Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Chapter 1 Growing Up in South Philly: Joseph Gottlieb's Formative Years 1
Chapter 2 The Bishop Brothers: Joey Sticks His Toe in Show Business 8
Chapter 3 Mobbed Up: A Wise-Ass Meets the Wise Guys 13
Chapter 4 The Voice: Frank Sinatra and the Midas Touch 32
Chapter 5 Setting the Trap: The Start of the Rat Pack 38
Chapter 6 The Personals: Living the Suburban Life with Sylvia 48
Chapter 7 Keep Talking: Television Comes for Joey 55
Chapter 8 Joey Meets Jack Paar: The Art of Making an impression 60
Chapter 9 Joey Gets Hot: Will Success Spoil Joey Bishop? 68
Chapter 10 Vegas, Baby!: A Brief History 73
Chapter 11 The Sands: Headquarters for the Rat Pack 79
Chapter 12 Do You Really Want to Know? Rat Pack Fantasy vs. Reality 87
Chapter 13 The Rat Pack Blueprint: Part One 94
Chapter 14 The Rat Pack Blueprint: Part Two 101
Chapter 15 Oceans 77: Pulling Off the Heist 107
Chapter 16 The Jack Pack: Washington Becomes Hollywood 113
Chapter 17 The Last Gasp of Misogyny: How a Bullet: Changed Popular Culture 121
Chapter 18 Joey, the Actor. The Face That Couldn't Light Up the Screen 126
Chapter 19 The Sitcom: Season One Debacle 133
Chapter 20 The Overhaul: Saving the Sitcom and Losing Frank's Friendship 151
Chapter 21 It's a Wrap: Joey Ponders His Future 168
Chapter 22 Back to the Clubs: Joey Returns to His Roots 180
Chapter 23 Joey vs. Comedy Writers: An Ad-lib Isn't Worth the Paper it's Written On 186
Chapter 24 Pal Joey: The Talk Show 217
Chapter 25 The Catastrophe of Success: Joey Hits Bottom 241
Chapter 26 Seltzer Down His Pants: Broadway Conquers Joey 253
Chapter 27 And Now the End is Near: The Final Days of the Rat Pack 262
Chapter 28 And Then There Was One: Joey Fights a Losing Battle Against Myth 266
Chapter 29 Imitation, the Sincerest Form of Thievery Joey Takes on the Tribute Payers 269
Chapter 30 Post-Mortem: A Relationship Comes to Light 279
Acknowledgments 289
Sources 290
About the Author and Editor 294