World Pays Tribute To An Icon

Frank Sinatra was a world figure, not just an American icon.

So it's no surprise that tributes have been pouring in from everywhere, not just from President Clinton, but other world leaders such as France's President Jacques Chirac, who talked about Sinatra's warm and passionate personality.

But of course it's in the world of show business that he'll be most missed. Sinatra's death cast a pall over the 51st Cannes International Film Festival, where many leading names in show business are gathered this week.

Actor William Hurt was stunned when he heard the news.

"Oh, man. Well, that's the end of an epoch," Hurt said.

Director Martin Scorsese was also very upset by the news, calling Sinatra "An idol of mine."

Scorsese remembered the late singer fondly, as a "great Italian-American." Scorsese also noted Sinatra's acting ability, and mentioned two favorite films the entertainer had starred in, Some Came Running and From Here To Eternity.

"There will never be another him. He was the original," Scorsese said.

In Moscow, Russian television ran an obituary that said Sinatra represented the American good life. But nowhere overseas was Sinatra more popular than in Britain.

"It wasn't just the older generation, he appealed to all ages here," said one British fan. "You ask a 3-year-old what they think, if they know Frank Sinatra - they know. Ask an 83-year-old, they know, too," she said.

One of the recurring comments from fans has been what a great actor Sinatra was.

The British Film Institute talked about his natural ability. And one of Britain's own great Shakespearean actors, Derek Jacoby, said that Sinatra was part of his life. Whenever he thinks of a song, he said, it's usually sung by Frank Sinatra.

And British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is hosting the G8 summit of leading industrialized nations in the English city of Birmingham, described Sinatra as "one of the greatest performers of this century."