That Lucky Old Son: The Autobiography of Frankie Laine

It would seem from reading this tale of the oldest of eight children from Chicago's Little Italy that Frankie Laine (ne Francesco Paolo LoVecchio) truly is lucky. The singer puts a positive spin on every happening in his life, from his days as a dance-marathon participant to his worldwide success and renown. The things that it would seem impossible to paint as happy circumstances he glosses over, such as the bloody death of his grandfather and a period spent sleeping in New York's Central Park. Although his cheerful attitude is initially charming, the bouncy voice and bad puns (Laine calls his command performance for the queen of England a ``crowning achievement'') soon wear thin because they reveal so little. Laine seems oblivious to those around him as he perfunctorily compliments his wife, describes recording sessions and relates his adventures with a toupee, but he is never more out of touch than when he insists that calling Sammy Davis Jr. ``Sambo'' in public was ``just a play on the name,'' and that he couldn't possibly be racist since he once appeared on Nat Cole's television show for free. Photos not seen by PW. (Jan.)