who knows anything about that guy? No one’s ever lifted that rock. He could be Batman for all we know." Clues are given through flashbacks, confessions, and clandestine visits to figures from his past.

The name "Don Draper" is an alias; his given name is Richard Whitman. Draper was born in Illinois, and his birth mother was a 22-year-old prostitute who died giving birth to him. He was subsequently taken in by his biological father Archibald "Archie" Whitman and stepmother Abigail.

When Dick was ten years old, following an allotment act that slashed the price of Archibald's crops in half, Archie was killed by a spooked horse that kicked him in the face during an electrical storm; Dick was a witness to this. Subsequently, Abigail, Dick and his half-brother Adam moved to Pennsylvania (described by Draper as "coal country") and were raised by Abigail and a man referred to as "Uncle Mac."

Dick's relationship with his family was apparently contentious - he revealed to Betty that Archibald "beat the hell out of him" on a regular basis, and he "fantasized" about the day he could murder him. It is unclear if Abigail also abused him, but she made no effort to conceal Dick's past from him and referred to him as a "whore child." When told of her death from stomach cancer by Adam, he simply commented "Good." However, Don states during his confession to Betty regarding his past that Uncle Mac was "nice to him." He also appeared to be close to his half-brother Adam, who was eleven years younger than he. When Adam seeks Don out simply to meet him after all these years, Don rebuffs his attempt and walks away. When Don later decides to speak and possibly reconcile with his younger brother, he discovers he is too late after Adam commits suicide by hanging.

Korean War

When Whitman was in his early twenties, he enlisted in the U.S. Army - he mentioned that he "ran away" to do so - and was sent to serve in the Korean War. Whitman was put under the command of Lt. Donald Draper, an engineer

Both in and out of the office, Don's life is an entanglement of boozing and sex with a large group of women he has met in business and social settings, including at least two secretaries (Allison and Megan), a stewardess (Shelly), an unemployed friend of a friend (Bethany), a teacher (Suzanne Farrell), a client (Rachel Menken), an artist (Midge Daniels), a waitress (Doris), a prostitute (unnamed), a business consultant (Dr. Faye Miller), a nurse, a Hedonist (Joy), and the wife of the lead performer in the Utz campaign (Bobbie Barrett).

Personality

In many respects, Draper is the stereotype of an American upper-middle class Post-World War II white male. It becomes clear during the second season that many of Draper's less admirable qualities (his infidelity, for example) are his way of dealing with internal conflicts. Draper appears to be one of the very few men at Sterling Cooper who does not engage in the sex-centered, locker-room style conversations that characterize its corporate culture. In fact, Draper keeps his extramarital affairs to himself and otherwise appears to be a decent and chivalrous man.

He warns Pete Campbell in the first episode ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes") about his rude remarks to and about Peggy Olson, whom he has just met.

In the first episode of the second season (For Those Who Think Young), Draper is in an elevator listening to two younger men having a crude sexual conversation. Draper is disgusted and, when an older woman enters the elevator and they continue their graphic conversation, Draper tells one of the men to remove his hat. The man ignores Draper, who proceeds to remove the man's hat himself, thereby ending the men's conversation and sparing the woman further embarrassment.

During the episode "Six Month Leave," Draper admonishes several subordinates for mocking Freddy Rumsen's episode of urinary incontinence, a symptom of his alcoholism.

In "My Old Kentucky Home" (Season 3, Episode 3), Draper attends a festive Kentucky Derby party hosted by Roger Sterling, where he watches as Sterling serenades his young wife in blackface minstrel makeup. He and Pete Campbell seem to be the only guests who disapprove of or are uncomfortable with the spectacle.

In a fourth season episode Draper briefly scolds Ken Cosgrove in front of other employees for mocking a client with a severe stuttering problem.

Draper also adheres to a more strict code of business ethics than many of his colleagues. A second season arc has Draper upset about being told to drop the small local Mohawk Airlines client in favor of a chance at American Airlines. In Season 3, he is hesitant to sign a wealthy client eager to pour his fortune into promoting jai alai, a sport the client thinks will replace baseball as "America's game," Don knowing the client is about to squander his considerable fortune on a doomed enterprise.

He also keeps the secret of Art Director Sal Romano, a closeted and struggling homosexual, whom Don sees in a compromising position in a Baltimore hotel during a fire evacuation. Although Don continues to keep the secret, he nonetheless expresses his distaste for Sal's sexual orientation when he fires him in Season 3 because the son of a prominent client is irate at Sal's refusal to accept his sexual advances in the film editing room.

Don has demonstrated a bold streak, perhaps best displayed in his snap decision to get fired from Sterling Cooper in order to form a new advertising agency.

It is also shown throughout different episodes that Don regrets how he treats his family. In the season three episode where Betty gives birth to their third child, he has a conversation with another man in the waiting room who says that he's going to be a better man for his wife and child. It is clear that Don feels exactly the same way.

Draper and women

Draper met his ex-wife Betty Draper (née Hofstadt) in her modeling days, surprising Betty by buying her the fur she wore on a photo shoot where he was in attendance; this gesture appears to be the start of their relationship. Betty and Don marry when she is in her early twenties, and she gave birth to their first child Sally soon after. A few years later, she gave birth to their first son, Bobby. In Season 3, Betty gave birth to a second son named Eugene after her recently-deceased father, with whom Don shared a mutually antagonistic relationship

Don cheats on Betty repeatedly throughout Seasons 1 and 2. In Season 1, Draper is involved with Midge, a pot-smoking beatnik and illustrator who works out of her small, dingy apartment. Midge's beatnik lifestyle and friends do not appeal to Don, but she offers him an escape from his high-pressure job. Don receives a bonus check of $2,500 from Sterling Cooper and asks her to vacation with him to Paris. However, Don changes his mind after realizing Midge is in love with a fellow beatnik, and instead stuffs the check into her blouse. He tells her to go buy a car with it and leaves. Don doesn't see her again until Season 4, when Midge pretends to run into Don, hoping to sell him a painting in order to help fund her heroin addiction. He agrees to visit her apartment, but after learning of her true intentions he purchases a painting and leaves.

Also during Season 1, Don pursues Rachel Menken. She is Jewish and the daughter of Abraham Menken, the elderly founder of upscale Menken's department store. Rachel, 28, is educated, sophisticated, and a savvy businesswoman, assisting her father in running the family business. Despite bickering with her during initial business meetings, Draper begins an affair with her. She ends their affair on November 8, 1960, the night the 1960 Presidential election results are being tabulated ("Nixon vs. Kennedy," Season 1, Episode 12). She leaves on a cruise for Europe and suddenly marries a Jewish man sometime before the beginning of season 2.

In Season 2, Draper turns to an older woman, Bobbie Barrett. She is the wife of Jimmy Barrett, an insult comic loosely based on Rat Packer Joey Bishop, filming a commercial for one Sterling Cooper's clients, Utz Potato Chips. Don does not like Bobbie's demanding and often unprofessional behavior.

Draper and Bobbie continue their affair, taking a trip to the beach at "Stony Brook" on Long Island, but their plans are interrupted by a car accident followed by his arrest for drunken driving. Unable to post bond with the cash on his person, Don reaches out to Peggy Olson, who travels the great distance from Brooklyn to Long Island by car in the middle of the night, posts Don's bail of $110, and later boards Bobbie until her injuries from the accident heal. Bobbie and Don continue their affair until Episode 6 ("Maidenform"), when Bobbie lets slip that Draper's previous mistresses have been talking about his sexual skills. Don, who values his privacy highly, is aghast that his extra-marital escapades are being gossiped about, and immediately ends the affair. Don must continue his professional relationship with Bobbie and Jimmy, and the four of them (including Betty) meet at The Stork Club for a night out (Season 2, Episode 7, "The Gold Violin"). It is at the end of the evening that Jimmy reveals to Betty that their spouses are having an affair. Betty is shocked and sickened. Jimmy finishes the night by telling Draper off with Betty within earshot.

A distraught Betty confronts Don (Episode 8, "A Night to Remember), but he repeatedly denies the accusations, which infuriates Betty. Eventually, Betty appears willing to put the suspicion behind her, but when she coincidentally sees the commercial Jimmy made for Utz air on television, her anger is reignited. She calls her husband at work and tells him not to come home, whereafter Don moves into a hotel room and frequently sleeps in his office. Betty's father Eugene has another stroke (Episode 10, "The Inheritance"), necessitating a visit from Betty, and to keep up appearances, the two of them pretend to be a happily married couple while staying at her father's home. In his growing senility, Eugene openly expresses his disdain for Don, saying, "He's got no people. You can't trust a man like that." After witnessing the rapid decline of her father, Betty surprises Don with a sexual encounter in the middle of the night, leading Don to believe that she has now forgiven him. When they arrive home, however, Betty tells a confused Don not to move back in. Betty later discovers that she is pregnant.

