Did "Pillow Talk" Help Frank Sinatra Earn His Role in Eternity?

Speculation has been rampant for decades on how Frank Sinatra got his Oscar-winning role as Maggio in "From Here to Eternity." The myth that mob connections got him the part has been repeated so often that it is taken as gospel. Supposedly the mob pressured the studio boss, Harry Cohn, into casting him.

However, the truth is far more prosaic, in a story related by the hairdresser of Sinatra's then-wife, Ava Gardner. Pillow talk is far more effective, anyway.

In memoirs penned by Sydney Guilaroff before his death, he relates Ava Gardner's version of events. Sydney was confidante to a long list of stars from Garbo to Garland to Marilyn to Liz Taylor.

Sydney Guilaroff was a hair stylist of Russian descent and a veteran of over two thousand films. Starting his film career in 1935, he was instrumental in creating glamorous designs in Hollywood's golden age, and was the first hair stylist to receive screen credit.

Guilaroff first met Gardner in 1939 when she was being made up for a bit part at MGM, at about age 17. Ava's brother-in-law had sent in photos of her, and she was put under contract for six months with options to renew. She was stuck as an extra due to her heavy North Carolina accent. Guilaroff found her a vocal coach and encouraged her in her long struggle to get good roles.

When Ava met Frank, she was on the rebound from marriages to Mickey Rooney and Artie Shaw. A first date with Rooney was a studio publicity stunt to get her photographed in fan magazines. Rooney fell in love at first sight and pursued her until they wed in 1942. Once the wedding was over, he was back to going on the town with buddies while she sat neglected at home.

So Frank and Ava met soon after her second divorce. The romance ended Sinatra's longtime marriage to his childhood sweetheart, Nancy. Their personalities were completely opposite, however. Sinatra was always out and surrounded by his entourage as he detested solitude. Ava was content with a quiet home life.

Nevertheless, Ava urged her friend Joan Cohn to convince her husband, Harry, head of Columbia Studios, to cast Frank as Maggio.

Ava is quoted as saying to her, "Tell your husband that Frank wants the part so badly that he'll work for almost nothing." "Almost nothing" turned out to be a mere $8,000, a bargain even in the 1950's.

Harry Cohn eventually gave in to his wife's pillow talk and cast Frank in the role he wanted so badly. He won an Oscar for it and it rejuvenated his career, recently jeopardized by a throat hemorrhage that threatened to end his singing days.

Guilaroff also related how he was called on to coax Judy Garland out of her dressing room to shoot a scene for "Summer Stock." He was the only person she would speak to at that point. He entered and found she had torn out handfuls of her hair. Only later did he realize that one of the signs of advanced amphetamine addiction was hair loss.

He managed to calm her down enough to sit for makeup and hair. Several fedoras were brought for her to try on, and one fit perfectly. Guilaroff tucked her mangled hair up under the hat. He stood offstage as the band played through the song. She brightened upon hearing the music.

After waiting three hours, Judy did the number, ironically named "Get Happy," in one take. It would become one of her signature songs.

Guilaroff was responsible for creating hair styles for Garbo in Camille and for Deborah Kerr in Quo Vadis. He created the short bangs and bob for Claudette Colbert, and turned Lucille Ball and Shirley MacLaine into redheads.