Joey Bishop, 89; Mild-Mannered Comedian Grounded Hollywood's High-Flying Rat Pack Joey Bishop, 89; Mild-Mannered Comedian Grounded Hollywood's High-Flying Rat Pack TOOLBOX Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 19, 2007 Joey Bishop, the understated funnyman who was the last survivor of Hollywood's Rat Pack and who once challenged Johnny Carson for late-night television supremacy, died Oct. 17 at his home in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 89. The cause of death was not disclosed, but he had been in poor health in recent years. Mr. Bishop may be best remembered as the lone comedian among the better-known singers and actors of the Rat Pack, but he was a genuine star in his own right and was, in the view of many, the glue that held the high-living ensemble together. The undisputed leader of the Rat Pack was Frank Sinatra, who met Mr. Bishop in 1952 and hired him to be his opening act in nightclubs.

They worked together for years, culminating in a legendary three-week stint at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in 1960, when they were joined by Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford. Performing in the hotel by night, they filmed the caper movie "Ocean's Eleven" during the day. They came to embody a swanky, high-roller style that emerged as an enduring definition of male savoir-faire. Mr. Bishop was the least glamorous member of the Rat Pack and the one whose personal life never made the gossip pages. But his sharp ad-libs and mild-mannered presence were a steadying influence on the giddy group and made him one of the biggest comedy stars of his generation. Mr. Bishop was a fixture on television in the 1950s and '60s as a deadpan standup comic and frequent substitute for talk-show host Jack Paar. From 1961 to 1965, Mr. Bishop starred in a sitcom in which he played a talk show host named Joey Barnes.

(In the show's first season, he was in public relations.) In some ways, the original "Joey Bishop Show" prefigured "Seinfeld," with Mr. Bishop's friends dropping by his apartment and getting into comic entanglements, often with improvised dialogue. Mr. Bishop's bewildered "Son of a gun!" exclamation became a catch phrase of the era. "Joey has something going for him that a lot of others don't," Carson once said. "He's likable." For much of the 1960s, he was Carson's most frequent guest host on "The Tonight Show," making hundreds of appearances before ABC gave him a late-night show in 1967. The live, 90-minute program was the first network talk show produced in California and the first that directly challenged Carson's late-night preeminence. Mr. Bishop's sidekick was the little-known Regis Philbin. But after CBS put Merv Griffin in the same time slot, ratings for "The Joey Bishop Show" plummeted, and it was canceled in 1969. Mr.

Bishop would never recapture the gaudy splendor of those years in the 1950s and '60s, when he made as much as $60,000 a week in Las Vegas, but he didn't regret his diminished show biz stature. He resisted the temptation to write a tell-all memoir of his years with Sinatra -- or of his friendship with John F. Kennedy -- and he stoutly defended the professionalism and human decency of his Rat Pack pals. He was one of the few people who could skewer Sinatra without incurring his wrath. As part of their act, Mr. Bishop would interrupt Sinatra onstage, saying, "That's enough singing, Frank. They know you can sing. Why don't you tell them some of the good things the Mafia has done?" Such antics only endeared Mr. Bishop to Sinatra. In 1986, when Kitty Kelley published a scandal-filled biography of Sinatra, Mr. Bishop was one of the few members of Sinatra's retinue to go on television to defend his reputation. For years, writers sought him to ask about the Rat Pack's heyday and the group's after-hours exploits.

"I don't understand this searching for things that weren't there," Mr. Bishop said. "It's like a hunger." As his public appearances grew rare, he appeared on Broadway for a four-week run in 1981 as Mickey Rooney's replacement in "Sugar Babies." Mr. Bishop happily settled into a quiet life of retirement in Newport Beach, where he had lived since 1971. He professed disdain for much modern-day humor, saying that it was too explicit and profane. "The secret of comedy is when the audience can't wait to hear what you're gonna say," Mr. Bishop told the Dallas Morning News in 1998. "I see them doing comedy now so loud. My conception of true comedy is to be overheard, not heard. That's what made the Rat Pack so great." Mr. Bishop, whose original name was Joseph Abraham Gottlieb, was born Feb. 3, 1918, in the Bronx. He moved to Philadelphia with his family as an infant and wanted to be an entertainer from an early age. He learned Yiddish songs from his father, a bicycle repairman, and taught himself to tap dance and do impressions.

He won many amateur contests and appeared on radio by his mid-teens. He dropped out of high school and joined a three-man comedy group, the Bishop Brothers, borrowing the name from the group's driver. They worked in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Catskill Mountains, but as the other members left the group, Mr. Bishop came into his own. He gave his first solo performance at a Cleveland club called El Dumpo. "As soon as I walked out there, I knew it was going to be all right," he said years later. "I felt free, relaxed." With his first big paycheck, he returned to Philadelphia. "I came home, took my father's hat off, put it on the floor and started throwing $100 bills into it," he recalled. "He couldn't believe it." Mr. Bishop seldom memorized jokes, preferring casual throwaway lines, a relaxed delivery and quick, improvised observations. His low-key style resembled that of Jack Benny, and he won early praise from no less an authority than Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy. During World War II, Mr. Bishop served in the Army and ended his military career as recreation director at Fort Sam Houston, Tex.

(He was also a champion welterweight boxer in the Army and later became a superb golfer.) By 1952, Mr. Bishop was earning $1,000 a week, and Sinatra came knocking. When Sinatra opened at New York's Copacabana nightclub in 1954 after winning an Academy Award for best supporting actor in "From Here to Eternity," Mr. Bishop warmed up the packed house. "I can't believe the size of this crowd," he quipped. "I sure hope Frank's fans show up, too." Another time, an ermine-draped Marilyn Monroe walked into the club while Mr. Bishop was delivering his monologue, and the crowd turned to watch. When she sat down, Mr. Bishop whispered into the microphone, "Marilyn, I told you to wait in the truck." With the Rat Pack, Mr. Bishop wrote many of the group's comic lines, including perhaps its most famous (and notorious): As Martin cradled the diminutive Davis in his arms, he said, "I'd like to thank the NAACP for this wonderful trophy." If Mr.

Bishop's role in the Rat Pack seems to have dimmed with time, contemporary audiences understood his importance. "Theoretically, Joey has bottom billing -- fifth man after the show's four stars," a Time critic wrote in 1960. "But happily as soon as he starts talking he's recognized as the top banana in the newly assembled act that is breaking up Vegas." In 1960, presidential candidate Richard Nixon asked Mr. Bishop to appear at the Republican national convention. Mr. Bishop declined, saying he was a "Kennedy man." The night before Kennedy's inauguration in 1961, Mr. Bishop was the master of ceremonies at a Democratic gala for the president and, a month later, emceed the White House Correspondents Dinner. Mr. Bishop appeared in many films, including the Rat Pack movie "Sergeants 3" (1962), "Valley of the Dolls" (1967), "The Delta Force" (1986) and "The Naked and the Dead" (1958). "I played both parts," he said.

