While Peter Lawford might be the least well-known member of the Rat Pack, he is sometimes referred
to as the "Man Who Kept The Secrets" due to his secretive efforts to connect Marilyn Monroe
and his brother-in-law JFK.
Throughout Monroe and Kennedy's alleged affair, Lawford supposedly acted as a liaison for
the President.
Some theorists even suggest that Lawford was somehow involved in Monroe's death.
You might recall that Peter Lawford was a handsome and charismatic film star.
But besides Ocean 11, can you even think of a single film that he appeared in?
After joining the Rat Pack, Lawford's movie career pretty much stalled.
Even so, he did appear in quite a few respected films, including Little Women, Exodus, It
Should Happen To You, and Advise and Consent.
He exclusively worked as a supporting actor and never really got a chance to be a lead
in any of these films.
That's not to say that he wasn't a decent actor, but if he hadn't been a member of the
Rat Pack or had those connections to JFK, he likely would be all but forgotten today.
Even his Rat Pack involvement inevitably came to an end – which brings us to the topic
of this video.
Join FactsVerse as we discuss the real reason why Peter Lawford got himself kicked out of
the Rat Pack.
Sit back and relax because this is one video that's going to include a lot of unexpected
twists and turns.
Peter Lawford's Early Film Career And Political Ties
English-born Lawford seemed destined from the beginning for debonair roles.
He managed to land his first major role in 1942 alongside Mickey Rooney in the film A
Yank At Eton.
By the late 1940s, Peter had become a full-fledged film star.
The critics applauded his work, and the public couldn't seem to get enough of him.
One of his most notable early roles includes his portrayal of quarterback Tommy Marlowe
in 1947s Good News – a musical set in the roaring 20s at the fictional Tait College.
In 1953, Lawford and Patricia Kennedy, the sister of then-senator John F. Kennedy, got
romantically involved.
Two years later, the couple was married.
Lawford would then campaign for his brother-in-law in the 1960 Presidential election.
Since he had just recently received American citizenship, he was able to vote for JFK later
that year.
Lawford and his wife, Patricia, had four children together.
Their marriage, however, would end in 1966.
It's speculated that the couple divorced after Patricia had learned of Peter's extramarital
affairs and had grown tired of his rampant alcoholism.
For the next several years, Lawford continued to work steadily in show business, landing
roles in films such as Sergeants 3 and Ocean's Eleven alongside his fellow Rat Pack brothers.
He would also go on to marry on three more occasions.
Not to get too side-tracked, but if you're enjoying this video so far, do us a favor
and give it a like and subscribe to the FactsVerse channel.
Stay put because we still haven't revealed why Peter Lawford ultimately was kicked out
of the Rat Pack by Frank Sinatra.
The Origins Of The Rat Pack
Humphrey Bogart is typically the man credited with forming the original incarnation of the
Rat Pack.
The group's membership expanded to include some of the biggest names in entertainment
history.
The Bogart-led Rat Pack was a group of drinking buddies that included the likes of some of
the era's top actors such as Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Katherine Hepburn,
Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole.
After Bogart died, this original group went their separate ways.
Frank Sinatra then informally called together a group of his peers to form what he dubbed
as 'The Clan'.
Eventually, they would adopt the name the Rat Pack and turn it into what we think of
today.
Dean Martin was one of the top-selling singers of his day, and he was also known for appearing
in the occasional film.
Sammy Davis Jr was a man of many talents.
Joey Bishop was the witty comic of the bunch who wrote the scripts for the Rat Pack's films
and stage shows.
With all of that talent, it seems a bit puzzling why Peter Lawford, a middle-of-the-road actor
at best, would be invited to become a member of the elite group.
Well, Lawford was offered membership probably because he was married to Kennedy's sister.
JFK was quite the glamourous star of the Democratic Party back then.
He exuded cool in a political sense, just as Sinatra did on stage.
Lawford Knew His Place
Because of his association with the Rat Pack, Lawford became a much more prominent star
in Tinsel Town than he would have been otherwise.
That was a fact that Frank Sinatra wouldn't let him forget.
Giving him the nickname 'Brother-in-Lawford', Peter was constantly reminded by his Rat Pack
Brethren why they kept him around.
Kennedy and the Rat Pack enjoyed a pretty good relationship with each other, and they
used each other's fame and pull to increase their respective glamour and visibility.
