Sinatra’s Ailment Remains a Mystery

As Frank Sinatra on Friday spent his eighth night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his condition remained a mystery to the public and a topic of some speculation. Characteristically, he was giving the bum’s rush to the press.

“He said we should not release any more information about him,” said hospital spokesman Ron Wise, clearly exasperated at the media onslaught.

All that did was further fuel reports about the condition of the 80-year-old entertainer, who, according to the last official word, entered the hospital with a pinched nerve and was to spend only a few days there.

As his stay wore on, unconfirmed reports on his condition have ranged from slight pneumonia to heart trouble. One TV station reported Friday that Sinatra could go home as early as today. Another reported earlier in the week that Sinatra’s room resembled an intensive care unit.

“Frank is annoyed about the whole thing,” Wise said.

Fans have visited the hospital in search of news.

Diane and Joe Hanley took a 13 1/2-hour detour from their honeymoon to deliver flowers.

The newlyweds from Long Island heard about Sinatra’s hospitalization while they were vacationing in Las Vegas on Thursday night.

“We’ve seen him in concert,” said Diane, 31. The couple brought yellow roses to the hospital--his favorite, according to Diane, who had given him a similar bouquet on stage at a concert in November 1994.

“They’re not saying anything and we’d like to just hear something to put our minds at ease,” said Joe, 34. The Hanleys dropped their flowers off at the front desk and left disappointed because they were unable to deliver the bouquet.

“I’d sure like to know that he’s OK,” Joe said. “All the Way” was their wedding song.

The search for information has been fierce because of the news blackout.

KABC-TV Channel 7 went on the street to interview Sinatra fans, and publicists say their celebrity clients have been bombarded with inquiries from news outlets seeking any insight into Sinatra’s condition.

Even the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has gotten into the act, pointing out the location of Sinatra’s three stars on the Walk of Fame.

At the hospital, TV crews and photographers were camped at the intersection of George Burns Road and Gracie Allen Drive, peering up at the tinted windows of the medical complex for any sign of the entertainer.

Sinatra spokeswoman Susan Reynolds said the singer was getting cards and flowers “from all over the world.”

“He is very appreciative of everyone’s well wishes.”

As for his medical status, she said: “We are honoring his personal request that no one comment on this condition until he’s discharged.”

In the desert community of Rancho Mirage, friends were as much in the dark as the rest of the world on his medical condition or were keeping what they knew to themselves.

Sinatra sold his sprawling Rancho Mirage estate 1 1/2 years ago for about $4.5 million and moved to his homes in Beverly Hills and Malibu, reportedly to be closer to his family.

But Frank and Barbara Sinatra still spend winters in Rancho Mirage.

Barbara Sinatra has canceled plans to attend a board meeting Monday of the Sinatra Invitational celebrity golf tournament and charity fund-raiser that she and her husband sponsor.

Times staff writers Tom Gorman and Brian Lowry contributed to this report.