His wife of 58 years, Sylvia Bishop, whom he met while performing at a Miami Beach nightclub, died in 1999. Survivors include his son, movie producer Larry Bishop; and two grandsons. © 2007 The Washington Post Company Joey Bishop - Biography - IMDb Joey Bishop Biography Showing all 32 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (21) | Personal Quotes (2) Overview (5) 5' 8½" (1.74 m) Mini Bio (1) Perpetually glum standup comedian Joey Bishop was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb on February 3, 1918, in the Bronx, New York. He was the youngest of five children of Chana "Anna" (Siegel) and Jacob Gottlieb, a bicycle repairman. His father was an Austrian Jewish immigrant and his mother was a Romanian Jew. He was raised in Philadelphia and learned while growing up how to tap dance, do imitations and play the mandolin and banjo.

Dropping out of high school at 18, he started out in the humor business in vaudeville as part of a comedy act with his brother. Billed as "Joey Gottlieb" at the time, he later joined a comedy group that called themselves "The Bishop Trio" and kept the last name for himself after the team broke up. His nascent career was interrupted while serving in the Army during WWII, but quickly resumed things after his discharge in 1945. He appeared on television as early as 1948, but it took a while before he caught on. A master ad-libber, he became a nitery specialist at such establishments as the Latin Quarter, and served as an opening act for a number of stars, including Frank Sinatra , in the mid-50s. As his reputation increased, he became a steadfast cog on the talk show, sitcom and game show circuits. A frequent and amusing guest panelist on What's My Line? (1950), the jug-eared jokester went on to guest-host on the The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) a record 177 times.

He also frequently appeared as a guest for Steve Allen and Jack Paar in their earlier late-nite formats. Bishop entered the sitcom venue in the early 1960s. On his first show, The Joey Bishop Show (1961), he played Joey Barnes, the host of a TV talk show in New York. Abby Dalton came on board in the second season as wife Ellie. Among his co-stars were up-and-coming stars Bill Bixby and Marlo Thomas and such character veterans as Joe Besser , of The Three Stooges fame, and Mary Treen were brought aboard for stronger support. This popular show lasted four seasons. Life imitated art several years later when Bishop went on to compete against Carson for the late-night viewing audience with his own talk show The Joey Bishop Show (1967) for ABC. The show was no match for Carson, however, and quickly dwindled in ratings, fading away after two years. His co-host/sidekick/foil was none other than Regis Philbin . Dick Cavett eventually replaced him to fill the ABC midnight void.

Relatively overlooked for his work on film, Bishop did show some promise early in the game with occasional straight roles that veered away from his sarcastic comedy demeanor with such roles in The Deep Six (1958), The Naked and the Dead (1958) and Onionhead (1958). He would also generate public interest as the less-than-slick member of Hollywood's "Rat Pack", which was comprised of ultra-hip pals Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford . Known as "Sinatra's comic" at one time (for having frequently opened for the star), Bishop wrote material and serving as the emcee for many of the clan's Las Vegas shows in the 1960s. In addition he appeared in the "Rat Pack"-oriented movies Ocean's 11 (1960) and Sergeants 3 (1962), but the straight-laced comedian later butted heads with the party-hearty Sinatra and split while the next film Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) was in preparation.

Elsewhere, he appeared as either a foil, sidekick, or guest cameos in such standard movies as Johnny Cool (1963), Texas Across the River (1966) with Dean Martin , Who's Minding the Mint? (1967) and even Valley of the Dolls (1967). Once his late night TV show folded he returned to night clubs for a time but gradually withdrew more and more from the show-biz limelight in the 1970s. He appeared in only three films after this point -- The Delta Force (1986), Betsy's Wedding (1990) and Mad Dog Time (1996) -- and showing up on a rare occasion as a TV guest. Married to Sylvia Ruzga since 1941, their son Larry Bishop is an actor-turned-director and producer. Long retired and the last surviving "Rat Pack" member after Sinatra's death in 1998, his wife Sylvia of 58 years died of cancer in 1999.

Joey, in failing health for some time, died of multiple organ failure on October 17, 2007, at his Newport Beach, California home. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net Spouse (1) ( 14 January 1942 - 20 September 1999) (her death) (1 child) Trade Mark (2) The catchphrase "Son of a gun!" Frequently worked with fellow Rat Pack members Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra., Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford Trivia (21) Father of actor Larry Bishop . Received a citation from Pope John XXIII for his help with the Boys Towns throughout Italy. Weighed 2 lbs, 14 oz, at birth. At the time was the smallest baby ever born at Fordham Hospital in New York City. While he performed as the "straight man" during the famous "Rat Pack" performances in Las Vegas, he wrote much of the material. Guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) more than anyone else, doing so 177 times. Was a regular on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts".

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald S. Smith, pg. 53-54. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 His professional surname, Bishop, was taken from the last name of a chauffeur friend of his in his early days in show business. He and the other members of the Rat Pack were banned from Marilyn Monroe 's funeral by Joe DiMaggio . Joseph Abraham Gottlieb (1918 - 2007) - Genealogy Joseph Abraham Gottlieb Feb 3 1918 - Bronx, New York, United States Death: Oct 17 2007 - Newport Beach, Orange, California, United States Parents: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: ... love I dont know how theyre going to be for Bishop was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb ... Page 4B October OBITUARIES c ttit JSt Deborah st... Date: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: "...Gottlieb at Fordham Hospital in the on The youngest of rive born to Anna and Jacob he said he was the smallest baby ever born there t...

Date: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: "...tJoey who died last week at age was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx on He was a comedian who palled around City official du... Date: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: "...passes tJoey who died last week at age was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx on He was a comedian who palled around Qty offic... Date: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: "...who died last week at age was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx on He was a comedian who palled around City official dust did... Date: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: "...tjoey who died last week at age was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx on He was a comedian who palled around City official du... Date: NewspaperARCHIVE.com Text: "...passes tJoey who died last week was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx on He was a comedian who palled around City official du...

Date: Circa 1918 - New York, USA Residence: 1940 - 2027 Moyamensing Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Parents: Circa 1918 - New York, United States Residence: 1930 - Philadelphia (Districts 0001-0250), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Parents: Mar 1918 - New York, United States Residence: brother About Joey Bishop Joey Bishop (born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb; February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007) was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin. Bishop appeared on television as early as 1948 and eventually starred in his own weekly comedy series as well as hosting a talk show. Personal life Bishop, youngest of five children, was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of Anna (née Siegel) and Jacob Gottlieb, Jewish Central European immigrants. His father was a bicycle repairman. Bishop was raised in South Philadelphia.