This resulted in Lawford becoming a significant player at the intersection of politics and
Hollywood.
Through Sinatra with Lawford as the intermediary, JFK met Marilyn Monroe.
Peter also was known to have arranged additional affairs for the future President with other
Hollywood bombshells.
These connections that Lawford arranged made him quite powerful.
Sinatra's campaigning, fundraising, and endorsement for JFK likely contributed to him getting
elected.
And it was through Lawford that members of the Hollywood community were given access
to Kennedy.
When JFK prepared for his debate with Nixon, he turned to none other than Lawford for advice.
Through him, Kennedy learned how to present himself on camera, what to wear, and even
what kinds of gestures he should use.
In fact, it's been said that Lawford's influence was a major contributing factor in Kennedy's
famously stellar debate performance.
Peter Lawford's Downfall
Even though Kennedy ended up winning that election and the Rat Pack were enjoying incredible
success, raking in millions with their films, concerts, and endorsements, the president's
brother Robert F. Kennedy grew increasingly concerned about Sinatra's Mafia ties.
The Mob had long been known to interfere with the careers of Italian-American stars and
public figures.
One of Sinatra's Mafia buddies was Sam Giancana – the leader of the Chicago Mafia.
Giancana also had unparalleled involvement with the Kennedy family.
Lawford's chumminess with various mobsters and film stars ultimately led him to arrange
that meeting between Marilyn Monroe and Kennedy.
1n 1962, Lawford arranged for the President to stay at Sinatra's Palm Springs home.
Sinatra even had a helipad built for his guest of honor.
At the last minute, however, Robert Kennedy managed to convince the President to not visit
Sinatra.
The official reason given was a matter of security.
In reality, however, it was Robert's worries about Sinatra's connections to the Mafia and
Giancana.
Lawford had to be the one to break the news to Sinatra, and it humiliated him.
JFK instead ended up staying with Bing Crosby.
Sinatra was so angry at Lawford that he had his role written out of their subsequent Rat
Pack films.
The two never spoke with each other ever again.
Peter Lawford's Final Years
During his later years, he developed intense problems with drugs and alcohol, and repeated
attempts at getting treatment didn't yield any success.
Even though he was a man of many vices, his reputation in the public eye remained glowing
as many considered him to be something of a suave playboy.
It's been said that Lawford was the first star to share a kiss with Elizabeth Taylor
onscreen and was the last person to talk to Marilyn Monroe before her untimely death.
Even though he displayed quite a bit of charm throughout his life and career, his vices
and hard living ultimately ended his life.
He passed away in 1984, drowning in debt, after going into cardiac arrest complicated
by liver and kidney failure.
Some have wondered if Lawford gave any kind of deathbed confession before his demise.
After all, he was the keeper of all of the secrets, right?
Unfortunately, after putting his body and mind through so much abuse with drugs and
booze, he wasn't very competent in the days leading up to his death.
When he finally passed away, he had been on life support and was non-communicative.
So, whatever secrets he had, he took those with him to the grave.
Peter Lawford was cremated and his ashes were interred at the Westwood Village Memorial
Park Cemetary in Los Angeles.
Because of a dispute between his widow, Patricia Seaton, and the cemetery, his ashes were removed
in 1988.
They were then spread at sea in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
The National Enquirer tabloid newspaper was there to document the event.
For his many contributions to the entertainment industry, Lawford was given a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Despite the dispute with his widow, a plaque featuring his name was also erected at the
Westwood Village Memorial Park.
Peter Lawford may not be the Rat Pack member that most people first mention when discussing
the influential group of elite entertainers, but his story is certainly one of the most
interesting.
His political ties and close association with figures such as John F. Kennedy and Marilyn
Monroe will likely be speculated about for years to come.
It's a shame that he never opened up and revealed the secrets that he held.
It's likely that he knew a lot more about the deaths of JFK and his alleged blonde bombshell
mistress than he let on.
Plus, he had all of that intel on the Mafia's close ties with the Kennedy family.
If only he had written a tell-all memoir or something….
Anyway, we're just about out of time.
That means now it's your turn to let your voice be heard.
Who do you think was the most captivating member of the Rat Pack?
And do you think that Peter Lawford's association with the infamous boys-club has been historically
understated?
Let us know in the comments down below.
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