Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All

With December 12, 2015 representing the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra's birth, this TV documentary looks back on an unsurpassed performer. This is regarded as the definitive account of the life, music, and career of Frank Sinatra. Sinatra: All Or Nothing At All features clips from many Sinatra classics including “My Way,” “I've Got You Under My Skin,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” “All Or Nothing At All,” “The Lady Is A Tramp,” “Nancy (With The Laughing Face),” “That's Life,” “Luck Be A Lady Tonight,” “New York, New York,” “(Love Is) The Tender Trap,” “Love And Marriage,” “Night And Day,” “Stardust,” “Young At Heart,” “Angel Eyes,” and many more. Told in his own words through extensive archive interviews, along with commentary from those closest to him, the film weaves the music and images from Sinatra's life together with rarely seen footage of Sinatra's famous 1971 “Retirement Concert” in Los Angeles. The film's narrative is shaped by Sinatra's song choices for that concert, which Director Alex Gibney interprets as the singer's personal guide through his own life. This is an intimate portrait of the singer, the actor, and the man. Focusing on Sinatra's first 60 years—beginning with his birth in Hoboken, New Jersey and meteoric rise in his 20s—and drawing on comments from friends and family, as well as never-before-seen footage from home movies and concert performances, this unprecedented tribute to the beloved showman follows Sinatra's growth from roadhouse performer to global singing sensation. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the Walter Cronkite CBS TV interview (SD ), two booklets including a reproduction of the 1971 Life magazine article on the Retirement Concert, and six art cards in an envelope.

The 1080i AVC picture, framed in 1.78:1 with 1.33:1 segments, is a documentary comprised of numerous still and moving picture sources of varying quality, as well as in color and black-and-white. Some of the archive material is grainy or damaged with scratches and tears. But the imagery is always communicative. Resolution is actually quite good in numerous segments. Overall, this is a terrific presentation that is a must for Frank Sinatra fans. Classic! (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is quite good, with both a monaural focus and subtle surrounds in numerous segments. The recording quality of the 1971 “Retirement Concert,” recorded by Wally Heider, is excellent. Mostly this is dialogue focused with excellent narrative quality. This is such a wonderful experience and to hear all those great Sinatra classic songs is memorable. (Gary Reber)