In 1941, Bishop married Sylvia Ruzga, who died in 1999 from lung cancer. They had one son, Larry Bishop, a film director and actor. Drafted into the US Army in World War II, he rose to the rank of Sergeant in the Special Services serving at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. Career Bishop began his career as part of a standup comedy act with his elder brother, Maury. He guest-hosted on television's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more times than anyone else,[citation needed] having also frequently appeared on Steve Allen's and Jack Paar's previous versions of The Tonight Show. He starred in a situation comedy titled The Joey Bishop Show, which premiered on 20 September 1961 and ran for four seasons, first on NBC and later CBS. Bishop played a talk show host named Joey Barnes. His wife was portrayed by Abby Dalton, who joined the cast in 1962. He later hosted a real 90-minute late-night talk show, also titled The Joey Bishop Show, that was launched by ABC in 1967 as competition to Carson's Tonight Show and ran for two years.

His sidekick was then-newcomer Regis Philbin. Bishop was among the stars of the original Ocean's Eleven film about military veterans who reunite in a plot to rob five Las Vegas casinos on New Year's Eve. He co-starred with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Peter Lawford of the so-called Rat Pack, although the five of them did not publicly acknowledge that name. During filming, the five entertainers performed together on stage in Vegas at the Sands Hotel. Bishop did only a little singing and dancing, but did tell jokes and write some of the act's material. He later appeared with Sinatra, Martin and Davis in the military adventure Sergeants 3, a loose remake of Gunga Din, and with Martin in the western comedy Texas Across the River, in which he portrayed an Indian. Bishop was the only member of the Rat Pack to work with members of a younger group of actors dubbed the Brat Pack, appearing (as a ghost) in the film Betsy's Wedding with Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. His final appearance in a film was a non-speaking role in Mad Dog Time, written and directed by Larry, his son.

His character was named Gottlieb, which was Bishop's real last name. Bishop was portrayed by Bobby Slayton in the 1998 HBO film The Rat Pack. Death Bishop died on October 17, 2007 at his home in Newport Beach, California from heart failure. He was the last living member of the Rat Pack, and was also the longest-lived member. Filmography The Naked and the Dead (1958) Onionhead (1958) Texas Across the River (1966) A Guide for the Married Man (1967) Who's Minding the Mint? (1967) Valley of the Dolls (1967) The Delta Force (1986) What's My Line?

(1950–1967) (frequent panelist) The Polly Bergen Show (May 3, 1958) (guest star) The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis The Joey Bishop Show (1961–1965) situation comedy co-starring Abby Dalton on NBC, then CBS Password (1961–1967) (frequent guest) Get Smart (1967) (cameo guest) The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992) (frequent guest & substitute host) The Hollywood Squares (1966–1981) (frequent panelist) The Joey Bishop Show (1967–1969) late-night 90-minute talk show on ABC Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968 and 1971) The Jacksons Variety Show, special guest star Celebrity Sweepstakes (1974–1977) (frequent panelist) Match Game (1976) (panelist) Liar's Club (1976–1978) (frequent panelist)

 Break the Bank (1976–1977) (frequent panelist) Glory Years (1987) Joey Bishop, last of the Rat Pack, dies at 89 | Reuters Thu Oct 18, 2007 | 5:29 PM EDT Joey Bishop, last of the Rat Pack, dies at 89 1/4 Actor and comedian Joey Bishop poses in this undated publicity photograph from his 1960's television comedy series ''The Joey Bishop Show''.

Bishop died at age 89 at his home in Newport Beach, California on October 17, 2007, according to his publicist Warren Cowan. Reuters/Courtesy Questar Home Video/The Joey Bishop Show DVD/Handout + 2/4 Members of the famed ''Rat Pack'' in an undated publicity photo. Shown (L-R) are Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Bishop has died at age 89, his longtime friend and publicist Warren Cowan said on Thursday. Reuters/HO/File + 3/4 Actor and comedian Joey Bishop poses with cast members Abbey Dalton (L), Guy Marks (back) and Joe Besser (R) of the 1960's television comedy series ''The Joey Bishop Show'' in this undated publicity photograph. Bishop died at age 89 at his home in Newport Beach, California on October 17, 2007, according to his longtime friend and publicist Warren Cowan.

Reuters/Courtesy Questar Home Video/The Joey Bishop Show DVD/Handout + 4/4 Members of the famed ''Rat Pack'' and cast members of the 1959 film ''Ocean's Eleven'' pose in this undated publicity photograph. (From L to R) The members are Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Bishop died at age 89 at his home in Newport Beach, California on October 17, 2007 according to his longtime friend and publicist Warren Cowan. Reuters/Warner Bros./Handout + By Steve Gorman | LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES Joey Bishop, the deadpan comedian, TV host and last of the super-hip team of performers known as the Rat Pack, led by Frank Sinatra, has died at age 89, his publicist said on Thursday. Bishop, born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb on February 3, 1918, in the Bronx, died on Wednesday night at his home in Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, following an illness of several months, publicist Warren Cowan said.

The self-styled "mouse" of the Rat Pack, Bishop was part of an iconic group of entertainers, including Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford, who came to epitomize the freewheeling cool of the late 1950s and early '60s. With Sinatra's death in 1998, Bishop was the last surviving member of that group, which performed together as a legendary Las Vegas nightclub act and in such films as "Some Came Running," "Ocean's Eleven" and "Sergeant's 3." Fellow comic Don Rickles remembered his glum-faced contemporary's distinct "attitude" and said he was "a great innovator when it came to comedy." Raised in Philadelphia, Bishop started out in vaudeville and performed with a comic trio called the Bishop Brothers, a name he ultimately kept for himself, before serving in the Army during World War II. His big break came when he met Sinatra in 1952. The two teamed up for a series of gigs at the famed Copacabana nightclub in New York City and remained friends for life.

Referred to by Sinatra as the "Hub of the Big Wheel" and "Speaker of the House" for his role as the Rat Pack's emcee, Bishop was one of the few who could get away with zinging the "Chairman of the Board" in public, even joking about Sinatra's long-rumored ties to organized crime. In one famous exchange with their audience, Bishop announced: "Mr. Sinatra will now speak of some of the good things the Mafia has done." ACTOR, TALK-SHOW HOST Sinatra could give as could as get, often referring to Bishop's singing voice as one "that only Jewish dogs could hear," though Bishop recorded a country western album in the 1970s. Bishop drifted from the Rat Pack when the 1964 film "Robin and the 7 Hoods" was being made but remained close to Sinatra.

After Sinatra's death, he recounted in a Los Angeles Times interview calling his old friend to cheer him up when he was ill, telling him: "'Frank, if you're just tired, and you're not really sick, I will never speak to you again!'" The comedian also appeared in several straight film roles, including "The Deep Six" and "The Naked and the Dead," and developed a successful television career in his own right. After playing a talk show host on an eponymous NBC and CBS sitcom for four seasons, 1961-1965, he landed the job as a real-life host of ABC's late-night entry, also called "The Joey Bishop Show," opposite NBC's dominant "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson. Bishop's sidekick for the show was Regis Philbin, who went on to co-star in his own long-running morning TV show, currently titled "Live with Regis and Kelly." "It was the thrill of my life to be chosen by Joey as the announcer for his talk show on ABC back in the '60s," Philbin said in a statement.

