Sunday, February 28, 2010

Dean Martin - The Best of Dean Martin

Hey pallies, on this last day of our official celebration of Dino-amore-month, we sees again that Dino-love is truly international. From a Brazilian pad tagged "Nice And Easy" we feature this Dino-post by blogger "Waldomusic" on the Dino-al-b-um "The Best Of Dean Martin.

Mr. Waldomusic shares a out-standin' bio of our Dino taken from the "Answers.com" site. And by doin' so he is educatin' all his readers to the life, times, and teachin's of our King of Cool.

No one more "Nice and Easy" that our Dino and likes so appropo to put the accent on our great man in this way at the "Nice And Easy" blogg. We thanks Mr. Waldomusic for liftin' up the name of our Dino and sharin' his Dino-love with his readers. To checks this out at the "Nice and Easy" pad, just click on the tagg of likes this here Dino-gram. Dino-lovin', DMP



sábado, 27 de fevereiro de 2010
Dean Martin - The Best of Dean Martin



Memories Are Made of This
That's Amore
Return to Me
Standing On the Corner
You Belong to Me
You're Nobody 'Til somebody Loves You
Sway
Innamorata
Volare
Angel Baby
On An Evening In Roma
I'll Always Love You

Your Nice and Easy



American entertainer Dean Martin (1917 - 1995) was known for his nonchalant style and breezy wit. Immensely popular in his time, he first became famous as the straight man of the comic duo Martin and Lewis in 1946.

Martin also recorded hit records in his distinctive baritone, starred in motion pictures, and had his own long-running television program. But any snapshot of the multi-talented Martin would be incomplete without mention of his legendary affiliation with Hollywood's Rat Pack and his ever-present, if somewhat exaggerated, cocktail personae.

Early Years

Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti on June 7, 1917, in Steubenville, Ohio. His parents, Angela and Gaetano (a barber), had emigrated from southern Italy around the turn of the nineteenth century and the young Martin reputedly spoke only Italian until he was five years old. Steubenville was a tough town in those days, known as "Little Chicago" because of its affinity for gambling and other assorted vices, and Martin was not immune to the influences of his environment. He dropped out of high school at 16 and worked for a while as a liquor runner for bootleggers. But even this somewhat less than auspicious beginning could not hide his early tendency to perform. "He was a comedian," Martin's childhood friend Mario Camerlengo told John Soeder of the Houston Chronicle. "He always disturbed the class. When the teacher would say, 'Dino, you'll have to leave,' he'd hit me on the head as he shuffled out."

After his stint running booze, Martin tried his hand at amateur boxing under the name "Kid Crochet." That pursuit did not last long, as, according to Rob Parker of the London Observer, Martin often recalled in later years, "I won all but 11 of my 12 fights." He went on to work variously as a shoeshine boy, gas station attendant, steel mill laborer, and croupier before striking out to make his name as a singer.

Although blessed with a smooth baritone voice, Martin's early career as a singer progressed slowly. He sang with club bands around the Midwest, and made his coast-to-coast radio debut on Cleveland's WTAM (AM) in 1942, but failed to cause much of a stir at first. Bing Crosby's renowned crooning was imitated by most young singers of the day, and Martin was no exception. J.D. Reed of People quoted Martin as saying, "I copied Bing until I had a style of my own." In the 1940s the emulation of his idol accorded Martin sufficient success to make him a regular at New York City nightclubs and on radio, but it was a fateful pairing in nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey, that rocketed him to fame.

Martin and Lewis

In 1946 Martin was booked for a six-week engagement at Atlantic City's 500 Club. A wacky young comedian named Jerry Lewis was also working there, and kismet struck when the illness of another performer put the pair on the same bill. Martin's mildly bemused and effortlessly elegant straight man combined with the wildly frenzied antics of Lewis to become an instant hit with audiences, and formed the basis of a tremendously popular partnership that would last ten years. Indeed, half a century later comedian Alan King told Reed, "I've been around 50 years, and no one ever created the kind of pandemonium they did."

The duo's success led them to the Copacabana in New York, where they gained top billing and the then-princely salary of $5,000 a week. Two years later they conquered the West Coast at Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom's nightclub in Beverly Hills, and a movie deal with Paramount Pictures soon followed. Martin and Lewis made sixteen films together, starting with 1949's My Friend Irma and ending with Hollywood or Bust in 1956. In between were such crowd pleasers as At War with the Army (1950), The Caddy (1953), and Living It Up (1954). The Caddy was also notable because it clearly established Martin's singing credentials, generating the top ten solo effort and Oscar-nominated hit That's Amore.

Despite one of the most successful partnerships in the history of show business and the resulting fortunes made by both members, Martin and Lewis had a mercurial relationship. Temperamentally disparate, the two had little in common off the screen and stage, and the ongoing volatility reportedly became wearing for Martin. In 1956 things came to a head, and the pair parted company. Few expected Martin's career to survive, but the kid from Steubenville surprised them all.