Don impulsively decides to join Campbell on a business trip to Los Angeles (Episode 11, "The Jet Set"). In California, Don meets a mysterious European viscount with a 21-year-old daughter named Joy. Despite telling Campbell that the trip is strictly business, Don joins Joy and her "jet set" family of self-described nomads at their lavish vacation home in Palm Springs. Joy is topless in the pool one night, attempting to seduce Don again—despite being surrounded by other relatives and even small children, around their large pool. Draper realizes that this "sexual freedom" is excessive, even for him, and seeks out his confidante, Anna Draper (Episode 12, "The Mountain King.") Anna reassures Don, who tells her that he's "ruined everything," that his loving Betty doesn't mean he has to tell her everything. Don then bathes in the Pacific Ocean, in a symbolic baptismal gesture of new beginnings, and returns home to profess his love for Betty and ask her to take him back.

In Season 3, Don had an affair lasting several months with his daughter Sally's schoolteacher Suzanne Farrell. Their relationship builds slowly over several accidental meetings and conversations laden with innuendo. They finally consummate their attraction in September, 1963 (Episode 9, "Wee Small Hours"). Don ended the affair with Suzanne on October 30, 1963. Thinking Betty and his children are out of town, he plans a weekend get-away with Suzanne. With Suzanne waiting out in the car, and intending only to go into the house for a suitcase, Don is stunned to find Betty at home. Before he can make his escape, however, Betty reveals she has found the key to the locked drawer in Don's desk in which he keeps a box of photographs and other evidence of his past life, as well as several hundred dollars in emergency escape funds, and has discovered he has been lying to her. She coerces him into telling her the truth about his past, and he confesses his real name and the details of his deception. (Episode 11, "The Gypsy and the Hobo"). Don never returns to the car where Suzanne awaits him, apparently for hours, before giving up and returning home. He calls her the next day to break things off, even though they have not been discovered, in an attempt to save his marriage. Betty later decides she can no longer be with Don and divorces him to be with Henry Francis.

Don's womanizing hits its peak during Season 4, which takes place in 1964-1965. At the beginning of Season 4 in 1964, Don hires a prostitute to slap him around during sex. Roger's very young wife Jane Sterling, also sets Don up with a young, beautiful friend named Betthany, thinking Don hasn't been on a date since his marriage ended in November 1963. During one weekend of extreme drinking, Don goes to bed with one woman, blacks out, wakes up with a different woman in his bed, and has no idea what has happened. He continues to see the prostitute and pay her and even sets Lane up with her hooker friend one night in his apartment.

During a visit to San Pedro, California to visit Anna Draper, he also tries to put the moves on Anna's 18-year-old niece, whom Don has known since she was a child. She refuses Don and instead tells him that her Aunt Anna is dying of cancer. The news rocks Don to his very core.

When Don goes home drunk after an office Christmas party, and he forgets the keys to his apartment and has Allison, his secretary, bring them over. He quickly seduces her that night on his couch (Episode 41, "Christmas Comes But Once a Year"). This later creates tension in their professional relationship when Don acts as if nothing happened. Confused and heartbroken over the affair, Allison decides she can no longer work for Don or the agency, she asks Don to write a letter of recommendation for her to another potential job. But when his insensitivity offends her, Allison becomes greatly upset. She throws a brass cigarette dispenser at Don and calls him "a bad person" before quitting her job and storming off in tears. Don is visibly shaken by the encounter, and Allison is replaced with an older secretary by Joan, who hints that she's aware of Don having seduced her. Don later tries to write a letter of apology to Allison but gives up on it (Episode 43, "The Rejected"). Allison is replaced by Ida Blankenship, Bert Cooper's former secretary, and shockingly, Roger's lover from many years prior. Blankenship is an old woman with a blunt and cantankerous manner who may occasionally annoy Don, but proves to be the secretary he needs, since she is old and unattractive. Ida later dies sitting up at her desk, shocking Don and the staff.

During season four, Don becomes friendly with Dr. Faye Miller, a consumer psychologist he frequently works with. At the beginning of 1965, before she dates Don, she informs him, "you'll be married by the end of the year." Don is stunned and says "What?" The viewer cannot believe Faye's prediction either, and the viewer is lead into predicting that Don will eventually marry Faye by the end of 1965. Faye is close to his age and somewhat resembles Anna Draper. After fending off his gentlemanly advances on several occasions she begins a romantic relationship with him. During one of his existential crises (Episode 49, "Hands and Knees") Don somewhat reveals his checkered past; she sympathizes with him and offers emotional support. Faye however warns Don that she is "not good with kids and is inexperienced around them." At the end of that same episode, Sally runs down the hall at SCDP after a tantrum, and falls down hard. Instead of running into her father's arms, she falls naturally into Don's new secretary, Megan's arms. Megan previously worked as the lobby receptionist but became Don's secretary after Blankenship's sudden death.

Don in no longer seeing prostitutes and seems to have settled down with Faye. Although Don seems to be in love with the classy and intelligent Faye, Megan suddenly seduces him in his office one night, telling him not to worry, she won't make a scene like Allison did. Megan doesn't seem all that interested in Don, she just knows that Don wants quick sex with no strings attached. When Faye's consulting firm can no longer work with SCDP, she is excited because she and Don can be "out in the open" now with their relationship during episode 12.

During the season 4 finale Tomorrowland, Faye believes their relationship is stronger than ever. However, Don's ex-wife, Betty Francis, suddenly fires Carla, the children's nanny since birth, and Don has to scramble to find a full-time nanny for his three kids during their visit to California (to sign the "sold" papers for Don's house in San Pedro, which he bought for Anna in the 1950s). Don remembers how Sally fell into her arms several months previously, and decides to take Megan with him so she can take the three kids to Disneyland, and watch them at the hotel pool. When he goes to Anna's house one last time, Anna's niece says Anna left her diamond solitaire engagement ring (the one that the real Don Draper gave to Anna before Don (Dick Whitman) accidentally killed him in Korea) to Don. Don looks at the ring and is very touched by Anna's gift to him. Don realizes that it was Anna's dying wish for Don to be happy and to marry again. He suddenly realizes that all his children and him are very relaxed with the 25-year-old Megan. Although Faye is very intelligent and beautiful, Don realizes that Megan is a better match for him because he "finally feels like himself" around her. He sleeps with Megan during the California trip and decides to propose with Anna's engagement ring, telling Megan that the ring is very special to him. Megan knows nothing about Anna or his past, just as Betty didn't either when she married Don around 1952. Megan accepts and Don returns to New York to let the partners and Joan know about his very sudden engagement. He telephones Faye and wants to meet her in person. Faye realizes that something is wrong and demands to know over the phone, rather than over coffee. Don shocks Faye by telling her he is engaged. Faye is shattered. Peggy Olsen, Don's one-time secretary, is flabbergasted. Don also informs his ex-wife Betty, as she is packing up the last moving box from their one-time marital home, that he is engaged. Don informs her it is his secretary, Megan. Betty realizes it was Megan who watched the kids in California and that she put the wheels in motion for Don's sudden engagement (because Carla, their African-American house keeper/nanny was supposed to watch them on this trip, not Megan). Betty seems sad about Don's news because her marriage to the much-older Henry Francis has been rocky. Betty, Henry, and the children are moving to a new house in Rye.

Draper and vehicles

Don worked as a used-car salesman at the time Anna Draper found him, and on at least one occasion enjoyed the company of motorcyclists and hot rod enthusiasts while he was visiting Anna in Southern California. At the outset of the series, Don drives a 1959 Oldsmobile, then a 1960 Buick Electra 225 convertible. Later, Don wrecks an unassuming and utilitarian 1961 Dodge Polara, after which he is goaded by Roger Sterling into purchasing an ice blue & white 1962 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. Sterling tells him that the Cadillac was a sign that Don had 'arrived.'

Draper and drinking

:Don: (angrily waving an empty bottle of rye) "Why is this empty?" :Allison: (staring at him) "Because you drank it all?"

