Actor/comedian Joey Bishop has died at age 89. He was the last member of Frank Sinatra's legendary Rat Pack that also included Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford. The most low-key of the group, Bishop was often cast as a bumbling loser, out of step with his high-liviing, womanizing fellow Rat Packers. He never got the girl but he usually got the laughs. The former nightclub comedian's trademark quip was "Son of a gun!" Sinatra discovered his act in the 1950s and a friendship formed. The Rat Pack campaigned heavily for John F. Kennedy in the presidential elections of 1960 and many believe their influence helped edge JFK to his razor-thin win over Richard Nixon. Joey Bishop served as master of ceremonies at JFK's inaugural party.Bishop only dabbled in acting, preferring to concentrate on TV work. He made memorable impressions in two Rat Pack hits:
Oceans Eleven and
Sergeants 3. He also co-starred with Dean Martin in
Texas Across the River. Other film credits include
The Naked and the Dead, Valley of the Dolls, Who's Minding the Mint and
Mad Dog Time.The latter film, made in 1996, represented his last film role and he was directed by his son Larry Bishop. Joey Bishop had several failed shows on TV during the 1960s, most notably his short-lived late night talk show that unsuccessfully challenged Johnny Carson in the coveted 11:30 PM timeslot. The series is most notable for making a household name of his co-host Regis Philbin. For more on Bishop's life
click here