The Rat Pack

Martin's detractors were hardly shocked when Martin's first solo movie effort, Ten Thousand Bedrooms, was a resounding flop in 1957. They were taken aback, however, when 1958's The Young Lions showcased a heretofore unsuspected dramatic talent in Martin. He followed that up with a critically-acclaimed performance with John Wayne in Rio Bravo and another with Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine in Some Came Running. Thus having beaten the odds and demonstrated his merit as a serious actor, Martin stood ready to reinvent himself yet again.

Martin's newest personae took shape as he aligned himself with an offshoot of a group originated by Humphrey Bogart. By the late 1950s the clan had morphed into Sinatra's infamous "Rat Pack," and Martin was installed as second in command. The core of the Pack consisted of Sinatra, Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop; and as they performed together in movies and, most notoriously, Las Vegas, they came to epitomize an irreverent style of hip sophistication that defined the early 1960s. Amidst all that panache, no one was more urbane, laid back, or surpassingly cool than Martin. Tuxedo-clad, cigarette in one hand and cocktail in the other, Martin's latest role was that of a debonair boozer with a nonchalant wit.

The Rat Pack's slightly risqué focus on sex, liquor, and general carousing made Las Vegas their natural playground. Gambling, drinking, and womanizing were the order of the day (and night); but the group worked hard as well, and their casino nightclub act was hugely popular. While some tongues may have wagged at the level of excess, nobody doubted that Sinatra and his boys were having a great time. As Martin's old friend, actor Debbie Reynolds, told Reed, "A lot of people wished they could have a third as much fun as [the Pack] did." Martin, dubbed the "Clown Prince" of the clan, expressed his satisfaction in a typically offhand manner at a Rat Pack tour press conference by saying, according to Newsweek's Karen Schoemer, "We're happy to be doing this thing. What the hell."

Top Talent Across Media

Martin's association with the Rat Pack did not hamper his solo career. He continued to record as a singer, producing his first number one hit, Memories Are Made Of This, in 1955. He famously repeated that achievement in 1964, when he bumped The Beatles out of the top spot with his recording of Everybody Loves Somebody. According to Schoemer, Martin was spurred to such a feat by frustration with his son's non-stop admiration of the British pop sensation, and reportedly said, "I'm gonna knock your little pallies off the charts." By the end of his recording career, 40 of Martin's singles had hit the charts, including seven in the top ten. He also recorded 11 gold albums.

Martin also made his mark on television. The year 1965 saw the debut of The Dean Martin Show, a variety program that lasted nine years on NBC. The show was such a success that Martin was able to negotiate a lucrative contract that was the largest of its time and earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest paid entertainer of his day.

Nor did Martin neglect the silver screen, although his later reviews never quite equaled those of his early work. His vehicles ranged from light comedy to westerns, including his only musical, 1960's Bells Are Ringing, Kiss Me, Stupid in 1964, Rough Night in Jericho in 1967, and Airport in 1970. He also made four Matt Helm films, which were send-ups of James Bond, in the 1960s. In short, Martin had proved himself a major talent across a variety of venues during the course of his career.

Fade Out and Reprise

With time, Martin began to fade slowly out of the limelight and appeared content to do so on his own terms. His last movie was 1984's kitschy Cannonball Run II. In 1988 he bowed out of a Rat Pack reunion tour after only a short time on the job. Sometime before that, he had stopped making records. He also declined to take part in a 1992 retrospective on Martin and Lewis with his old comedy partner. Instead, Martin played his beloved golf and contented himself with solitary dinners at a favorite Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills.

Part of the self-imposed isolation of Martin's later years was undoubtedly a reflection of his basically solitary personality. He was never much for talking or taking things too seriously. As his son Ricci told Reed, "He joked that it wasn't the chat that bothered him, it was the chit." And director Richard Corliss of Time quoted Vincente Minnelli as saying, "Dean would rather die than have you believed he cared." But care he did, and that caring was widely thought to play a large part in his withdrawal.

Martin had married and divorced three times by 1976, and had fathered seven children. One of those children, Dean Paul Martin (known as Dino Jr.), was tragically killed in a plane crash during a California Air National Guard training mission in 1987, at the age of 35. That tragedy, coupled with the losses of such old friends as his assistant Mack Gray and the Rat Pack's Davis, pierced the studied nonchalance of the aging performer and almost surely contributed to his increasing reclusiveness. Martin's storied drinking, once mainly a stage prop of apple juice, escalated in earnest and he moved further into the very mystique that had made him a star. When he died on Christmas Day in 1995, Martin had long been out of the public eye.

The public remembered Martin nonetheless. As late as 2004, Capitol Records released a compilation called Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, which soared to number 28 on the Billboard 200 chart and became one of iTunes' Top Five Digital Downloads. Musician and actor Steven Van Zandt described his appeal in the liner notes for the CD, as quoted by Soeder: "Dino represented a traditional style that would prove to be timeless…. He was the coolest dude I'd ever seen, period." As Martin might have said, "No question about it, pally."

