Slick Facts About The Rat Pack
Before the Frat Pack of the 2000s and the Brat Pack of the 1980s, there was the Rat Pack of the 1950s and 60s.
This was a group of musicians and actors who were the height of cool in their time, and their exploits have become a legendary part of Hollywood lore.
They were as well known for their over-the-top lifestyle of partying and womanizing as they were for their movies and albums, but when you live a life as crazy as these men, what else would you expect? Check out these facts and decide for yourself.
43. It Wasn’t a Compliment!
The origin of the name “Rat Pack” stems from a moment where hard-drinking and smoke movie star Humphrey Bogart came home with his friends after a long trip to Las Vegas. Bogart’s wife, actress Lauren Bacall, allegedly came downstairs and admonished the group, claiming that they looked “like a goddamn rat pack". Sadly, Bacall’s efforts to straighten her husband out were overshadowed by her ability to make up cool catchphrases.
42. Base of Operations
Despite the amazing story of Bacall tutting her head at her husband’s antics, another version of the Rat Pack’s name origin exists. Bacall and Bogart’s home in a neighborhood known as Holmby Hills was actually a constant watering hole for the group in the 1950s. Allegedly, they started being called the “Holmby Hills Rat Pack,” which was later shortened to “Rat Pack” because ultimately, it didn’t matter where they were, as long as you knew who they were.
41. Rat Pack? Which One?
As it turns out, there were two different Rat Packs, one being more prevalent in the 50s, with the other one (the one that most people think of as the Rat Pack) emerging in the 60s.
40. We Need More Famous Members!
The three most famous members of the Rat Pack were Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., but only one of those men—Sinatra—was one of Bogart's original group. Davis Jr and Martin didn’t join the group until the 1960s, yet they quickly became poster children for the crew.
