Try GOLD - Free
STARS BEHIND THE BARS
All About History UK
|Issue 152
Ten iconic celebrity mugshots and the stories behind them

Frank Sinatra - singer, actor and future Ratpacker - was just 23 years old when he found himself on the wrong side of the law. But to our modern sensibilities the crime he was accused of might seem a surprising one - seduction. At the time, this was an offence under laws that were designed to protect the virtue of women. These laws allowed women to bring legal action against men who, according to an 1856 Iowa ruling, by "promise or artifice" or "by flattery or deception" had enticed them into the bedroom.
"SINATRA WAS RELEASED AFTER ONLY A FEW HOURS"
The young Sinatra landed in hot water after supposedly propositioning a woman and offering to marry her. When it was discovered that the woman in question was already married, the charges against the singer were dropped. But Sinatra hardly had time to utter a sigh of relief because he suddenly found himself rearrested the following month - this time on charges of adultery.
He was able to pay a $500 bond and was freed from police custody after only a few hours behind bars, and fortunately for him the incident didn't scupper his burgeoning showbiz career. Sinatra went on to become one of the 20th century's most successful performers, with classic songs such as My Way (1969) and New York, New York (1980), and appearances in films including The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
On 3 November 1970, actress Jane Fonda was on her way home from a trip to Canada, where she had given a speech protesting against the ongoing Vietnam War. Upon reentering the United States at Cleveland Airport, she was taken aside by officers and her luggage searched. They quickly came upon a bag full of vitamin pills and Fonda was arrested under the suspicion that the pills were illegal drugs.
This story is from the Issue 152 edition of All About History UK.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM All About History UK

All About History UK
Medieval Pilgrimages
From penance to indulgence, everything you need to know about Christian holy journeys in Middle Ages Europe
9 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
MUKDEN 1905
MUKDEN, MANCHURIA, CHINA 23 FEBRUARY - 10 MARCH 1905
11 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
BEWARE BABA YAGA
Folklore expert Willow Winsham explains the history behind the mystery of this fearsome witch from Slavic legend
8 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
ROYAL SCANDALS
THAT THREATENED THRONES
11 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
DISASTER PLAN
How a lethal mixture of arrogance, fear and blind faith condemned millions of Chinese to death
10 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
THE GODS OF NEW YORK
How a decade of turmoil shaped the Big Apple
1 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
LOST ANCIENT SPORTS
Professor Peter J Miller discusses which ancient sporting traditions have continued into our modern world and which have been lost to time
4 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
TERRACOTTA PANATHENAIC PRIZE AMPHORA
This ancient vase holding precious olive oil was gifted to the victors of an ancient athletic contest
1 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
HENRY VIII HAD DIED YOUNG?
Without England's most notorious Tudor king, the country's religious and political history would've looked very different
6 mins
Issue 159

All About History UK
TITANIC MAKING AND BREAKING THE SHIP OF DREAMS
Uncover the inherent flaws and misplaced confidence that allowed a catastrophe to unfold
12 mins
Issue 159
Listen
Translate
Change font size