Don is frequently seen drinking, on the job and at home. Numerous mishaps have arisen from his drinking, including an auto accident. His drinking has become progressively more serious. Others have had to care for him in his drunkenness, and he has begun to experience blackouts. He eventually realizes his problem, and curbs it, however at times of stress is still tempted, and sometimes succumbs, to imbibing.

Mr. Draper's Drink of Choice is Rye Whiskey (Specifically Canadian Club), Old Fashioned.

Pop culture references

Don Draper is imitated by the character Abed in the show Community in Season 1, Episode 17, "Physical Education" while trying to learn to pick up women at the encouragement of his Spanish study group. He practices on friend Annie, who is portrayed by actress Alison Brie - a cast member of both Community and Mad Men.

In Season 3 of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (Episode 19, "The Ones"), page Kenneth Parcell shouts out, "My real name is Dick Whitman!" as he is succumbing to a strawberry allergy. Jon Hamm appears on 30 Rock as the recurring character Dr. Drew Baird.

The Don Draper character was also parodied in a skit on Saturday Night Live, in "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women."

Don Draper was announced the "Number 1 Most Influential Man of 2009" in AskMen.com

In her Daily Beast article, Natasha Vargas-Cooper compared Don Draper's appeal as a combination of Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, and John Wayne.

College Humor has created several videos and articles about Don Draper, exaggerating his dark attitude and elaborate speeches by putting him in everyday situations. They have portrayed him at college orientation, explaining the pop-up ad to a salesman, and giving presents to his children at Christmas.

Draper appeared with Conan O'Brien in the cold open of the first episode of O'Brien's current talk show, Conan.

A still frame from "The Suitcase," a shot of Draper in tears after hearing confirmation of Anna's death, sparked an internet meme called "Sad Don Draper", in which the crying Draper is photoshopped into unlikely locations and images.

References

External links

"The Secret of Don Draper's Sex Appeal" by Natasha Vargas-Cooper - Daily Beast - July 22, 2010

"Articles of fandom" - PacificSticker - October 16, 2010

Draper, Donald Draper, Don Category:Fictional Korean War veterans Category:Fictional advertising executives

Caption	Hamm at the Vancouver Olympics in February 2010
Name	Jon Hamm
Birthname	Jonathan Daniel Hamm
Birth date	March 10, 1971
Birth place	St. Louis, Missouri United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2000–present
Domesticpartner	Jennifer Westfeldt (1997–present)

Jonathan Daniel "Jon" Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor who works primarily in television. For much of the mid 1990s, Hamm lived in Los Angeles as a struggling actor appearing in small parts in multiple television series, including Providence, The Division, What About Brian and Related. In 2000 he made his feature film debut in Clint Eastwood's space adventure, Space Cowboys. The following year, Hamm appeared in the independent comedy, Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) in a supporting role.

Hamm gained global recognition for playing advertising executive Don Draper in the AMC drama series Mad Men, which premiered in July 2007. Hamm's performance earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2008. Aside from his work on Mad Men, Hamm appeared in the 2008 science fiction remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still and claimed his first leading film role in the independent thriller Stolen (2010). Hamm had a supporting role in the 2010 crime film The Town.

Early life

Hamm was born on March 10, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Deborah, a secretary, and Daniel Hamm, who ran a decades-old family trucking company that declined due to the growth of container shipping. Hamm's parents divorced when he was two years old, and he lived with his mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri. but after a few years his father became ill and died when Hamm was 20. Teachers and friends' parents filled in as parental figures. Hamm's first acting role was as Winnie the Pooh in first grade; and enjoyed the experience, though he did not take acting seriously: "Acting was fun, but my grandfather would always tell me, 'It's never too late to be an engineer.' You were supposed to get a 'job' job and do acting on weekends or at school." Following graduation in 1989, Hamm enrolled at the University of Texas, but left during his sophomore year, after his father's death. Hamm returned home to attend the University of Missouri. Hamm returned to his high school to teach eighth-grade acting as a gesture of repayment for the school's support during his adolescent years. One of his students was Ellie Kemper, an actress best known for her role on The Office.

Career

Early work

Hamm has known actor Paul Rudd for many years, and visited Hollywood to see him in 1992. Not wishing to stay in a "normal career", Hamm moved to Los Angeles permanently in 1995 with an automobile and $150. He moved into a house with four other aspiring actors and began working as a waiter while attending auditions. because, unlike other actors his age, he could not be cast in youth-oriented productions like Dawson's Creek. Hamm explained, "If you didn't look 18 years old, you weren't working. And I didn't look 18 years old when I was 18. I always looked 10 years older than I was ... so I was, like, auditioning to be their dads. At 25." In 1998, having failed to obtain any acting jobs after three years, he was dropped by William Morris. Hamm continued working as a waiter, After repeatedly failing to obtain promising roles, he set his 30th birthday as a deadline to succeed in Hollywood, observing that:

In 2000, Hamm obtained the role of romantic firefighter Burt Ridley on NBC's drama series Providence. His one-episode contract grew to 19, and led him to quit waiting tables. more substantial roles followed in the independent comedy Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) and the war film We Were Soldiers (2002), during which he turned 30. His career was further bolstered when he played the recurring role of police inspector Nate Basso on Lifetime's television series The Division from 2002 to 2004. Hamm recalled, "I read the script for Mad Men and I loved it. [...] I never thought they'd cast me—I mean, I thought they'd go with one of the five guys who look like me but are movie stars", and that an actor with a "proven track record" would likely have been chosen if another network had aired the show. He went through numerous auditions, and explained each time to the casting directors what he could bring to the character, if given the part.

Hamm used memories of his father to portray Draper, a well-dressed, influential figure in business and society hiding great inner turmoil and facing changes in the world beyond his control. Mad Men debuted on July 19, 2007, with almost 1.4 million viewers. It quickly developed a loyal audience, with the show and Hamm receiving strong reviews. Robert Bianco of USA Today was complimentary of Hamm, noting that his interpretation of Draper was a "starmaking performance". The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert called Hamm a "brilliant lead". For his work, he won a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Actor in a Television Series Drama in 2008. Also in 2008 he was nominated for both a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor and an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor. In 2009, Hamm was again nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same categories, and received another Emmy nomination for Best Actor. In 2010, Hamm received his third Golden Globe nomination.

Hamm's next film role was in the 2008 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Although the film received negative reviews, it was financially successful, earning $230 million worldwide at the box office. Hamm hosted the sixth episode of the 34th season of Saturday Night Live on October 25, 2008. He played various roles, including Don Draper in two sketches. He returned to host again on January 30 and October 30, 2010. In 2009, Hamm guest starred in three episodes of the NBC situation comedy show 30 Rock as Drew Baird, a doctor who is a neighbor and love interest of Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey). For these performances, he received an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Hamm's film projects post 2009 included the independent mystery thriller Stolen and his first leading role, in which he plays a man trying to demystify the circumstances surrounding his son's kidnapping. The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck stated that the feature never came together, and said that Hamm was unable to do much with his "underwritten role". Hamm had a voice cameo in the animated feature Shrek Forever After, released in May 2010, as an ogre leader named Brogan. after receiving "about 40 scripts that were all set in the 60s, or had me playing advertising guys", Hamm was pleased that the film offered a role "the opposite to Don Draper". The feature received generally favorable reviews, and earned $144 million worldwide. His next acting role was as defense attorney Jake Ehrlich in the independent drama Howl, based on Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem of the same name. He will also be appearing in Zack Snyder's 2011 film, Sucker Punch, as High Roller, a man who runs a brothel in the 1950s. On December 12, 2010, Hamm made a guest appearance as an FBI supervisor on Fox's animated series The Simpsons.

Personal life

at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, 2008]] Since 1997, Hamm has been in a long-term relationship with actress and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt. They own homes in Los Angeles and the Upper West Side in New York. Hamm, along with Westfeldt, has appeared in Gap related campaign advertisements. In April 2009, Hamm and Westfeldt formed their own production company, Points West Pictures.

Although his role as Don Draper requires him to smoke, Hamm gave up smoking when he was 24. He revealed in an interview that while on set he does not smoke actual cigarettes, but herbal cigarettes that do not contain any tobacco or nicotine.

Internationally viewed as a sex symbol, Hamm was named one of Salon.com's Sexiest Man Living in 2007, and was named one of People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive in 2008. Hamm also won GQs 'International Man' award in September 2010. In November 2008, Entertainment Weekly named him one of their Entertainers of the Year. He again was named one of the magazine's Entertainers of the Year in 2010. Hamm is an avid golfer and tennis player. He is an avid fan of the National Hockey League (NHL) team the St. Louis Blues, even appearing in two television spots advertising for the team. He is also a fan of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the St. Louis Cardinals.

