The origins of the Rat Pack are somewhat murky but the most likely explanation is that the name was coined by actress Lauren Bacall. In her memoir By Myself Bacall wrote that she first heard the term while watching a group of Hollywood friends including Humphrey Bogart Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin horsing around at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
“I don’t know how they got the name but they were the rat pack” Bacall wrote. “They had this crazy energy.”
The Rat Pack was more than just a group of friends who liked to have a good time. They were also a formidable force in the entertainment industry with Sinatra Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. at the helm. The group appeared in a number of films together including Ocean’s 11 (1960) Sergeants 3 (1962) and Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964).
They were also known for their hard-partying ways which often led to trouble. In 1961 for example Sinatra and Davis were arrested for disorderly conduct after a drunken argument with a hotel clerk in Las Vegas.
Despite their antics the Rat Pack was revered by many including Bacall.
“They had this magic” she wrote. “They were funny and talented and they knew it.”
What was the name of the group of actors musicians and comedians that Frank Sinatra hung out with in the 1960s?
The Rat Pack.
