the joker is wild

December 18 movie: The Joker is Wild. Frank Sinatra stars in this biopic of Joe E. Lewis. The story is that Lewis was a promising young singer until he defied a Chicago mobster who had him beaten nearly to death, which beating destroyed his singing voice. So he became a comedian instead. I've read that there's no evidence this story is true except Lewis' own word, so who knows. Makes a good story though. I love Sinatra in this movie, and there's a terrific supporting cast: Eddie Albert, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain, Jackie Coogan, and Sophie Tucker in a small role as herself. (She gives Lewis his big break in comedy.)