In March 2010, Hamm was hired by Mercedes-Benz as their new voiceover for their campaign with the S400 Hybrid vehicle. Hamm replaces actor Richard Thomas.

Filmography

Feature films

Television

Awards and nominations

|- |rowspan="6"|2008 |Mad Men |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |Mad Men |Satellite Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama | |- |Mad Men |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="8"|2009 |Mad Men |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |30 Rock |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | |- |Mad Men |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |Mad Men |Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Satellite Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama | |- |Mad Men |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="5"|2010 |Mad Men |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |30 Rock |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | |- |Mad Men |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |Mad Men |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |align="center" colspan=5| |}

References

Further reading

Rochlin, Margy. "Those Were the Good Old Days? Hardly". The New York Times. September 30, 2007. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Alston, Joshua. "Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm: Get ‘Bad,’ Get ‘Mad,’ And You’ll Get Glad". Newsweek. December 31, 2007. Accessed June 4, 2009.

Hainey, Michael. "The Man In The Gray (Indestructible) Suit". GQ. January 1, 2008. Accessed June 18, 2009.

Wilson, Benji. "Jon Hamm: Why Mad Men was an instant star". The Daily Telegraph. March 14, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Seltzer, Ian. "Jon Hamm: Suave, Successful, Mad Man". ABC News. July 14, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2009.

Ryan, Maureen. "'Mad Men' Calvacade of Stars, Part 2: Jon Hamm". Chicago Tribune. July 15, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Guest, Jocelyn. "Jon Hamm of ‘Mad Men’ on the Future of Don Draper". New York Magazine. July 24, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Smiley, Tavis. "Jon Hamm". PBS. The Tavis Smiley Show. August 8, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Neuman, Clayton. "Q&A; - Jon Hamm". AMC. October 26, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Wolf, Jeanne. "Jon Hamm's Sudden Fame". Parade Magazine. Accessed April 27, 2009.

O'Dair, Barbara. "Q&A;: Mad Men Actor Jon Hamm". Reader's Digest. October 2009. Accessed October 18, 2009.

Hill, Erin. "Jon Hamm: 'Everyone Deserves a Little Good-Natured Ribbing'". Parade Magazine. March 11, 2010. Accessed March 11, 2010.

External links

Category:1971 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from Missouri Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners

Name	Geoffrey Arend
Birth date	February 28, 1978
Birth place	Manhattan, New York City
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1999–
Spouse	Christina Hendricks (m. 2009-present)

Geoffrey Arend (born February 28, 1978) is an American actor.

Life and career

Arend was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City, to a white father and a Pakistani mother. He graduated from New York City's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 1996. In 2000, he began providing voices for video games such as Daria's Inferno and soon landed small roles in films such as Super Troopers and Bubble Boy. He played a mentally challenged man in the film The Ringer, and then had a supporting role in the romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer. On October 11, 2009, Arend married actress Christina Hendricks.

Arend will appear in the upcoming medical drama television series Body of Proof, which will air on ABC in Fall 2010.

Filmography

Devil (2010) - Salesman

Body of Proof (2010) - Dr. Elliot Gross

The Closer (1 episode 2010) - Wayne West

Medium (1 episode 2010) - Andy Seward

(500) Days of Summer (2009) - Mckenzie

Private Practice - Jimmy (1 episode, 2009)

''Trust Me - Hector Culligan (2009)

An American Carol (2008) - Mohammed

Greek - Egyptian Joe (2 episodes, 2008)

The Ringer (2005) - Winston

(2004) (VG) (voice) - Pedestrian

Red Dead Revolver (2004) (VG) (voice) - Cowboys #6/Mr. Black/Prof. Perry

The Wrong Coast (2004) TV mini-series - Various Celebrity Voices

- Daris Macelvoy (1 episode, 2004)

Garden State (2004) - Karl Benson

Law & Order - Jeffrey (1 episode, 2003)

The Guiding Light - Gavin Strong / ... (1 episode, 2003)

Hey Joel .... David Faustino / ... (1 episode, 2003) - Judgment Day (2003) TV episode (voice) .... Moby/David Faustino/Intercom Voice

A Tale of Two Pizzas (2003) .... Johnny

It Runs in the Family (2003) .... Malik

Porn 'n Chicken (2002) (TV) .... Andy

Is It College Yet? (2002) (TV) (voice) .... Charles 'Upchuck' Ruttheimer III

Undeclared .... Jimmy (1 episode, 2002)

Bubble Boy (2001) .... Flipper Boy

Super Troopers (2001) .... College Boy 3

Daria's Inferno (2000) (VG) (voice)

References

External links

Geoffrey Arend Unofficial Fansite.

Category:1978 births Category:American film actors Category:American people of Pakistani descent Category:American people of Asian descent Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City

Name	Frank Sinatra
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Francis Albert Sinatra
Alias	Ol' Blue EyesThe Chairman of the Board
Death date	May 14, 1998
Death place	Los Angeles, California, United States
Death cause	Heart attack
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	Traditional pop, jazz, swing, big band, vocal
Occupation	Singer,
Years active	1935–1995
Label	Columbia, Capitol, Reprise
Associated acts	Rat Pack, Bing Crosby, Nancy Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Dean Martin
Url
Spouse	Nancy Barbato (1939-1951)Ava Gardner (1951–57)Mia Farrow (1966-1968)Barbara Marx (1976-1998)

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor.

Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the 1950s, but it was reborn in 1954 after he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (for his performance in From Here to Eternity).

He signed with Capitol Records and released several critically lauded albums (such as In the Wee Small Hours, Songs for Swingin' Lovers, Come Fly with Me, Only the Lonely and Nice 'n' Easy). Sinatra left Capitol to found his own record label, Reprise Records (finding success with albums such as Ring-A-Ding-Ding, Sinatra at the Sands and Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim), toured internationally, was a founding member of the Rat Pack and fraternized with celebrities and statesmen, including John F. Kennedy. Sinatra turned 50 in 1965, recorded the retrospective September of My Years, starred in the Emmy-winning television special , and scored hits with "Strangers in the Night" and "My Way".

With sales of his music dwindling and after appearing in several poorly received films, Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971. Two years later, however, he came out of retirement and in 1973 recorded several albums, scoring a Top 40 hit with "(Theme From) New York, New York" in 1980. Using his Las Vegas shows as a home base, he toured both within the United States and internationally, until a short time before his death in 1998.

Sinatra also forged a successful career as a film actor, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in From Here to Eternity, a nomination for Best Actor for The Man with the Golden Arm, and critical acclaim for his performance in The Manchurian Candidate. He also starred in such musicals as High Society, Pal Joey, Guys and Dolls and On the Town. Sinatra was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Early life

Born in December 1915, Sinatra was the only child of Italian immigrants Natalie Della Garaventa and Antonino Martino Sinatra. Sinatra was raised Catholic. He left high school without graduating, having attended only 47 days before being expelled because of his rowdy conduct. His mother, known as Dolly, was influential in the neighborhood and in local Democratic Party circles, but also ran an illegal abortion business from her home; she was arrested several times and convicted twice for this offense. Sinatra was arrested for carrying on with a married woman, a criminal offense at the time. Sinatra's father, often referred to as Tony, served with the Hoboken Fire Department as a Fire Captain. During the tough years of the 1930s, when the Great Depression hit North America, Dolly nevertheless provided ready pocket money to their son for outings with friends and fancy clothes. Sinatra then worked for some time as a delivery boy at the Jersey Observer newspaper, and as a riveter at the Tietjan and Lang shipyard. Sinatra began singing for tips at the age of eight, standing on top of the bar at a local nightclub in Hoboken. He began singing professionally as a teenager in the 1930s.

1935–40: Start of career, work with James and Dorsey

Sinatra got his first break in 1935 when his mother persuaded a local singing group, The Three Flashes, to let him join. With Sinatra, the group became known as the Hoboken Four,

On March 18, 1939, Sinatra made a demo recording of a song called "Our Love", with the Frank Mane band. The record has "Frank Sinatra" signed on the front. The bandleader kept the original record in a safe for nearly 60 years. In June, Harry James hired Sinatra on a one year contract of $75 a week. It was with the James band that Sinatra released his first commercial record "From the Bottom of My Heart" in July, 1939 - US Brunswick #8443 and UK Columbia #DB2150.

