I don't recall seeing this picture from LIFE before, as I never did get the publication back when it was still viable; but despite the vintage Jeris talc, Sea Breeze, Vitalis and what appears to be a 3-piece razor - where is the cream/soap and brush? A tad puzzling... especially as I was hoping to see a tube of Noxzema Lather on the shelf. Might that also be generic Witch Hazel in the big bottle - or simply some property of the Kennedy Administration?
He shaves in a movie too He shaves in a movie called The Tender Trap 1955. He used a screw top can of Noxzema and a cartridge razor of all things in 1955. Maybe it was an injector, but not a D/E that is for sure. Do you see he bald spot in the towel, he was a big Toup guy as was Duke Wayne.
I think that's a tube of shave cream on the shelf, right next to the talc. Can't quite make out the brand, but it sort of reminds me of the Palmolive tube my old man use to use. Love the stretch technique and the urinal in the mirror. Looks like a glass shower door off to the right. I wonder where this was taken? Cool photo - thanks for sharing!
There's a much higher-rez photo available out there... just Google: "sinatra shaving" and images on LIFE's archive will pop up sooner or later. The tube lettering looks like "Master" or something similar - but I think it's just toothpaste as there is a tooth brush hiding behind it.... Yeah.... I noticed that bare spot too, he was probably hoping the towel would hide it from the prying camera. I wonder if this was taken at one of the LV casinos? And upon further study - that razor may very well be a Slim. Update... While doing some background research on FS, I was impressed by the degree to which he emulated Tommy Dorsey - right down to the observed usage of his former boss' toothpaste! Which at one time was supposedly the "Dentists' Preferred" brand from England. So, what we are looking at above is likely to be a non-domestic product.
This picture makes Frank look somewhat small and vulnerable. Not hardly the sort of PR photo one would associate with the Chairman of the Board. It’s like we’re getting a private glimpse into the world of a King and finding out that he puts his pants on the same way we do. I assume that LIFE had to get Frank’s permission to release the photo; I’m glad he gave the thumbs up. Fascinating!
First time I've ever seen a man successfully execute the chick, swami, headwrap. Most of us do very well to keep the towel wrapped around our waists let alone our head. happy102
That he was He was in fact a small guy from what I know. I read the Kitty Kelly book a month or so back called My Way and it did shatter my image of him. Not a good guy to say the least, in fact a monster. I have many CD's and listen to him on the A.M. radio with Sid Mark as well as Sirius. Kind of hard to listen now I must say. Did you know he and Bacall had an affair while Bogey was dying..could not bring himself to go to the funeral out of guilt. In fact it was Bogey and Bacall who started the Rat Pack. it's a common known fact Naamee!!
Frank was so tough and suave he didn't need shave cream or soap. The whiskers just fell off at the mere sight of the razor. Or he was a man's man and just dry shaved
I have a good size collection of Sinatra albums (CDs) and I’d like to remember him as a swell guy that could sing a song like few others could. So, I think I’ll steer clear of Kitty kelly and finding out the real truth about him. It may be a “head-in-the-sand” aproach to reallity, but I think most of our legendary heros have character faults that get lost as time goes by. From the movie “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” When the legend becomes fact, print the legend
Actually I think a very small amount of soap/foam can be seen on the leading edge of the razor. From what I can tell thus far, the photo was likely taken in Miami rather than Vegas and although there is some printing on the towel - I don't have a clue as to exactly where he was when Dominis snapped the picture. But I think we're seeing the final touch-up/polish phase of his shave in this not so posh location. Kinda get the feeling that aside from the toothpaste & brush, everything else is "standard equipment" as these are BIG supplies of witch hazel, disinfected combs, talc, Vitalis (with V7!), etc. Must be something associated with a performance venue and near the pedestrian dressing rooms; Sea Breeze probably being handy for removing traces of makeup and the like. Just seeing that can of Jeris however, takes me back to when I needed a booster seat for the Koken chair at Johnny's Barber shop in Flint.
Staged Photo There is no way in hell that this was a candid photo. It was staged or set for some reason. If it was'nt it was released with Franks permission I would bet a whole lot on. So why was it taken to begin with.
