Golden Age of Hollywood: Films, Books and Stars of Classic Hollywood

Frank Sinatra in Von Ryan's Express (1965)

Scandals and rivalries / Frank Sinatra

“He’s still pissed at you”: What happened to the men who kidnapped Frank Sinatra Jr.

Barry Keenan, Johnny Irwin and Joe Amsler were caught within days of the 1963 kidnapping but served only fractions of their long sentences, and the mastermind ended up a successful real estate developer.

4 min read

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Scandals and rivalries / Frank Sinatra
Why Frank Sinatra Went to Jail: Seduction, Adultery & a $500 Bond
Frank Sinatra spent less than 16 hours in jail in 1938 on a seduction charge that collapsed when his accuser turned out to be married. A reported adultery charge was dropped too.
6 min read · 4 Nov 2026
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Scandals and rivalries / Ava Gardner
“You’re a symbol!”: Why Ava Gardner married Mickey Rooney when MGM wanted them apart
Ava Gardner married Mickey Rooney in 1942 because he kept asking, not because she loved him. MGM, protecting Andy Hardy, held the wedding in a remote town.
3 min read · 27 Oct 2026
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Scandals and rivalries / Frank Sinatra
Why Frank Sinatra divorced Mia Farrow during the filming of Rosemary’s Baby
Sinatra’s lawyer served Farrow with divorce papers in November 1967, after a film overrun kept her from The Detective. Farrow later blamed their age difference, and in 2013 she said they never really split up.
5 min read · 26 Oct 2026
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Star profile / Ava Gardner
How Ava Gardner’s character dies in The Barefoot Contessa, and how Gardner herself died in 1990
Maria Vargas, the Madrid dancer turned film star Gardner played in 1954, is murdered by her jealous husband. Gardner died of pneumonia in London in January 1990, and the rain at her funeral put some mourners in mind of the film.
6 min read · 25 Oct 2026
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Scandals and rivalries / Ava Gardner
Why Ava Gardner left Frank Sinatra in 1953, just as his comeback began
Gardner carried Sinatra through his worst years with her money and her influence, then walked out within three months of his return. She gave two reasons: success had made him arrogant again, and one phone call.
8 min read · 24 Oct 2026
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