Fewer than 8,000 copies of "From the Bottom of My Heart" (Brunswick #8443) were sold, making the record a very rare find that is sought after by record collectors worldwide. Sinatra released ten commercial tracks with James through 1939, including "All or Nothing At All" which had weak sales on its initial release but then sold millions of copies when re-released by Columbia at the height of Sinatra's popularity a few years later.

In November 1939, in a meeting at the Palmer House in Chicago, Sinatra was asked by bandleader Tommy Dorsey to join his band as a replacement for Jack Leonard, who had recently left to launch a solo career. This meeting was a turning point in Sinatra's career, since by signing with Dorsey's band, one of the hottest bands at the time, he got greatly increased visibility with the American public. Though Sinatra was still under contract with James, James recognized the opportunity Dorsey offered and graciously released Sinatra from his contract. Sinatra recognized his debt to James throughout his life and upon hearing of James's death in 1983, stated: "he [James] is the one that made it all possible."

On January 26, 1940, Sinatra made his first public appearance with the Dorsey band at the Coronado Theater in Rockford, Illinois. In his first year with Dorsey, Sinatra released more than forty songs, with "I'll Never Smile Again" topping the charts for twelve weeks beginning in mid-July.

Sinatra's relationship with Tommy Dorsey was troubled, because of their contract, which awarded Dorsey ⅓ of Sinatra's lifetime earnings in the entertainment industry. In January 1942, Sinatra recorded his first solo sessions without the Dorsey band (but with Dorsey's arranger Axel Stordahl and with Dorsey's approval). These sessions were released commercially on the Bluebird label. Sinatra left the Dorsey band late in 1942 in an incident that started rumors of Sinatra's involvement with the Mafia. A story appeared in the Hearst newspapers that mobster Sam Giancana coerced Dorsey to let Sinatra out of his contract for a few thousand dollars. This story was famously fictionalized in the movie The Godfather. According to Nancy Sinatra's biography, the Hearst rumors were started because of Frank's Democratic politics. In fact, the contract was bought out by MCA founder Jules Stein for $75,000.

His appeal to bobby soxers, as teenage girls of that time were called, revealed a whole new audience for popular music, which had been recorded mainly for adults up to that time.

On December 31, 1942, Sinatra opened at the Paramount Theater in New York.

during World War II.]]

During the musicians' strike of 1942–44, Columbia re-released Harry James and Sinatra's version of "All or Nothing at All" (music by Arthur Altman and lyrics by Jack Lawrence), recorded in August 1939 and released before Sinatra had made a name for himself. The original release didn’t even mention the vocalist's name. When the recording was re–released in 1943 with Sinatra's name prominently displayed, the record was on the best–selling list for 18 weeks and reached number 2 on June 2, 1943.

Sinatra signed with Columbia on June 1, 1943 as a solo artist, and he initially had great success, particularly during the 1942-43 musicians' strike. And while no new records had been issued during the strike, he had been performing on the radio (on Your Hit Parade), and on stage. Columbia wanted to get new recordings of their growing star as fast as possible, so Sinatra convinced them to hire Alec Wilder as arranger and conductor for several sessions with a vocal group called the Bobby Tucker Singers. These first sessions were on June 7, June 22, August 5, and November 10, 1943. Of the nine songs recorded during these sessions, seven charted on the best–selling list.

Sinatra did not serve in the military during World War II. On December 11, 1943, he was classified 4-F ("Registrant not acceptable for military service") for a perforated eardrum by his draft board. Additionally, an FBI report on Sinatra, released in 1998, showed that the doctors had also written that he was a "neurotic" and "not acceptable material from a psychiatric standpoint." This was omitted from his record to avoid "undue unpleasantness for both the selectee and the induction service." Active-duty servicemen, like journalist William Manchester, said of Sinatra, "I think Frank Sinatra was the most hated man of World War II, much more than Hitler", because Sinatra was back home making all of that money and being shown in photographs surrounded by beautiful women. His deferment would resurface throughout his life and cause him grief when he had to defend himself. There were accusations, including some from noted columnist Walter Winchell, that Sinatra paid $40,000 to avoid the service — but the FBI found no evidence of this.

When Sinatra returned to the Paramount Theater in October 1944, 35,000 fans caused a near riot outside the venue because they were not allowed in.

In 1945, Sinatra co-starred with Gene Kelly in Anchors Aweigh. That same year, he was loaned out to RKO to star in a short film titled The House I Live In. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, this film on tolerance and racial equality earned a special Academy Award shared among Sinatra and those who brought the film to the screen, along with a special Golden Globe for "Promoting Good Will." 1946 saw the release of his first album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, and the debut of his own weekly radio show.

By the end of 1948, Sinatra felt that his career was stalling, something that was confirmed when he slipped to No. 4 on Down Beat's annual poll of most popular singers (behind Billy Eckstine, Frankie Laine, and Bing Crosby).

The year 1949 saw an upswing, as Frank co-starred with Gene Kelly in Take Me Out to the Ball Game. It was well received critically and became a major commercial success. That same year, Sinatra teamed up with Kelly for a third time in On the Town.

1950–60: Rebirth of career, Capitol concept albums

After two years' absence, Sinatra returned to the concert stage on January 12, 1950, in Hartford, Connecticut. His voice suffered and he experienced hemorrhaging of his vocal cords on stage at the Copacabana on April 26, 1950.

Also in 1953, Sinatra starred in the NBC radio program Rocky Fortune. His character, Rocko Fortunato (aka Rocky Fortune) was a temp worker for the Gridley Employment Agency who stumbled into crime-solving by way of the odd jobs to which he was dispatched. The series aired on NBC radio Tuesday nights from October 1953 to March 1954, following the network's crime drama hit Dragnet. During the final months of the show, just before the 1954 Oscars, it became a running gag that Sinatra would manage to work the phrase "from here to eternity" into each episode, a reference to his Oscar-nominated performance.

In 1953, Sinatra signed with Capitol Records, where he worked with many of the finest musical arrangers of the era, most notably Nelson Riddle,

1960–70: Ring-A-Ding-Ding, Reprise records, Basie, Jobim, "My Way"

Sinatra started the 1960s as he ended the 1950s. His first album of the decade, Nice 'n' Easy, topped Billboard's chart and won critical plaudits. Sinatra grew discontented at Capitol and decided to form his own label, Reprise Records. His first album on the label, Ring-A-Ding-Ding (1961), was a major success, peaking at #4 on Billboard and #8 in the UK.

His fourth and final Timex TV special was broadcast in March, 1960, and earned massive viewing figures. Titled It's Nice to Go Travelling, the show is more commonly known as . Elvis Presley's appearance after his army discharge was somewhat ironic; Sinatra had been scathing about him in the mid fifties, saying: "His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people." Presley had responded: "... [Sinatra] is a great success and a fine actor, but I think he shouldn't have said it... [rock and roll] is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago." Later, in efforts to maintain his commercial viability, Sinatra recorded Presley's hit "Love Me Tender" as well as works by Paul Simon ("Mrs. Robinson"), The Beatles ("Something", "Yesterday"), and Joni Mitchell ("Both Sides Now").

Following on the heels of the film Can Can was Ocean's 11, the movie that became the definitive on-screen outing for "The Rat Pack".

From his youth, Sinatra displayed sympathy for African Americans and worked both publicly and privately all his life to help them win equal rights. He played a major role in the desegregation of Nevada hotels and casinos in the 1960s. On January 27, 1961, Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall for Martin Luther King, Jr. and led his fellow Rat Pack members and Reprise label mates in boycotting hotels and casinos that refused entry to black patrons and performers. He often spoke from the stage on desegregation and repeatedly played benefits on behalf of Dr. King and his movement. According to his son, Frank Sinatra, Jr., King sat weeping in the audience at a concert in 1963 as Sinatra sang Ol' Man River, a song from the musical Show Boat that is sung by an African-American stevedore.

On September 11 and 12, 1961, Sinatra recorded his final songs for Capitol.

In 1962, he starred with Janet Leigh and Laurence Harvey in the political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate, playing Bennett Marco. That same year, Sinatra and Count Basie collaborated for the album Sinatra-Basie. This popular and successful release prompted them to rejoin two years later for the follow-up It Might as Well Be Swing, which was arranged by Quincy Jones. One of Sinatra's more ambitious albums from the mid-1960s, The Concert Sinatra, was recorded with a 73-piece symphony orchestra on 35mm tape.

