During the height of Hollywood’s glitz and glamour, famous icons Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra captivated audiences with their alluring on-screen presence. But beneath their friendly exterior, a savage rivalry fueled by animosity was developing. The 1955 movie Guys and Dolls was where the conflict between Sinatra and Brando began to surface.
Sinatra was competing for the lead role of Sky Masterson in the musical comedy movie that Joseph L. Mankiewicz was directing. However, the role landed on Brando’s plate.
It is said that the actors began to envy each other after this incident. With Brando as the main actor, Sinatra was cast as Nathan Detroit, the second lead. As a result, they reportedly did not get along on set.
Marlon Brando vs. Frank Sinatra: A Tale of Hatred and Mobster?
While this legendary pairing of Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando led to a delightful comedic gangster musical in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1955 movie, a sour feud erupted between them. This movie in question is Guys and Dolls.
According to numerous sources, Sinatra believed that Brando had stolen the role from him and could not stand having the actor around the set. There may be some merit to those claims given that Brando was reportedly initially “apprehensive” about playing the lead but was eventually convinced to accept the role. Mankiewicz, the film’s writer and director, sent The Godfather actor the following message (via Daily Express):
“Understand you’re apprehensive because you’ve never done a musical comedy. You have nothing – repeat nothing – to worry about because neither have I. Love Joe.”
Also, the makers unsuccessfully tried to cast other actors like Cary Grant, Burt Lancaster, and Gene Kelly for the lead role of Sky Masterson. In fact, Brando also declined the part, but two calls caused him to reconsider.
Nevertheless, an intriguing rumor spoke of a conversation Grant had with Brando over the phone (via Daily Express):
“I suggested you for the part… Frank Sinatra desperately wants the role. I heard you don’t like Sinatra. Take the role to p**s him off.”
Frank Sinatra’s Alleged Mafia Ties To Threaten Marlon Brando?
After Marlon Brando won the Oscar for On the Waterfront and as Guys and Dolls production got underway, Frank Sinatra’s resentment over losing the lead role grew stronger.
On the set, there were concerns that the conflict would quickly turn physical and result in a terrifying Brando’s “abduction”. Carlo Fiore, a close friend of Brando, added that the situation only got worse (via Daily Express):
“It got so bad I feared Sinatra was going to order his goons to beat up Marlon.”
Unfortunately, when Sinatra’s former wife, Ava Gardner got involved, the animosity grew to entirely new heights. According to Fiore, Brando vanished one night while riding his motorcycle, as described in Darwin Porter’s biography Unzipped of Brando (via Daily Express).
Fiore was awakened at two in the morning while staying at the Apocalypse Now actor’s house. He quickly made his way downstairs to find his friend and:
“He [Marlon Brando] looked like he’d just visited hell and escaped with his life…”
He reportedly heard Brando claim that three men “accosted” him. Fiore further added:
“Marlon told me, ‘One of the goons told me he was going to offer me a choice. He could kill me, a quick and easy death with a bullet in the heart. Or else he’d let me live. If he let me live, he’d castrate me and carve up my face so that no plastic surgeon could ever repair it… Marlon told me he had never been so frightened in all his life, ‘I was sweating blood. I also sh** my pants.’”
For the unversed, Brando died on July 1, 2004, of congestive heart failure and respiratory failure caused by pulmonary fibrosis. Meanwhile, Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, at the age of 82, after suffering two heart attacks.
You can stream Guys and Dolls on Amazon Prime Video.
Source- Daily Express