"He was a master comedian and a great teacher, and I will never forget those days or him." While Bishop proved no match for Carson in the ratings competition, he became a "Tonight Show" favorite after leaving ABC, filling in for Carson as guest host a record 177 times. He also was a regular on such game shows as "Keep Talking" and "What's My Line?" Bishop -- the master of ceremonies at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural gala in January 1961 -- made his Broadway debut in 1981 in the musical hit "Sugar Babies," replacing Mickey Rooney. Bishop's wife of 58 years, Sylvia, died in 1999. ADVERTISEMENT Joey Bishop | American comedian | Britannica.com American comedian Originally published in the Britannica Book of the Year. Presented as archival content. Alternative Title: Joseph Abraham Gottlieb Joey Bishop Newport Beach , California Joey Bishop (Joseph Abraham Gottlieb), (born Feb. 3, 1918 , New York , N.Y.—died Oct.

17, 2007, Newport Beach , Calif.), American comedian who was the last surviving member of the Hollywood clique (dubbed the Rat Pack) that included Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford. Bishop was remembered for his deadpan comic delivery and for his skill at ad-libbing; he was also credited with writing much of the material when the group headlined together at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas . He appeared with the Rat Pack in the films Ocean’s Eleven (1960) and Sergeants Three (1962). He starred (1961–65) in a television sitcom, The Joey Bishop Show, and appeared regularly on late-night television talk shows. He also hosted (1967–69) his own talk show , The Joey Bishop Show. EXPLORE these related biographies: Larry King (American talk-show host) American talk-show host whose easygoing interviewing style helped make Larry King Live (1985–2010) one of CNN ’s longest-running and most popular programs.

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Close Date Published: November 20, 2014 URL: Access Date: January 20, 2017 Share Joey Bishop - Talk Show Host, Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian - Biography.com Famous People Named Joey Synopsis Joey Bishop was born February 3, 1918, in the Bronx, New York. He debuted on TV in 1948 and was a frequent guest on talk, game and comedy shows. He starred in The Joey Bishop Show, a sitcom, and hosted his own late-night talk show. In the 1950s, he became friends with Frank Sinatra, and was included in the “Rat Pack.” With Sinatra's death in 1998, he became the last living member of the Rat Pack. Profile Comedian and actor. Bishop was born Joesph Abraham Gottlieb on February 3, 1918, in the Bronx, New York, to Jewish parents. He grew up inSouth Philadelphia. After high school, he enjoyed a modest career as a stand-up comic prior to serving in the Army in World War II. In 1941, Bishop married Sylvia Ruzga.

They were married until her death in 1999. The couple had one son, Larry. Bishop debuted on television as early as 1948 and was a frequent guest on talk, game and comedy shows. Bishop gained wide exposure by appearing regularly on Jack Paar's Tonight Show (1958-62). He guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more times than anyone else. He starred in The Joey Bishop Show (1961-65), a television sitcom, and hosted his own late-night talk show, also called The Joey Bishop Show (1967-69), complete with a sidekick, TV newcomer Regis Philbin. In the 1950s, he started a friendship with Frank Sinatra, which resulted in Bishop's inclusion in the ??Rat Pack,?? a group of entertainers consisting of Sinatra, Bishop, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford. Although Bishop's celebrity profile was far lower than that of Sinatra, Davis or Martin, Sinatra called Bishop ??the Hub of the Big Wheel,?? citing him as the originator of most of the group's comic material and the one who anchored their stage presence.

He and Dean Martin were also said to be the only members who could tell jokes at Sinatra's expense. Bishop performed with the Rat Pack in Las Vegas and co-starred with them in the films Oceans Eleven (1960) and Sergeants Three (1962). His other film appearances include The Naked and the Dead (1958) Pepe (1960), Johnny Cool (1963), A Guide for the Married Man (1967) The Valley of the Dolls (1967), Betsy's Wedding (1990), and Mad Dog Time (1996), which was directed by Bishop's son Larry. With Sinatra's death in 1998, he became the last living member of the Rat Pack. He was also the longest living member. Peter Lawford died in 1984, Sammy Davis Jr. in 1990, Dean Martin in 1995. Bishop died on October 17, 2007 at his home in Newport Beach, California. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

Citation Information The Rat Pack The Rat Pack Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998) Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and motion-picture actor who became one of the most sought-after performers in the entertainment industry; he is often hailed as the greatest Ameri... Dean Martin (1917 - 1995) ENJOY some of his SINGING ! Find a Grave Birth: Jun. 7, 1917 Steubenville Jefferson County Ohio, USA Death: Dec. 25, 1995 Legendary Singer, Actor, and Comedian. Born Dino Paul Crocetti in Stueb... Peter Lawford (1923 - 1984) The Times, December 27, 1984 MR PETER LAWFORD Peter Lawford the British born leading man who was seen as the suave Englishman in many Hollywood films died in Los Angeles on December 24. He was 61 a...

Joey Bishop (1918 - 2007) Joey Bishop (born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb ; February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007) was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, P... history The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Joey Bishop , who appeared together on stage and in films in the early-1960s, including the movie Ocean's 11. Sinatra, Martin and Davis were regarded as the group's lead members. 1950s The name "Rat Pack" was first used to refer to a group of friends in New York. Several explanations have been offered for the famous name over the years.

According to one version, the group's original "Den Mother," Lauren Bacall, after seeing her husband (Bogart) and his friends return from a night in Las Vegas, said words to the effect of "You look like a goddamn rat pack." "Rat Pack" may also be a shortened version of "Holmby Hills Rat Pack," a reference to the home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall which served as a regular hangout. Visiting members included Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole, Mickey Rooney and Cesar Romero. According to Stephen Bogart, the original members of the Holmby Hills Rat Pack were Sinatra (pack master), Judy Garland (first vice-president), Bacall (den mother), Sid Luft (cage master), Bogart (rat in charge of public relations), Swifty Lazar (recording secretary and treasurer), Nathaniel Benchley (historian), David Niven, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, George Cukor, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, and Jimmy Van Heusen. In his autobiography The Moon's a Balloon, David Niven confirms that the Rat Pack originally included him but not Sammy Davis, Jr. or Dean Martin.