Sinatra's first live album, Sinatra at the Sands, was recorded during January and February 1966 at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

In June, 1965, Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin played live in Saint Louis to benefit Dismas House. The concert was broadcast live via satellite to numerous movie theaters across America. Released in August, 1965, was the Grammy Award–winning album of the year, September of My Years, with a career anthology, A Man and His Music, following in November, itself winning Album of the Year at the Grammys in 1966. The TV special, Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music, garnered both an Emmy award and a Peabody Award.

In the spring, That's Life appeared, with both the single and album becoming Top Ten hits in the US on Billboard's pop charts. Strangers in the Night went on to top the Billboard and UK pop singles charts, winning the award for Record of the Year at the Grammys. The album of the same name also topped the Billboard chart and reached number 4 in the UK.

Sinatra started 1967 with a series of important recording sessions with Antônio Carlos Jobim. Later in the year, a duet with daughter Nancy, "Somethin' Stupid", topped the Billboard pop and UK singles charts. In December, Sinatra collaborated with Duke Ellington on the album Francis A. & Edward K..

During the late 1960s, press agent Lee Solters would invite columnists and their spouses into Sinatra's dressing room just before he was about to go on stage. The New Yorker recounted that "the first columnist they tried this on was Larry Fields of the Philadelphia Daily News, whose wife fainted when Sinatra kissed her cheek. 'Take care of it, Lee,' Sinatra said, and he was off." The professional relationship Sinatra shared with Solters focused on projects on the west coast while those focused on the east coast were handled by Solters' partner, Sheldon Roskin of Solters/Roskin/Friedman, a well-known firm at the time.

Back on the small-screen, Sinatra once again worked with Jobim and Ella Fitzgerald on the TV special, A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim.

Watertown (1970) was one of Sinatra's most acclaimed concept albums but was all but ignored by the public. Selling a mere 30,000 copies and reaching a peak chart position of 101, its failure put an end to plans for a television special based on the album.

With Sinatra in mind, singer-songwriter Paul Anka wrote the song "My Way", inspired from the French "Comme d'habitude" ("As Usual"), composed by Claude François and Jacques Revaux. (The song had been previously commissioned to David Bowie, whose lyrics did not please the involved agents.) "My Way" would, ironically, become more closely identified with him than any other song over his seven decades as a singer even though he reputedly did not care for it.

1970–80: Retirement and comeback

On June 13, 1971 — at a concert in Hollywood to raise money for the Motion Picture and TV Relief Fund — at the age of 55, Sinatra announced that he was retiring, bringing to an end his 36-year career in show business.

In 1973, Sinatra came out of retirement with a television special and album, both entitled Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back. The album, arranged by Gordon Jenkins and Don Costa, was a great success, reaching number 13 on Billboard and number 12 in the UK. The TV special was highlighted by a dramatic reading of "Send in the Clowns" and a song and dance sequence with former co-star Gene Kelly.

In January, 1974, Sinatra returned to Las Vegas, performing at Caesars Palace despite vowing in 1970 never to play there again after the manager of the resort, Sanford Waterman, pulled a gun on him during a heated argument. With Waterman recently shot, the door was open for Sinatra to return.

In Australia, he caused an uproar by describing journalists there — who were aggressively pursuing his every move and pushing for a press conference — as "fags", "pimps", and "whores." Australian unions representing transport workers, waiters, and journalists went on strike, demanding that Sinatra apologize for his remarks. Sinatra instead insisted that the journalists apologize for "fifteen years of abuse I have taken from the world press."

Also in 1981, Sinatra was embroiled in controversy when he worked a ten-day engagement for $2 million in Sun City, South Africa, breaking a cultural boycott against Apartheid South Africa. See Artists United Against Apartheid

He was selected as one of the five recipients of the 1983 Kennedy Center Honors, alongside Katharine Dunham, James Stewart, Elia Kazan, and Virgil Thomson. Quoting Henry James in honoring his old friend, President Ronald Reagan said that "art was the shadow of humanity" and that Sinatra had "spent his life casting a magnificent and powerful shadow."

In 1984, Sinatra worked with Quincy Jones for the first time in nearly two decades on the album, L.A. Is My Lady, which was well received critically. The album was a substitute for another Jones project, an album of duets with Lena Horne, which had to be abandoned. (Horne developed vocal problems and Sinatra, committed to other engagements, could not wait to record.)

1990s: Duets, final performances

In 1990, Sinatra celebrated his 75th birthday with a national tour, and was awarded the second "Ella Award" by the Los Angeles–based Society of Singers. At the award ceremony, he performed for the final time with Ella Fitzgerald.

In December, as part of Sinatra's birthday celebrations, Patrick Pasculli, the Mayor of Hoboken, made a proclamation in his honor, declaring that "no other vocalist in history has sung, swung, crooned, and serenaded into the hearts of the young and old ... as this consummate artist from Hoboken." The same month Sinatra gave the first show of his Diamond Jubilee Tour at the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

In 1993 Sinatra made a surprise return to Capitol and the recording studio for Duets, which was released in November.

The other artists who added their vocals to the album worked for free, and a follow-up album (Duets II) was released in 1994 that reached #9 on the Billboard charts.

Still touring despite various health problems, Sinatra remained a top concert attraction on a global scale during the first half of the 1990s. At times during concerts his memory failed him and a fall onstage in Richmond, Virginia, in March, 1994, signaled further problems.

Sinatra's final public concerts were held in Japan's Fukuoka Dome in December, 1994. The following year, on February 25, 1995, at a private party for 1200 select guests on the closing night of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament, Sinatra sang before a live audience for the very last time. Esquire reported of the show that Sinatra was "clear, tough, on the money" and "in absolute control." His closing song was "The Best is Yet to Come".

Sinatra was awarded the Legend Award at the 1994 Grammy Awards, where he was introduced by Bono, who said of him, "Frank's the chairman of the bad attitude.... Rock 'n roll plays at being tough, but this guy is the boss--the chairman of boss.... I'm not going to mess with him, are you?" Sinatra called it "the best welcome...I ever had." But his acceptance speech ran too long and was abruptly cut off, leaving him looking confused and talking into a dead microphone.

In 1995, to mark Sinatra's 80th birthday, the Empire State Building glowed blue. A star-studded birthday tribute, Sinatra: 80 Years My Way, was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was Sinatra's last televised appearance.

In recognition of his many years of association with Las Vegas, Frank Sinatra was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1997.

Personal life

Sinatra had three children, Nancy, Frank Jr., and Tina, all with his first wife, Nancy Barbato (married 1939-1951). He was married three more times, to actresses Ava Gardner (1951–1957) and Mia Farrow (1966–1968) and finally to Barbara Marx (married 1976), to whom he was still married at his death.

Throughout his life, Sinatra had mood swings and bouts of depression. He acknowledged this, telling an interviewer in the 1950s: "Being an 18-karat manic-depressive, and having lived a life of violent emotional contradictions, I have an over-acute capacity for sadness as well as elation." In her memoirs My Father's Daughter, his daughter Tina wrote about the "eighteen-karat" remark: "As flippant as Dad could be about his mental state, I believe that a Zoloft a day might have kept his demons away. But that kind of medicine was decades off."

Death

Sinatra began to show signs of senility in his last years and after a heart attack in February 1997, he made no further public appearances. After suffering a further heart attack,The official cause of death was listed as complications from senility, heart and kidney disease, and bladder cancer. His death was confirmed by the Sinatra family on their website with a statement accompanied by a recording of the singer's version of "Softly As I Leave You." The next night the lights on the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed for 10 minutes in his honor. President Bill Clinton, as an amateur saxophonist and musician, led the world's tributes to Sinatra, saying that after meeting and getting to know the singer as President, he had "come to appreciate on a personal level what millions of people had appreciated from afar." Elton John stated that Sinatra, "was simply the best - no one else even comes close." Tony Curtis,

Discography

Awards and recognitions

.]]

Legacy

The U.S. Postal Service issued a 42-cent postage stamp in honor of Sinatra on May 13, 2008. The design of the stamp was unveiled Wednesday, December 12, 2007 — on the anniversary of what would have been his 92nd birthday — in Beverly Hills, California, with Sinatra family members on hand. The Hoboken Post Office was renamed in his honor in 2002.

To commemorate the anniversary of Sinatra's death, Patsy's Restaurant in New York City, which Sinatra frequented, exhibited in May 2009 fifteen previously unseen photographs of Sinatra taken by Bobby Bank. The photos are of his recording "Everybody Ought to Be in Love" at a nearby recording studio. Memorabilia in the restaurant includes his Oscar for "From Here to Eternity", his Emmy for "", his Grammy for "Strangers in the Night", photographs and a gold album he received for "Classic Sinatra".

