Product Details

• Actors: Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne
• Directors: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
• Writers: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
• Producers: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Arts Alliance Amer
• VHS Release Date: June 10, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008XRZU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,254 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the other "Duets" but hardly essential., August 16, 2003

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sinatra - The Classic Duets (DVD)

Let's face it. The greatest entertainer-artist of the 20th century was no match for the diminutive television screen, which seemed made to order for the non-threatening, comfortably regular visits of Perry, Andy, and Dino. Nor was he especially suited for singing duets (give the advantage to the adaptable Bing). Nevertheless, these highlights from Sinatra's short-lived '50's television series are admittedly welcome watching, especially for those of us who remember the original moments.

Perhaps the most successful of all the duets is Cole's "You're the Top," with Frank and the brassy Ethel Merman. Hers is one of the few voices that stands up to the incisive edge in the Chairman's timbre.

While the performances here are more "classic" than those from Sinatra's two "Duets" albums from the nineties, the relative brevity of the program (it would easily fit on a CD) raises the question of why the producers of this DVD didn't include any of the solo performances from the same series. And the interspersed commentary by Nancy, Tina, and Frank Jr., while palatable and diverting, is predictable and uninformative ("Dad enjoyed working with Elvis," "Sammy always brought out the best in Dad").

If you're looking for Sinatra on television, a better bet is the specials (with Ella, Jobim, Diahann Carroll) from the 60's and 70's. Or, if you can swing it, the complete programs from which these highlights were extracted.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It doesn't get any better, August 21, 2004

By 

R. Butler "rsbutler298" (Lawrence, KS United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sinatra - The Classic Duets (DVD)

I wish I was as eloquent as the real reviewers, but I'm just a guy who likes good music; Frank made good music. If for nothing else, buy this for the clip of Frank and Peggy Lee - it's oooozing with sensuality. After that, if only for Frank and Dinah Shore, Louis Armstrong and the closing medley with Deano - the rest of the clips are gravy baby. This one is worth every penny . . .

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The swinging, wistful, reflective and jazzy Sinatra, July 26, 2003

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sinatra - The Classic Duets (DVD)

All these musical genres are shown on this fine DVD: Frank singing ballads, up-tempo numbers and showing off magnificent set of pipes. Though I've always preferred Sinatra singing by himself, some of his old standards are not compromised when another singer joins in. They show two duets with Bing and they are are delightful and seldom-seen gems. You can even see Nelson Riddle standing in the background, directing the band and giving signals to Sinatra when he needs to come into the mix. His duet with Peggy Lee is a scorcher, and his voice is in rare form when he sings with Fitzgerald. Fabulous stuff.

The quality of the DVD is exceptional throughout. The video is crisp, clean and clear. The color hues are excellent, and the B & W footage isn't grainy or dated. The sound quality is equally good; you can really pick out the string and brass sections in many of the duets. Finally, the cover painting of the Chairman by LeRoy Niemann is a gem. I wish I had a full-size version to hang on my wall, it captures that wistful pathos that Frank brought to so many of his ballads. I highly recommend this addition to your Sinatra collection.