1960s The 1960s version of the group included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and for a brief stint, Norman Fell.[citation needed] Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Juliet Prowse, and Shirley MacLaine were often referred to as the "Rat Pack Mascots"[citation needed]. The post-Bogart version of the group (Bogart died in 1957) was reportedly never called that name by any of its members — they called it the Summit or the Clan. "The Rat Pack" was a term used by journalists and outsiders, although it remains the lasting name for the group. Often, when one of the members was scheduled to give a performance, the rest of the Pack would show up for an impromptu show, causing much excitement among audiences, resulting in return visits. They sold out almost all of their appearances, and people would come pouring into Las Vegas, sometimes sleeping in cars and hotel lobbies when they could not find rooms, just to be part of the Rat Pack entertainment experience.

The marquees of the hotels at which they were performing as individuals would read, for example, "DEAN MARTIN - MAYBE FRANK - MAYBE SAMMY" as seen on a Sands Hotel sign. Peter Lawford was a brother-in-law of President John F. Kennedy (dubbed "Brother-in-Lawford" by Sinatra), and the group played a role in campaigning for him and the Democrats, appearing at the July 11, 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Lawford had asked Sinatra if he would have Kennedy as a guest at his Palm Springs house in March 1963, and Sinatra went to great lengths (including the construction of a helipad) to accommodate the President. When Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy advised his brother to sever his ties to Sinatra because of the entertainer's association with Mafia figures such as Sam Giancana, the stay was cancelled. Kennedy instead chose to stay at rival Bing Crosby's estate, which further infuriated Sinatra. Lawford was blamed for this, and Sinatra "never again had a good word for (him)" from that point onwards.

Lawford's role in the upcoming 4 for Texas was written out, and his part in Robin and the 7 Hoods was given to Bing Crosby. On June 20, 1965, Sinatra, Martin, and Davis, with Johnny Carson as the emcee (subbing for Bishop, who was out with a bad back), performed their only televised concert together during the heyday of the Pack at the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis, a closed-circuit broadcast done as a fundraiser for Dismas House (the first halfway house for ex-convicts). Thirty years later Paul Brownstein tracked down a print of the "lost" show in a St. Louis closet. It has since been broadcast on Nick at Night (in 1998) as part of The Museum of Television & Radio Showcase series and released on DVD as part of the Ultimate Rat Pack Collection: Live & Swingin. Later years In 1981, Martin and Davis appeared together in the film Cannonball Run, and were joined by Sinatra in the sequel Cannonball Run II. This would be the last time that the three would appear in a movie together. (Shirley MacLaine also appears in the latter film).

Revival In December 1987, at Chasen's restaurant in Los Angeles, Sinatra, Davis, and Martin announced a 29 date tour, called Together Again, sponsored by HBO and American Express. At the press conference to announce the tour, Martin joked about calling the tour off, and Sinatra rebuked a reporter for using the term "Rat Pack," referring to it as "that stupid phrase". Dean Martin's son, Dean Paul Martin, had died in a plane crash in March 1987 on the San Gorgonio Mountain in California, the same mountain where Sinatra's mother, Dolly, had been killed in a plane crash ten years earlier. Martin had since become increasingly dependent on alcohol and prescription drugs. Davis had had hip replacement surgery two years previously, and been estranged from Sinatra because of his (Davis') usage of cocaine. Davis was also experiencing severe financial difficulties, and was promised by Sinatra's people that he could earn between six and eight million dollars from the tour. Martin had not made a film or recorded since 1983, and Sinatra felt that the tour would be good for Martin, telling Davis, "I think it would be great for Dean. Get him out.

For that alone it would be worth doing". Sinatra and Davis still performed regularly, yet had not recorded for several years. Both Sinatra and Martin had made their last film appearances together, in 1984's Cannonball Run II, a film which also starred Davis. This marked the trio's first feature film appearance since 1964's Robin and the 7 Hoods. Martin expressed reservations about the tour, wondering whether they could draw as many people as they had in the past. After private rehearsals, at one of which Sinatra and Davis had complained about the lack of black musicians in the orchestra, the tour began at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on March 13, 1988. To a sold-out crowd of 14,500, Davis opened the show, followed by Martin and then Sinatra; after an interval, the three performed a medley of songs. During the show, Martin threw a lighted cigarette at the audience; this, coupled with his increasingly blasé attitude to the tour and his frustration with Sinatra's anger over hotel accommodation in Chicago, led to his leaving the tour after only four performances. Martin cited 'kidney problems' as the reason for his departure.

Eliot Weisman, Sinatra's representative, suggested replacing Martin with his client, Liza Minnelli. With Minnelli, the tour was called The Ultimate Event, and continued internationally to great success. Davis's associate recalled Sinatra's people skimming the top of the revenues from the concerts, as well as stuffing envelopes full of cash into suitcases after the performances. Eliot Weisman had already been convicted of skimming, the act of taking money before it has been accounted for taxation purposes, after a series of Sinatra performances at the Westchester Premier Theatre in 1976, eventually being sentenced to six years in prison for the offence. In August 1989, after Davis experienced throat pain, he was diagnosed with throat cancer; he would die of the disease in May 1990. Davis was buried with a gold watch that Sinatra had given him at the conclusion of The Ultimate Event Tour. A 1989 performance of The Ultimate Event in Detroit was recorded and shown on Showtime the following year as a tribute to the recently deceased Davis.

A review in The New York Times praised Davis's performance, describing him as "pure, ebullient, unapologetic show business." Legacy Concerning the group's reputation for womanizing and heavy drinking, Joey Bishop stated in a 1998 interview: "I never saw Frank, Dean, Sammy, or Peter drunk during performances. That was only a gag! And do you believe these guys had to chase broads? They had to chase 'em away!" The five key members of the sixties Rat Pack are now deceased: Peter Lawford died on December 24, 1984 of cardiac arrest complicated by kidney and liver failure at the age of 61. Sammy Davis, Jr. died at the age of 64 on May 16, 1990, of complications from throat cancer. Dean Martin died at home on Christmas morning, December 25, 1995, aged 78. Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, at the age of 82. Joey Bishop, the last surviving and longest-lived (89) Rat Pack member, died on October 17, 2007.

Films It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) (Sinatra, Lawford) Some Came Running (1958) (Sinatra, Martin, and MacLaine) Never So Few (1959) (Sinatra, Lawford, and initially Davis, who was replaced by Steve McQueen) Ocean's Eleven (1960) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford, and Bishop) Sergeants 3 (1962) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Lawford, and Bishop) 4 for Texas (1963) (Sinatra and Martin) Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) (Sinatra, Martin, Davis, and initially Lawford, who was replaced by Bing Crosby) Marriage on the Rocks (1965) (Sinatra and Martin) Texas Across the River (1966) (Martin and Bishop) Salt and Pepper (1968) (Davis and Lawford) One More Time (1970) (Davis and Lawford) The Cannonball Run (1981) (Martin and Davis) Cannonball Run II (1984) (Martin, Davis, Sinatra

, and MacLaine) MacLaine also had a major role (and Sinatra a cameo) in the 1956 Oscar-winning film Around the World in Eighty Days.