There is a residence hall at Montclair State University named for him in recognition of his status as an iconic New Jersey native.

The Frank Sinatra International Student Center at Israel's Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus campus, was dedicated in 1978 in recognition of Sinatra's charitable and advocacy activities on behalf of the State of Israel.

Film portrayals

Main article: Sinatra (TV miniseries)

In 1992, CBS aired a TV mini-series about the entertainer's life called Sinatra, directed by James Steven Sadwith and starred Philip Casnoff as Sinatra. Opening with his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey, the film follows Sinatra's rise to the top in the 1940s, through the dark days of the early 1950s and his triumphant re-emergence in the mid-1950s, to his status as pop culture icon in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In between, the film hits all of the main events, including his three marriages, his connections with the Mafia and his notorious friendship with the Rat Pack. Tina Sinatra was executive producer. Casnoff received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.

In 1998, Ray Liotta portrayed Sinatra in the HBO movie The Rat Pack, alongside Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin and Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr. It depicted their contribution to John F. Kennedy's election as U.S. president in 1960.

In 2003, Sinatra was portrayed by James Russo in "Stealing Sinatra", which revolved around the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr. in 1963

Also in 2003, he was portrayed by Dennis Hopper in "The Night we Called it a Day", based upon events that occurred during a tour of Australia where Frank had called a member of the news media a "two-bit hooker" and all the unions in the country came crashing down on him.

Sinatra was also portrayed by Sebastian Anzaldo in the film Tears of a King, who also impersonated Sinatra in a TV episode of The Next Best Thing.

Brett Ratner is currently developing a film adaptation of George Jacobs' memoir Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra. Jacobs, who was Sinatra's valet, will be portrayed by Chris Tucker.

Alleged organized crime links

Sinatra garnered considerable attention due to his alleged personal and professional links with organized crime, including figures such as Carlo Gambino, Lucky Luciano, The FBI kept Sinatra under surveillance for almost five decades beginning in the 1940s. The documents include accounts of Sinatra as the target of death threats and extortion schemes. They also portray rampant paranoia and strange obsessions at the FBI and reveal nearly every celebrated Sinatra foible and peccadillo.

For a year Hoover investigated Sinatra's alleged Communist affiliations, but found no evidence. The files include his rendezvous with prostitutes, and his extramarital affair with Ava Gardner, which preceded their marriage. Celebrities mentioned in the files are Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, Peter Lawford, and Giancana's girlfriend, singer Phyllis McGuire.

The FBI's secret dossier on Sinatra was released in 1998 in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.

Political views

Sinatra held differing political views throughout his life.

Sinatra's parents had immigrated to the United States in 1895 and 1897 respectively. His mother, Dolly Sinatra (1896–1977), was a Democratic Party ward boss.

in 1960, was an ardent supporter of the Democratic Party until 1968.]]

Sinatra remained a supporter of the Democratic Party until the early 1970's when he switched his allegiance to the Republican Party.

Political activities 1944-1968

In 1944 after sending a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sinatra was invited to meet Roosevelt at the White House, where he agreed to become part of the Democratic party's voter registration drives.

He donated $5,000 to the Democrats for the 1944 presidential election, and by the end of the campaign was appearing at two or three political events every day.

After World War II, Sinatra's politics grew steadily more left wing, and he became more publicly associated with the Popular Front. He started reading liberal literature, and supported many organizations that were later identified as front organizations of the Communist party by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s, though Sinatra was never brought before the Committee.

Sinatra spoke at a number of New Jersey high schools in 1945, where students had gone on strike in opposition to racial integration. Later that year Sinatra would appear in The House I Live In, a short film that stood against racism. The film was scripted by Albert Maltz, with the title song written by Earl Robinson and Abel Meeropol (under the pseudonym of Lewis Allen).

In 1948, Sinatra actively campaigned for President Harry S. Truman. In 1952 and 1956, he also campaigned for Adlai Stevenson. a rival singer and a Republican, for Kennedy's visit to Palm Springs in 1962. Kennedy had planned to stay at Sinatra's home over the Easter holiday weekend, but decided against doing so, because of problems with Sinatra's alleged connections to organized crime, President Kennedy's brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, was intensifying his own investigations into organized crime figures at the time, such as Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana, who had earlier stayed at Sinatra's home.

Despite his break with Kennedy, however, he still mourned over Kennedy after he learned he was assassinated.

During Nixon's Presidency, Sinatra visited the White House on several occasions.

by President Ronald Reagan.]]

In the 1980 presidential election, Sinatra supported Ronald Reagan, and donated $4 million to Reagan's campaign. Sinatra said he supported Reagan as he was "the proper man to be the President of the United States... it's so screwed up now, we need someone to straighten it out." Reagan's victory gave Sinatra his closest relationship with the White House since the early 1960s. as he had done for Kennedy 20 years previously.

In 1984 Sinatra returned to his birthplace in Hoboken, bringing with him President Reagan, who was in the midst of campaigning for the 1984 presidential election. Reagan had made Sinatra a fund-raising ambassador as part of the Republicans' 'Victory 84'' get-the-vote-out-drive.

President Clinton never met Sinatra before taking office. They had dinner after Clinton's inauguration. Clinton later said that he was glad "to appreciate on a personal level what hundreds of millions of people around the world, including me, appreciated from afar."

See also

Rat Pack

Sinatra Doctrine

1920 US Census with Sinatras

1930 US Census with Sinatras

List of jazz musicians

Best selling music artists

Frank Sinatra discography

Frank Sinatra filmography

The Frank Sinatra Show (CBS)

The Frank Sinatra Show (ABC)

Anthony Martin Sinatra

Further reading

Biographies

Freedland, Michael. (2000) All the Way: A Biography of Frank Sinatra. St Martins Press. ISBN 0-7528-1662-4

Grudens, Richard (2010) Sinatra Singing. Celebrity Profiles Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9763877-8-7

Havers, Richard. (2004) Sinatra. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 1-4053-1461-3

Kaplan, James. (2010) Frank: The Voice. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0385518048

Kelley, Kitty. (1986) His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra. Bantam Press. ISBN 0-553-26515-6

Lahr, John. (1987) Sinatra. Random House. ISBN 0-7538-0842-0

Munn, Michael. (2002) Sinatra: The Untold Story. Robson Books Ltd. ISBN 1-86105-537-4

Rockwell, John. (1984) Sinatra: An American Classic. Rolling Stone. ISBN 0-394-53977-X

Rojek, Chris. (2004) Frank Sinatra. Polity. ISBN 0-7456-3090-1

Santopietro, Tom. (2008) Sinatra In Hollywood. Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 978-0-312-36226-3

Summers, Antony and Swan, Robbyn. (2005) Sinatra: The Life. Doubleday. ISBN 0-552-15331-1

Taraborrelli, J. Randall. (1998) Sinatra: The Man Behind the Myth. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-84018-119-2

Wilson, Earl. (1976) Sinatra.

Memoirs

Ash, Vic. (2006) I Blew it My Way: Bebop, Big Bands and Sinatra. Northway Publications. ISBN 0-9550908-2-2

Jacobs, George and Stadiem, William. (2003) Mr. S.: The Last Word on Frank Sinatra. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-330-41229-9

Falcone, Vincent. (2005) Frankly - Just Between Us: My Life Conducting Frank Sinatra's Music Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0634094989

Criticism

Fuchs, J. & Prigozy, R., ed. (2007) Frank Sinatra: The Man, the Music, the Legend. The Boydell Press. ISBN 1-58046-251-0

Granata, Charles L. (1999) Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-509-4

Hamill, Pete. (2003) Why Sinatra Matters. Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-316-73886-7

Mustazza, Leonard, ed. (1998) Frank Sinatra and Popular Culture. Praeger. ISBN 0-275-96495-7

Petkov, Steven and Mustazza, Leonard, ed. (1997) The Frank Sinatra Reader. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511389-6

Pugliese, S., ed. (2004) Frank Sinatra: "History, Identity, and Italian American Culture ". Palgrave. ISBN 1-4039-6655-9

Smith, Martin. (2005) When Ol' Blue Eyes Was a Red. Redwords. ISBN 1-905192-02-9

Zehme, Bill. (1997) The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-093175-2

Jazz Times Magazine, May 1998">"Frank Sinatra — Through the Lens of Jazz", Jazz Times Magazine, May 1998

Friedwald, Will. (1999) Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-684-19368-X

Granata, Charles L. (1999) Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1-55652-509-5

McNally, Karen. (2008) When Frankie Went to Hollywood: Frank Sinatra and American Male Identity University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-03334-5

Sinatra family publications

Pignone, Charles, with foreword by Sinatra, Frank Jr. and Jones, Quincy. (2004) The Sinatra Treasures. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-184-1

Pignone, Charles, with foreword by Sinatra, Amanda. (2007) Frank Sinatra: The Family Album Little Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-00349-2

Sinatra, Julie. (2007) Under My Skin: My Father, Frank Sinatra The Man Behind the Mystique iuniverse.com, ISBN 0-595-43478-9

Sinatra, Nancy. (1986) Frank Sinatra, My Father. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-23356-9

Sinatra, Nancy. (1998) Frank Sinatra 1915-1998: An American Legend. Readers Digest. ISBN 0-7621-0134-2

Sinatra, Tina. (2000) My Father's Daughter. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-87076-2

Cultural criticism

Gigliotti, Gilbert L. A Storied Singer: Frank Sinatra as Literary Conceit. Greewood, 2002.

