The Autographs of the Legendary The Rat PackBefore Elvis, the epitome of cool was the Rat Pack. Most pop culture historians credit Lauren Bacall as the person who coined the phrase. She thought her husband Humphrey Bogart and his drinking buddies, who were dragging themselves home after a night on the town, looked as untidy as a pack of rats. But I don't really buy that theory. Why, in the wee hours of the morning, was the rest of the Pack, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and David Niven, going home with Bogart? And wouldn't she have had to repeat it to somebody who reported it to somebody who printed it? The public never thought to question such things back then. The Hollywood publicity departments, in collusion with the gossip columnists, created stories that would sell the next motion picture. In a sense, the stars were working all the time, even when they were out on the town. For the most part the mystique and glamour that was once Hollywood no longer exists. When the stars of today go out on the town that look like the rest of us, often worse. That's sad. Bogart died in 1957, at the age of 57. The Hollywood publicity machine anointed Sinatra (1915-1998) as new main man of the Rat Pack. The other new members were Dean Martin (1917-1996), Sammy Davis, Jr, (1925-1990), Peter Lawford (1923-1984) and Joey Bishop (1918-1999). Shirley MacLaine and Angie Dickinson were sometimes mentioned by the gossip columnists as being members of the group. This late 50's-early 60's version of the Rat Pack not only partied until dawn together, but they headlined shows in Las Vegas and starred in hit movies. The Rat Pack even had the highest of political connections. Peter Lawford was married to the sister of John F. Kennedy.
The value for anything authentically signed by Sinatra continues to increase at an accelerating rate. Just a few years ago $250 - $300 would buy an authentic Sinatra signed photo. Today's value is hard to gauge because most dealers believe that most Sinatra signed material on the market is secretarial or outright fakes. In other words, most dealers believe fake material vastly outnumbers the legitimate material. This drives up the value of the material that dealers declare authentic because they can't easily replace it. For me, the legitimacy issue boils down to research and gut instinct. I'm not any more inclined to believe a dealer who has overhead to pay and stock to replenish than I am a little old lady who says she shared an ice cream sundae with Sinatra back when she was a bobby soxer. No doubt Sinatra signed tens of thousands of autographs during his lifetime. They could show up anywhere - not just in dealer's catalogs. That said, there are a lot of fake Sinatra autographed material. His is one of the toughest autographs to authenticate, so caution should be exercised when shopping for one. Once Sinatra became a star, he employed secretaries to sign his fan mail. Many who own or inherited this material believe it to be legit. When approached in public he could either be dismissive or friendly, depending on the demeanor of the collector and Sinatra's mood. Values for signed photos range from $500 - $1,000, depending on age, photo, condition, and inscription (if any). Personally, I had rather have an inscribed Sinatra photo because it is easier to authenticate (the more writing the better.) Signatures could sell for half that and are very popular among collectors because they can be be matted and framed with vintage photos of Sinatra or with the rest of the Rat Pack. Legal documents are on the market starting at $1,000.
Dean Martin was generous with his autographs and friendly to his fans. He did sign authentically through the mail, but at times he did employ secretaries to sign for him. Authentic signed photos can still be found for less than $100. Signatures sell for about half that. Some of Martin's signed bank checks are on the market and with a little time invested, one should be able to be located for less than $100. There are plenty of Dean Martin autographs on the market, so the collector shouldn't have to worry about finding a genuine one, reasonably priced.
Sammy Davis Jr. is seriously underrated as a performer. Singer, dancer, actor - he could do it all. Like Dean Martin, he was a friendly signer when approached in public. He wasn't known to provide authentic autographs through the mail, which is understandable since he was always working - most of the time on the road. Signed photos of Davis start at about $125. Signatures start at about $50. There are signed Sammy Davis bank checks on the market. One could probably be found for $100, or a little less.
Peter Lawford was an accomplished actor, but never became a star. Had it not been for the Rat Pack his autograph would have very little demand today. Signed photos can be found for under $100 and signatures for about half that. His relatively early death has made signed material scarce in comparison to the other members of the Rat Pack.
Joey Bishop was the last surviving member of the Rat Pack. He was a generous signer in person and a responsive signer through the mail, especially in retirement. He was very appreciative to those who followed his career. It was reported that he would occasionally place a phone call to a fan who composed a particularly nice letter. His autographs are plentiful and inexpensive. Signed photographs sell for less than $25. Signatures sell for around $10-$15.
As mentioned earlier, it is very popular to mat signatures of Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford and Bishop with a good photo. The most popular photo for this is the one where the five are standing in front of the Sand's Hotel Marquee, featuring all five of their names. This pairs one of the most iconic photos in show business with some of the most collectible names in entertainment - certainly makes a nice conversation piece. I have one.
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