MacLaine played a Hindu princess who is rescued by, and falls in love with, David Niven, and Sinatra had a non-speaking, non-singing role as a piano player in a saloon, whose identity is concealed from the viewer until he turns his face toward the camera during a scene featuring Marlene Dietrich and George Raft. MacLaine also briefly appears in Ocean's Eleven as a drunken woman. The 1984 film Cannonball Run II marked the final time members of the Rat Pack shared theatrical screen time together. Actionscript - PHP-: joey bishop Actionscript - PHP- joey bishop Posted by anil mathew Joey Bishop ( February 3 , 1918 – October 17 , 2007 ) was perhaps best remembered as being a member of the " Rat Pack " with Frank Sinatra , Peter Lawford , Dean Martin , and Sammy Davis Jr. He was the last survivor of that group of entertainers. In 1941, Bishop married Sylvia Ruzga, who died in 1999. They had one son, Larry Bishop .

Bishop appeared on television as early as 1948 and was a frequent guest on television talk shows, game shows, and comedy shows. He is listed as #96 on Comedy Central 's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. Source: Location of death: Newport Beach, CA Cause of death: Natural Causes Gender: Male Nationality: United States Executive summary: Rat Pack member Joey Bishop grew up in South Philadelphia, and started his comedy career doing vaudeville. Still known as Joey Gottlieb, he was briefly in a comedy group that called itself "The Bishop Trio", named for the group's driver. When the act broke up, Bishop kept the name for himself. His sitcom, The Joey Bishop Show, ran from 1961-65, with Bishop playing a showbiz schmooze-type who (in the second season) became host of a TV talk show. When he hosted a talk show in real life, also called The Joey Bishop Show (1967-69), his sidekick and comic foil was the young Regis Philbin .

As a running gag, Bishop routinely needled Philbin on the air, but the gags ended when Regis stalked off the set during a live broadcast, and stayed away for several days. Bishop seems generally the least-remembered member of the Rat Pack, five cool stars and pals of the 1950s and 60s (the other four were Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Sammy Davis, Jr. , and Peter Lawford ). He appeared in the Rat Pack movies Oceans Eleven (1960) and Sergeants Three (1962). He said or did something that annoyed Sinatra (it's unclear exactly what) and was booted from the pack while their next film, (Robin and the Seven Hoods), was in pre-production. Father: Jacob Gottlieb Wife: Sylvia Ruzga (m. 1941, d.

1999) Son: Larry Bishop Cryptomundo » Joey Bishop’s Patterson Bigfoot Link Joey Bishop’s Patterson Bigfoot Link Posted by: Loren Coleman on October 19th, 2007 Joey Bishop’s publicist and longtime friend, Warren Cowan, announced Bishop died from multiple causes at home in Newport Beach, California, on Wednesday, October 17, 2007, aged 89. Joey Bishop (February 3, 1918 – October 17, 2007) was perhaps best remembered as being a member of the “Rat Pack” with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. He was the last survivor of that group of entertainers. The comedian, who often filled in for Johnny Carson, tried his own hand at a similar show in the 1960s. Few realize that Joey Bishop is part of the history of the Patterson-Gimlin film. Bishop was one of the first to have Roger Patterson appear on his late-night program soon after the October 20, 1967, filming of the Bigfoot at Bluff Creek.

The television talk show, The Joey Bishop Show (1967-1969), was a 90-minute late-night talk show on ABC. Bishop’s co-host for the show was then-newcomer Regis Philbin. Roger Patterson also appeared on Merv Griffin’s program, with Dr. Grover Krantz offering his analysis of the Patterson-Gimlin film, in the fall of 1967. Merv Griffin, born on July 6, 1925, likewise recently died, on August 12, 2007. In 1965, Griffin launched a syndicated talk show for Group W (Westinghouse Broadcasting) entitled The Merv Griffin Show, which lasted 21 years on the air. As far as I have been able to determine, no copies of Roger Patterson’s appearances, showing the film of Bigfoot, on The Joey Bishop Show or The Merv Griffin Show have surfaced in the last 40 years. Roger Patterson died of Hodgkin’s disease in January 1972, at the age of 38, a little over four years after filming Bigfoot.

Click here for more on the Patterson Gimlin Bigfoot Film’s 40th Anniversary . And to see visuals on the iconic imagery of Patty, please click here . I mean it’s a good article even though it bring’s sad new’s. RIP Joey jamesrav October 19th, 2007 at 11:19 pm One ‘person’ never discussed in P/G film lore is Patty herself. I guess it goes without saying that *if* this is not a hoax, she is likely dead, now 40 years after the fact. The walk being so human, and the face (if the enhancement is accurate) as well, makes me wonder if ‘they’ take care of dead relatives. After all, there have to be many, and based on this film they seem nearly human. Sometimes though, it all just seems to fantastical to contemplate. Terry W. Colvin October 20th, 2007 at 12:02 am One is always surprised to learn a once well-known person has died because we had ASSumed they were already dead. I wonder if a web site exists listing those who are still alive from all walks of life.

I suppose Bigfoot communities could be similar to Neanderthal communities. They may well remember their dead in the same way the elephant graveyards exist. The Rat Pack The Rat Pack Print The Rat Pack Humphrey Bogart was the center of the original Hollywood "Rat Pack;" however, the Rat Pack most remembered today was a core group of entertainers in the 1950s and 1960s who had Frank Sinatra at the helm. They were a unique combination of vaudeville performers, Hollywood actors, and bad boys. The members who ran together included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. They had a stage act and made films together. Their affiliations included rising stars, politicians, and mob figures. Several actresses have been linked to the Rat Pack as their mascots, and these included Marilyn Monroe , Shirley MacLaine, Angie Dickinson, and Juliet Prowse. Monroe was arguably the most publicized. Sinatra was her close friend and they had been romantically linked. Lawford signed her up to sing happy birthday to President John F. Kennedy, and may have been the last person she spoke to before her death.

Martin got her the female lead and was also starring in the last movie she worked on, Something's Got to Give, which was never completed after her death. Davis visited Marilyn while she was filming How to Marry a Millionaire. Watch The Rat Pack in 1960 at the Sands Summit Las Vegas was the Rat Pack's home away from home. They would perform, play golf, party, gamble, and live life in the fast lane every day they were in town. As a group, they filmed 2 movies: Ocean's 11 and Sergeants 3. They took their stage act to the Sands Copa Room and performed to enthusiastic crowds and overwhelming applause. The price of a ticket to see the show, which included dinner and 2 drinks, was $5.95 per person. These guys were cool, they were happening, and they had a chemistry that became legendary. Join us as we discover What Killed 'Em?

