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Old Time Radio Researchers GroupRocky Fortune

ROCKY FORTUNE

In the days prior to From Here To Eternity, Frank Sinatra's popularity was waning and this private eye show was an attempt to remedy that. In it, Frank played Rocky Fortune, a "footloose and fancy-free young man," frequently unemployed, who took numerous, adventurous odd jobs. It was a relatively undistinguished series; definitely a "B grade" radio series, saved by Sinatra's charm and a tongue-in-cheek approach.

Rocky Fortune appeared on NBC for only a short run of 25 or 26 shows. The lead character, who goes by the name of Rocky Fortune but whose real name is Rocko Fortunato, was played by Frank Sinatra. Rocky, always ready with a wise remark, seems to be a magnet for trouble, most often with the variety of odd jobs he takes. There is frequently a beautiful woman involved, some good girls, some bad. Rocky's a tough guy who stays just inside of the law but we get an occasional glimpse of a soft heart beneath the hard exterior. It's a character that Mr. Sinatra plays nicely.

Employed or not, Rocky possesed a variety of skills. During the course of the series, he worked as a process server, museum tour guide, cabbie, bodyguard, chauffeur, truck driver, social director for a Catskills resort and a carny. He could also fake enough bass to play at weddings and bar-mitzvahs. For most of the series, Rocky received his job assignments from the Gridley Employment Agency, usually referred to as just "the agency".

The only recurring character, throughout the series, besides Rocky himself, is the long-suffering Sergeant Hamilton J. Finger - a solid, although not-too-bright cop who works out of what is frequently referred to as "the Irish clubhouse," who seemed to be constantly running into Rocky, whether he wanted to or not.

At about the same time, November 10, 1953 to July 9, 1954, Sinatra also starred in a musical show on NBC called To Be Perfectly Frank. And, no matter how you look at it, Rocky Fortune was really just another chance for the ever-ambitious Sinatra to be himself, and to promote his career. "From Here To Eternity" had opened that August, and Sinatra used the series to promote the film (and his Oscar nomination). As the series wound to a close and the date of the Academy Awards presentation drew near, it became a running gag that Rocky seemed to work the phrase "from here to eternity" into almost every show.

Fortunately for his career, his Oscar for his role in Eternity came and rescued him from all this.

Most scripts were written by Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, who also wrote Dimension X and X Minus One scripts. (Frequently, the same music bridges can be heard for X Minus One in early espisodes of this series.) Fred Weihe and Andrew Love directed.

Rocky Fortune
(1953-54, NBC)
26 weeks, 25 episodes
First broadcast: October 6, 1953
Last broadcast: March 30, 1954
Writers: George Lefferts, Norm Sickel, Robert Senadella (story), Ernest Kinoy, Doc Sanford
Directors: Andrew C. Love, Fred Weihe, Howard Wiley
Announcer: Eddie King
Starring Frank Sinatra as Rocky Fortune

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OTRR Certification Information:

Series Name: Rocky Fortune
Certification Status: OTRR Certified Complete
Certification Date: July 16, 2006
Certification Version: Version 1
Number of CDs: 1

From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

Notes

OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHER'S GROUP

This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website and the Old Time Radio Researchers Group.

It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.

If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.


Relax, listen, and enjoy!

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OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.

OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible – it includes all extant episodes.

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Reviewer: Ryncewynd - - June 3, 2008
Subject: Surprising Fun
sinatra as a radio detective was a surprise, having listened to the episodes all day I grew to like the characters even more - although the recordings weren't perfect, I have heard a lot worse - definately worthwhile listening to on a lazy day.

Reviewer: XMinusOne - - July 26, 2007
Subject: Not the greatest OTR show, but fun
As said before, this is not one of the great OTR series. The writing is relatively good, and the concept of Rocky Fortune (Mr. Sinatra) changing jobs each episode adds to the variety of the show. The acting (script reading?) is relatively run of the mill, but consistent with other broadcasts Mr. Sinatra was on; not great, but definitely more than than journeyman work. One of the interesting and, to me, better features of the show is that Mr. Sinatra gets to act; not sing. It adds a degree of credibiltiy to the character, Rocky Fortune, Mr. Sinatra portrays.

Reviewer: Styxion - - July 21, 2007
Subject: All In Good Fun
Good ol' fashion fun. As long as you don't go into it with any ideas of award-winning writing, this is a great way to spend a rainy day. Sinatra's charm keeps you laughing, even if the plot is completely unbelievable. Take it for what it is and enjoy.

Reviewer: OTRDUDE - - June 1, 2007
Subject: Good show, sound quality not the greatest
While this may not be the most memorable old time radio series, it is great (especially if you're a Sinatra fan like I am) to hear Frank Sinatra in a non musical setting. I'm only giving this 3 stars, because the sound quality of the shows isn't the best. On some of the shows, there's an irritating hum in the background. Other than that, if you're a Sinatra fan, and have never heard these shows before, they're worth downloading and giving a listen to.