Hamill, Pete. Why Sinatra Matters. Back Bay Books, 2003.

Mustazza, Leonard, ed. Frank Sinatra and Popular Culture. Praeger, 1998.

Petkov, Steven and Mustazza, Leonard, ed. The Frank Sinatra Reader. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Pugliese, S., ed. Frank Sinatra: "History, Identity, and Italian American Culture ". Palgrave, 2004.

Smith, Martin. When Ol' Blue Eyes was a red. Redwords, 2005.

Zehme, Bill. The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'. Harper Collins, 1997.

Other

Gigliotti, Gilbert L., ed. (2008) Sinatra: But Buddy I'm a Kind of Poem. Entasis Press ISBN 978-0-9800999-0-4

Havers, Richard. (2004) Sinatra. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 1-4053-1461-3

Ingham, Chris. (2005) The Rough Guide to Frank Sinatra. Rough Guides. ISBN 1-84353-414-2

Knight, Timothy. (2010) Sinatra - Hollywood His Way. Running Press. ISBN 9780762437436

Lloyd, David. (2003) The Gospel According to Frank. New American Press. ISBN 1-930907-19-2

O'Neill, Terry, ed. Morgan, Robert. (2007) Sinatra: Frank and Friendly. Evans Mitchell Books. ISBN 1-901268-32-2

The New Rolling Stone Record Guide, Rolling Stone Press, 1983.

Tom and Phil Kuntz. (2000) The Sinatra Files: The Secret FBI Dossier. Three Rivers Press ISBN 0-8129-3276-5

Giordmaina, Diane [McCue]. (2009) "Sinatra and The Moll". iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-53234-6

References

External links

Watch

The House I Live In (1945)

The Frank Sinatra Show (1950-1952)

Listen

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Name	Christina Hendricks
Caption	Hendricks at the premiere of Serenity, September 22, 2005
Birthname	Christina Rene Hendricks
Birthdate	May 03, 1975
Birthplace	Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Occupation	Actress
Yearsactive	1999–present
Spouse	Geoffrey Arend (2009–present)

Christina Rene Hendricks (born May 3, 1975) is an American actress known for her role as Joan Holloway in the AMC cable television series Mad Men, and as Saffron in Fox's short-lived series Firefly. Hendricks was named "the sexiest woman in the world" in 2010 in a poll of female readers taken by Esquire magazine.

Early years

Hendricks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, from third through eighth grade. She holds dual British and American nationality, as her father is British. While in Twin Falls, she began her acting career with Junior Musical Playhouse Company, with roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Grease. In 1989, her family moved to Fairfax, Virginia, where Hendricks appeared in several Fairfax High School plays and local community theater.

Career

Hendricks has made a number of guest television appearances, starting as a regular in the series Beggars and Choosers. Since then, she has starred in the series The Big Time and The Court, opposite Sally Field and Craig Bierko, as well as the legal drama Kevin Hill. She has also had recurring roles in ER and Firefly and guest-starred in episodes of Angel, Miss Match, Tru Calling, Presidio Med, Without a Trace, and Las Vegas. Hendricks starred opposite Kip Pardue in South of Pico. La Cucina, an award-winning indie film, premiered on Showtime in December 2009 and stars Hendricks as a sexy writer opposite Joaquim de Almeida. She has appeared in four episodes of the NBC TV show Life in the recurring role of Olivia, detective Charlie Crews' soon-to-be stepmother and Ted Earley's love interest. She also starred in music videos for "The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells, and Everclear's "One Hit Wonder".

Her best-known role is that of Joan Holloway on the award winning AMC series Mad Men. Hendricks' character is the office manager of advertising agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP), providing mentoring to a group of women who must deal with the come-ons and callousness of professional advertising executives.

She is set to appear in a new action-thriller directed by Nicolas Winding Refn called Drive alongside Carey Mulligan and Ryan Gosling.

Personal life

Hendricks is known for her buxom physique and red hair, although she is a natural blonde and began coloring her hair red at the age of ten.

On October 11, 2009, Hendricks married actor Geoffrey Arend.

In July 2010, Hendricks' hourglass figure was highlighted as a positive influence for women by UK Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone, who said "Christina Hendricks is absolutely fabulous...We need more of these role models. There is such a sensation when there is a curvy role model. It shouldn't be so unusual." Hendricks commented in September 2010 that the media is too focused on women's bodies and not their actual talents, "I was working my butt off on the show [Mad Men] and then all anyone was talking about was my body."

Esquire magazine named her "the sexiest woman in the world" in 2010 in a poll of female readers.

Awards and nominations

Won the 2006 SyFy Genre Awards for Best Special Guest/Television for the Firefly episode Trash.

Nominated for the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Mad Men (2007) shared with Bryan Batt, Anne Dudek, Michael Gladis, Jon Hamm, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, Robert Morse, Elisabeth Moss, Maggie Siff, John Slattery, Rich Sommer and Aaron Staton.

Won for the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Mad Men (2008)

Won the 2009 Best Actress — Drama Series for Mad Men at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival

Voted Best Looking American Woman by Esquire magazine in 2010.

Nominated for the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Mad Men

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1999 |Sorority |Fawn | |- |1999 |Undressed |Rhiannon |TV series |- |2000 |Angel |Bar Maid |Episode: "The Prodigal" |- |2000–2001 |Beggars and Choosers |Kelly Kramer |19 episodes |- |2001 |Thieves |Sunday |Episode: "Casino" |- |2002 |ER |Joyce Westlake |4 episodes |- |2002 | |Betsy Tyler |TV series |- |2002 | |Audrey Drummond |TV movie |- |2002 |Firefly |Saffron |Episode: "Our Mrs. Reynolds" |- |2003 |Firefly |Saffron / Bridget / Yolanda |Episode: "Trash" |- |2003 |Miss Match |Sarah |Episode: "The Price of Love" |- |2003 |Hunger Point |Frannie Hunter |TV movie |- |2003 |Presidio Med |Claire |Episode: "Suffer Unto Me the Children..." |- |2004 |Tru Calling |Alyssa |Episode: "" |- |2004–2005 |Kevin Hill |Nicolette Raye |22 episodes |- |2005 |Cold Case |Esther 'Legs' Davis |Episode: "Colors" |- |2006 |Jake in Progress |Tanya |3 episodes |- |2006 |Las Vegas |Connie |Episode: "Chaos Theory" |- |2006 |Without a Trace |Rachel Gibson |Episode: "Check Your Head" |- |2007 |La Cucina |Lily | |- |2007 |South of Pico |Angela | |- |2007 |Notes from the Underbelly |Holly |Episode: "First Night Out" |- |2007–2008 |Life |Olivia Canton |4 episodes |- |2007–present |Mad Men |Joan Holloway |52+ episodes |- |2010 | |Alicia | |- |2010 |Leonie |Catherine | |- |2010 |Life as We Know It |Alison Novack | |- |2011 |All Star Superman |Lois Lane (voice) |Video |- |2011 |Detachment |Ms. Madison |Post-production |- |2011 |Drive |Blanche |Post-production |- |2011 | |TBA |Pre-production |}

References

External links

Christina Hendricks Gallery

Category:1975 births Category:Actors from Idaho Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:Actors from Virginia Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Fairfax, Virginia Category:People from Knoxville, Tennessee Category:People from Twin Falls, Idaho