Peter Lawford (September 7, 1923-December 24, 1984) Peter Lawford was known as "The Man Who Kept the Secrets." He was suave, very handsome, charming, and elegant; however, he had only a minimum of talent and was not particularly intelligent. He has been described as a man who was troubled, lacked depth, and lived on the edge of other people's lives through a whirlwind of sex, rumors, and lots and lots of secrets, perhaps the biggest involving the death of Marilyn Monroe . Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen was born on September 7, 1923 in London amid scandal, as his parents were embroiled in a hot-bed extramarital affair with each other, which led to double-divorces from their respective spouses. He was part of British aristocracy through his father, Sir Sydney Turning Barlow Lawford (1865-1953), who was an English military officer and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath who served the British Empire.

His mother, who many felt could rival "Mommy Dearest," May Sommerville Bunny, also known as Lady May Lawford or Mary Somerville (1883-1972), authored her own biography (Bitch!) and admitted that she dressed Peter Lawford as a girl until he was age 11. Lawford started his acting career in England with a debut at age 7 in a movie titled Poor Old Bill. He later went on to sign with MGM Studios. With many actors away at war, Lawford was utilized as a romantic lead by MGM. He dated many of Hollywood's most beautiful starlets, including Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, June Allyson, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Anne Baxter, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Nancy Davis (Reagan), Dorothy Dandridge, and Judy Holiday. For a while, he was one of the "cool guys" of Hollywood. He married President Kennedy's sister Patricia in 1954, and they had 4 children: 3 girls and 1 boy. Pat Kennedy and Lawford divorced in 1966.

It has been reported that he facilitated the introduction of Marilyn Monroe to President Kennedy and was perhaps the last person to speak to Marilyn before she died. In 1959, Frank Sinatra invited Lawford to join the "Rat Pack" and Lawford in turn brought the Ocean's 11 project to Sinatra's attention. It was the first film to include all the members of the Rat Pack: Lawford, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, and Joey Bishop. In 1960, this group was temporarily dubbed "The Jack Pack" by Sinatra while they worked to support the presidential candidacy of Kennedy. Sinatra also dubbed Lawford the "Brother-in-Lawford." By the mid-1960s, Lawford and Sinatra had a falling out over Ava Gardner and political associations, and their relationship was never the same. Lawford remarried and divorced 2 more women: first Mary Rowan and then actress Deborah Gould. His last marriage was to Patricia Seaton in 1984, who wrote an exposé of sorts after his death. The Peter Lawford Story describes a drunken, drug-addled life, filled with sexual exploitations, and ending with his collapse, hospitalization, and ultimate death.

He died on Christmas Eve in 1984 at the age of 61 from cardiac arrest. He had suffered from kidney and liver failure as a result of years of substance abuse. His body was cremated and interred at Westwood Memorial Park, but was later exhumed by his wife to scatter his ashes into the ocean. Peter Lawford was an actor, director, and producer, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sammy Davis Jr (December 8, 1925-May 16, 1990) "Just do what you're best at, and when you can't do it any longer-stop." Samuel George Davis Jr was born on December 8, 1925 in New York City. He debuted as a child star in the 1920s and came to be known as "Mr. Entertainment." He wore many hats, including as a vaudeville child star, singer, dancer, actor, comedian and writer. The neon lights in Las Vegas dimmed in tribute to this great performer upon his death. Sammy was born into entertainment, as his parents were the vaudeville stars Sammy Davis Sr and Elvera "Baby" Sanchez.

His childhood was spent in the midst of new gigs and different digs. "Baby Sammy" started appearing on stage at the age of 3, soon became the star of the act, and then there was no stopping him. His film career began in 1933, with a role in Rufus Jones for President. Drafted at age 18, Davis left to serve in the US Army during World War II. In the military, Davis was exposed to extreme racism, which as a child he had been sheltered from by his father and uncle. He learned to cope with the brutal prejudice by using his talent, and he was assigned to an integrated entertainment unit. After his discharge, he resumed his career track by going on to record albums, and appearing on Broadway in 1956 in Mr. Wonderful for 400 performances. He prevailed against racism and became a legendary performer, as a successful actor, dancer, singer, and comedian. As his popularity grew, Davis refused to perform in any venues where they practiced racial segregation. Davis had a serious auto accident in 1954 and lost his left eye. While in the hospital, the performer began studying Judaism and later converted.

Davis married 3 times, first to Loray White in 1958. It was a hasty marriage and divorce that occurred after his relationship with Kim Novak, a well-known white American actress, ended. Next, Davis was married to Swedish-born actress May Britt in 1960, and was severely criticized for the interracial marriage. At that time, interracial marriages were still banned in 30 states. The couple had 1 daughter and 2 adopted sons. They divorced in 1968. Davis then married Altovise Gore. They adopted a son and were together until his death. Davis defeated alcohol and cocaine addiction. He smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day. He was also a self-admitted compulsive gambler, and was said to have gambled and spent $50 million over 20 years, while earning $3 million a year. Davis also contributed generously to humanitarian causes. His films include Porgy and Bess, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Sweet Charity, Taps, and of course Ocean's 11 with his Rat Pack buddies. His musical credits include Candy Man, Mr.

Bojangles, I've Gotta Be Me, andWhat Kind of Fool Am I? to name a few. Sammy Davis Jr died on May 16, 1990 as a result of throat cancer. He was a top entertainer who broke through many racial barriers. Davis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dean Martin (June 7, 1917-December 25, 1995) Dino Paul Crocetti was born on June 7, 1917, in Steubenville, Ohio. His father was an Italian immigrant and his mother was an Italian-American. He dropped out of high school and worked as a gas station attendant, in a steel mill, and prize-fighting under the name Kid Crochet. At 17, he moved on to performing in clubs in Ohio and eventually New York City, where he achieved modest success on the night club circuit. He changed his name to Dean Martin in 1940. In 1946, Martin teamed up with comedian Jerry Lewis and the two of them created a highly successful stage routine.

They made their first film as a duo in 1949 and 14 more films followed. They broke up their partnership in 1956 due to arguments and personality conflicts. Eventually, they reconciled their differences. Martin went on to his own success and made 51 total films during his career, in addition to stage performances and television series and specials. Martin was a core member of the "Rat Pack." His stage persona was that of a womanizing, cigarette-smoking, boozing playboy. However, much of the alcohol that he "drank" on the set was actually apple juice. He was a crooner, with a melodic voice that was very distinguishable. Martin had requested to work with Marilyn Monroe on Something's Got to Give in 1962. Monroe passed away during production and the movie was never completed. Dean Martin married 3 times and had 8 children. His first marriage was to Elizabeth "Betty" Anne McDonald and they had 4 children, followed by a marriage to Jeanne Martin where they had 3 children, and then a marriage to Catherine Hawn, with whom they adopted 1 more child.

