Post #99929 by Satan's Sin on Mon, Jul 5, 2004 3:32 PM

In my opinon, this picture was taken during Kennedy's inaugural ball in Washington, D.C., Winter 1961.

Sinatra and Kennedy famously partied together, and often -- but in this photo both are in "white tie" -- the most formal of men's evening clothes at the time, and the only occasion on which I think both would have been wearing this would've been the inaugural ball.

If this had just been a "regular" party night they would've worn black tie, or for an even more informal occasion -- such as just raising hell in Vegas -- tuxedos or dinner jackets. Sinatra loved to dress up, but no one ever wore white tie just because one felt like it; it was always for some well-planned and very important occasion. State dinners and diplomatic functions are always in white tie, for example.

If it had been the inaguration itself, they would have been the most formal of men's clothes -- morning coats & trousers (black cutaway coats with dark pinstriped pants and even top hats -- which Kennedy certainly wore on that day).

If this is a photo from the ball, then it represents the height of the friendship between these two men. Sinatra and Kennedy became fast friends when Kennedy was a senator; Sinatra admired Kennedy's guts, class, wit and power, and Kennedy admired Sinatra's ring-a-ding lifestyle (which was at its peak during this time). They shared mistresses (both were fond of having more than one woman in bed at the same time), golf, party expeditions in Sinatra's private plane, boozing, and "romancing" every "starlet" they could get their hands on.

But shortly after Kennedy came to power his evil brother Bobby advised JFK to drop Sinatra lest Sinatra's connections to the underworld sully JFK's reputation. This JFK cruelly did, breaking Sinatra's heart. On top of what Ava Gardner had done to said heart, it wound up giving us the most absolutely pefect covers of "One For My Baby" and "Angel Eyes" -- among others -- that have ever been recorded, in my opinion.

I think it's a great picture. The pattern on the drapes connect to that 1961 styte, too. A good little picture to frame and have near one's bar.