MacY Handles Sinatra Jr Project With Care

Hollywood actor William H Macy and his co-stars tried their hardest not to offend Frank Sinatra JR when they made an upcoming TV movie about his high profile 1963 kidnapping.

STEALING SINATRA, which airs in America on 25 April (04), follows the kidnapping of FRANK SINATRA's son when he was 19 years old. He was released two days later after a $240,000 (GBP133,300) ransom was paid by his family.

Macy says, "This was a tricky story to tell, because all of us felt that it was clear that Frank Jr was a victim of the thing, but then he was victimised again by the lawyers for the defence, who floated the idea that it was an inside job... just a publicity stunt, which was totally fallacious.

"(I heard) those lawyers spent a long time trying to keep themselves from being disbarred afterward, but the damage was done, and it ruined Frank Jr's singing career, which actually was taking off. He was quite good, and he still is."

Macy admits he was initially reluctant to appear in the film for fear Sinatra Jr would be taken advantage of again.

He adds, "But it was on everybody's mind from the beginning. The writer, HOWARD KORDER, is a good friend of mine, and in my opinion, Frank Jr comes off so sweetly in this

"He's just an innocent in this crazy world that suddenly erupts around him."

The movie also stars David Arquette and features Thomas Ian Nicholas in the title role.