Martin suffered a terrible tragedy in 1987 when his son, Dean Paul Martin, died in a plane crash. Thereafter, Martin become somewhat of a recluse and never fully recovered from the loss. He was nonchalant and had an obsession with the game of golf. In 1988, his close friendship with Frank Sinatra ended and they became estranged. They reconciled some years later. Dean Martin died of acute respiratory failure brought on by emphysema on Christmas Day in 1995 in Beverly Hills. He was 78 years old. His ex-wife Jeanne was at his side. Some of his biggest hits included Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime and That's Amore. Dean Martin has 3 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: 1 for movies, 1 for television, and 1 for music. Frank Sinatra (December 12, 1915-May 14, 1998) Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey to Marty and Dolly Sinatra, Italian immigrants. His birth was traumatic and difficult.

He was born in a kitchen, in a room full of women overseeing Dolly's labor, which had stalled. The doctor was called in, and the birth required the use of forceps to deliver the child. In the process, the baby suffered a tearing of the left side of his face, neck, and ear. The doctor laid the infant, believed dead, by the kitchen sink and turned all his efforts to saving Dolly, who was also in distress. His grandmother, Rosa Garavanti, went to the child, picked him up, and ran water over him, and the baby began to cry. Both mother and child survived the birth. However, the scars remained and Sinatra was taunted as a child because of their appearance, and he avoided being photographed from his left side for his entire career. Sinatra was an only child. He was known to retell a very bitter story of his massive birth weight (13.5 lbs) and how he had been left for dead. His relationship with his mother was turbulent. Dolly Sinatra was less than 5 feet tall, attractive, controlling, loud, talented, and ambitious.

The apple didn't fall far from the tree, as these are many of the characteristics that have been attributed to Frank as well. She worked as a midwife, abortionist (which earned her a criminal record), and later political advocate. She was abusive to her son. She would build him up and tear him down with a vengeance when he did not please her. Perhaps this is why Sinatra was so callous regarding women. His father was a prize-fighter who had a tough appearance, but was a quiet man. Sinatra's first job was at the Jersey Observer bundling newspapers, followed by jobs on the dock and in factories. In the evenings, he sang anywhere he could. He got $65 from his mother and invested in a microphone and amplifier, as he was determined to make it in the music business. Sinatra decided to go into show business after seeing Bing Crosby perform. He dropped out of high school and picked up work singing in local clubs. He was noticed by Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, and the rest is a history of chart-topping success. Women would swoon at his performances.

His nicknames included The Sultan of Swoon, Swoonatra, The Voice, Ol' Blue Eyes, and The Chairman of the Board. During World War II, while his contemporaries went into the service, Sinatra was rejected by the military because of a punctured eardrum. He stayed in the US during the war, recorded, and made lots of money. Sinatra married his childhood sweetheart, Nancy Barbato, in 1939, and they had 3 children together. The marriage ended after Sinatra became involved with actress Ava Gardner. Nancy divorced Sinatra on grounds of mental cruelty. Sinatra married Ava Gardner in 1951; however, their relationship was stormy and unstable. They separated in 1953, made attempts at reconciling, but ultimately divorced in 1957. In 1966, Sinatra married the young actress Mia Farrow; he was 50 and she was 21. That marriage lasted only 14 months. In 1976, Sinatra married Barbara Blakely Marx, the widow of Zeppo Marx, and they remained married until his death. This relationship appeared to be the happiest one of his life.

Barbara understood that there could only be one star in the household, and Frank was that star. He was a political activist, having campaigned for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, and worked for the Kennedy campaign in 1960. In the 1970s, he switched his political affiliation from Democratic to Republican and supported Richard Nixon and later his friend Ronald Reagan. President Reagan gave Sinatra the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985. He was the leader of the pack, the "Rat Pack," that is. He has been described as talented, temperamental, masterful, and an autocrat. He gave the impression of being a hard-core boozer, womanizer, and gambler. Jim Morrison once said "No one can touch him." He was romantically linked to actresses Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall, Juliet Prowse, Marilyn Monroe, and Angie Dickinson, among many others. Sinatra died on May 14, 1998 of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California. He was 82 years old. Frank Sinatra is an acclaimed vocalist with 1414 studio recordings. As an actor, he had a role in over 50 movies.

He was strong willed and was used to running things his way. Sinatra has 3 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for music, film, and TV. He received an Oscar for his role inFrom Here to Eternity (1953) and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Joey Bishop (February 3, 1918-October 17, 2007) Joseph Abraham Gottlieb was born on February 3, 1918 in the Bronx, New York. His family moved to Philadelphia when he was an infant. His parents were Eastern European immigrants. Bishop knew that he wanted to be an entertainer at an early age and took up tap dancing and musical instruments. His father, a bicycle repairman, taught him to sing Yiddish songs. At the age of 18, he went into vaudeville comedy. He was known for his sarcastic frown and straight-line comic demeanor. He served in the US Army during World War II, but picked his career up very quickly upon discharge. Bishop was married to Sylvia Ruzga for 58 years until her death in 1999, and they had 1 son.

In 1952, Sinatra came calling to have Bishop be his opening act. Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe were close and Marilyn would frequent Sinatra's performances. Once Marilyn walked in during Bishop's opening act for Sinatra at New York's Copacabana, and the audience started to buzz; they turned and watched her entrance. Bishop stopped his act, waited for her to be seated, and whispered into the microphone "Marilyn, I thought I told you to wait in the truck." He preferred throwaway lines to memorization of jokes. Bishop later wrote much of the Rat Pack's comic lines and gave them much of their comedic material. His mild manner and deadpan comedic flare added a steadying influence to the group of entertainers. Bishop eventually got his own television talk show in 1967, where friends would drop by Joey's apartment to banter and get into funny situations. Bishop's signature phrase was "son of a gun!" during that era. Regis Philbin was Bishop's sidekick. The show was cancelled in 1969. Sinatra and Bishop were very close friends.

Bishop was hounded by the press to reveal Rat Pack secrets but only defended his friends, and never caved in to the pressure to produce a memoir or tell-all. Bishop was the only member of the Rat Pack whose personal life never hit the gossip rags, at least until after his death, when his will caused a controversy and hit the papers. Nora Garibotti, his caretaker and companion, claimed she was his lover for nearly 25 years. Reportedly, they met when she was 16 and he was 66, and she felt entitled to a portion of his estate. Bishop's movie credits include Ocean's 11, Sergeants 3, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Johnny Cool,Texas Across the River, Who's Minding the Mint?, Valley of the Dolls, The Delta Force, Betsy's Wedding, and Mad Dog Time. Bishop's health was declining for some time when he died on October 17, 2007, of multiple organ failure in Newport Beach, California. He was the last of the Rat Pack to pass away.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame has no star to honor Bishop, which seems an oversight since he had his own TV show as well as an outstanding long career performing on stage. Reference

Question: Joey Bishop, who died in October 2007, was the last survivor of a group of people known by which name?
Answer: The 'Rat Pack'