The Truth About The Last Of The Rat Pack

Publish date: 2024-05-02

Eventually, even Sinatra had enough of Bishop's antics. Without Frank's backing, producers, directors and other artists were loath to work with Bishop. None of the Rat Pack, though, acted like poster boys for good behavior. Part of their cool allure relied on their devil-may-care attitudes, their hard drinking and partying. The group had their share of bad publicity — like their connections to the mob, said Vanity Fair.

Still, the group of friends always got the job done. "I never saw Frank, Dean, Sammy or Peter drunk during performances. That was only a gag. And do you believe these guys had to chase broads? They had to chase 'em away," said Bishop in an interview quoted by The Hollywood Reporter

Despite early success, the Rat Packer often struggled finding the sweet spot again. A self-titled sitcom, The Joey Bishop Show, was canceled and revived, airing first from 1961-1964 and then again from 1964-1965.

His late-night talk show, also called The Joey Bishop Show, launched in 1967 as an alternative to the popular Johnny Carson-hosted The Tonight Show. It found an audience, but only temporarily, ending in 1969. Despite the cancellation, Bishop enjoyed a career as a substitute host for Carson, emceeing Tonight 177 times, according to Reuters

Bishop floated around different projects — some nightclub gigs, guest appearances on game shows like What's My Line and television series such as Murder, She Wrote. He even got a few movie roles. He "never regained the popularity he had in the 60's," according to The Times. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB%2FkHBrb2pfn7ymxYyboKygn6V6tbTEZqurraSdeqKuzq6rZqyYmnqtrdKtZKieXam1pnnRmqtmqJGYuHA%3D