McKnight's Memory audio-book is free at link at bottom of this page.

After my agent Larry and I finished recording all the actor dramatizations for my audio-book of McKnight's Memory, we still needed a narrator.

Larry had heard Frank Sinatra Jr's audio commentary his father's movie, Robin and the Seven Hoods and was impressed with his voice and articulation, as well as Frank's respect for character actors, so Larry asked me, "What about Frank Sinatra Jr. for the narrator?" I said ,"I bet he'd do it."

Agents and casting directors told us that we could never get Frank because he was too busy and would have to go through too many people before we ever got to him. However, we finally got the information to get in touch with Frank's management office and then to Frank.

I knew that that Frank was coached for voice work by the great voice actor Paul Frees. ("Welcome to the Haunted Mansion.") Frank also collected recordings of some of the great actors reading books, such as James Mason and Charles Laughton, listening carefully to them, so as to perfect his narrating technique. I also knew he was fans of many of the actors we used especially Henry Silva who made four movies with Frank Sinatra Sr. Thus, Frank said that he was very much interested in doing his first audio-book with us.

In his live concerts, Frank Sinatra Jr is known for his great story telling on stage, so it was an easy jump for him to do the narration for a story. Larry asked him why he waited so long to do an audio-book. Frank said, "This project is a 'good story, well told', so I decided to do it."

Frank requested his recording be done at night as that is when most singers feel their voice is the best. He gave a concentrated performance, only taking one break during the three hours as he wanted to stay 'in character'.

On my other audio-novel I had Rod Taylor (The Time Machine, The Birds) do one take on his narration. Basically a continuous read unless he was unsure of a line, then he'd ask a question.

Frank however, wanted to read a one minute section of the text and then do two more takes of that same section, so I'd have a choice when it came to editing. After we finished he said, "Most of the best takes will be the third take." And with a couple of exceptions that turned out to be true when I got to the editing the next day.

Frank found a few places where he asked if he could change the words, from what I wrote in the text. I encouraged him to do so.

All his additions were great. For example, there is a line that read, "The hit man was dead before his 200 pound body crashed to the floor." Mr. Sinatra changed it to: "The hit man was dead before his 200 pounds crashed to the floor." When I heard that, I was overjoyed with that subtle, but powerful change.

"Okay fellas," Frank said to us in the control room, "Now I'll read it as written so that you'll have a choice." But we knew right then which reading we would use.

This happened a few other times as well. I was in awe of his annunciation and how he sometimes ended a paragraph in an upward tone, leaving it hanging as if more will come.

During our breaks, he talked to us about the sets that he visited of some of the now classic movies, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth and Them.

After Frank heard the final test product with sound effects and music, he said he had some additional ideas and worked with us for three more nights adding a lot more effects and music. The end result was so much more powerful. Frank has the Music Supervision credit on the project.

Because of this project, Frank invited me and my parents to concerts at Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas where we went backstage to meet him after the shows. For years after meeting Frank, my mother would tell people the story slowly and sentimentally;

"I don't know what made me do it, but I put both my hands on top of Frank's and said 'You made your father proud tonight.' And Frank said, 'Thank you. I hope so.'"

When at the slot machines with my dad, Frank stopped by to talk with me about me directing his life story & the movie version of McKnight's Memory with him producing. (Didn't happen).

Since my dad already met Frank, he kept playing. After, finishing our talk, Frank put his hand on my dad's shoulder and walked off. Immediately, my dad hit three flaming triple 7s for $500. That night at Frank's party I told the story and ended with:

"I told my dad, 'What? I'm so rich, Frank couldn't lay his hand on ME for a jackpot?'"

McKnight's Memory: Robert Culp, Nancy Kwan, David Hedison, Henry Silva, Don Stroud, Barbara Leigh, Alan Young, Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, Gary Lockwood, and others.