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Condensed version of the film will be screened March 2: Dean Martin as Matt Helm in MURDERERS ROW,

Hey pallies, ohs how I yearns to be in South Saint Louis this comin' Tuesday evenin', March 2, at the Way Out Club for the screenin' of Super-8 Movie Madness with Live Music!. Remember those Super-8 sound movies that coulda be purchased in the '70's that were mini-versions of theatrical releases (before the advent of VHS tapes? Well pallies at the Way Out Club are goin' to be screenin' 16 of said flicks, 2 of 'em silent, on March 2 from 8p.m. to midnight. And the coolest news is that a super 8 version of our Dino as Matt Helm in "Murders' Row" will be front and center. How great will it be to go clubbin' and see our great man in his bestest of the bestest form in the bestest of the best of the quartet of Matt Helm capers (at least in my humble Dino-opinion.) How stellar to see our Dino projected up there on the wall doin' some clubbin' of his own with Miss Ann-Margret at the discoteque...that scene just has to be part of Dino-action that willa be shown!

Man, oh, man, what a great Dino-tunity willa this be to introduce our Dino to the youthful mods of South Saint Louis. Can't you just see the neuveau hipsters turnin' on to our Dino as many of 'em, probably for the first time, see the King of Cool in action. Likes justa so wishes that I coulda be there to experience the Dino-euphoria that will certainly be fillin' the Way Out Club.

Any of you pallies live within drivin' distance of South Saint Louis?.....woulda loves to hear a Dino-report of this groovy Dino-experience! So as we are 'bout to close out our Dino-amore-month celebration here at ilovedinomartin, we salute the Way Out Club dudes for bringin' Dino to this club and helpin' more and more youthful guys and gals to knowin', lovin', and honorin' our Dino. Thanks to a dude tagged Travis from the pad "We Are Movie Geeks" for postin' this. To read this in it's original format, just click on the tagg of this Dino-gram. Dino-devotedly, DMP





Super-8 Movie Madness with Live Music!

“SUPER-8 MOVIE MADNESS WITH LIVE MUSIC” will be held on Tuesday March 2 from 8pm to Midnight at the Way Out Club. This month we will be doing something a little different. In addition 14 sound films, we will be showing two silent films that will be accompanied onstage live by a talented musician named ‘Ellen the Felon’ on keyboards! The cover charge is still a bargain at a measly $3.00. There will be movie passes, T-Shirts and poster giveaways again this time. If you’re not familiar with the madness, here’s a brief rundown: Remember (before video tapes) the Super-8 films they used to sell in the 1950’s and 60’s that were condensed versions of features? In the 1970’s they sold SOUND versions of these films and 16 of these will be projected on a large screen at the Way Out Club (they average about 15 minutes each).

Condensed versions of the following films will be screened March 2: ANIMAL HOUSE, Dean Martin as Matt Helm in MURDERERS ROW, LOGANS RUN, Christopher Lee in DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS, REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, Boris Karloff in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, Don Knotts in THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT, Peter Fonda in DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, Sissy Spacek in CARRIE, EQUINOX, Lon Chaney in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, a new chapter from 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, a PSYCHO promo reel hosted by Alfred Hitchcock, and encore screenings of JAWS and The Little Rascals in THE KID FROM BORNEO (“Yum Yum Eat ‘em Up!”)

The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue in South St. Louis (corner of Jefferson and Sidney). The Way Out is a 21+ club with a full bar and they sell yummy Way Out Pizzas for $8.00 so make an evening of it. Spread the word to all St. Louis-area movie-lovers. Come to the Way Out March 2 and experience the Madness!

Friday, February 26, 2010

02/24/10 - Deana Martin - THE BONNIE HUNT SHOW

Hey pallies, in my Dino-diligent search to brings all you Dino-philes more information on the beloved Dino-event of our great man gettin' his star on the 'Vegas Walk Of Fame, I was delighted to discover that today on the Bonnie Hunt Show our Dino's girlpallie Deana is goin' to share 'bout that Dino-experience.

So I wents to youtube and Dino-lo and Dino-behold I found the clip already posted for our Dino-edification. Gotta 'fess up that I am pretty disappointed in that as seems usual, this clip is more 'bout Miss Martin then our beloved Dino. But, there are a couple of Dino-tales that Deana shares with Miss Bonnie, and some stellar pixs of our Dino that are shared with the audience.

I will continue to search for better coverage of our Dino's honorin' by 'Vegas and shares more as soon as I can. If you click on the tag of this Dino-post you will go directly to the clip at youtube. Dino-only, DMP

"Dino loved movies. He loved acting, but he never took it seriously."



Hey pallies, can't begins to tell all you Dino-philes how much I loves to read of other entertainers lovin' on our Dino. That is like why I am so delighted, on this 26th day of Dino-amore-month at ilovedinomartin, to share with you a small portion of an interview that Mr. Alex Simon did with renowned Brittish actor Sir Anthony Hopkins that features a vignette of Sir Anthony sharin' his admiration for our Dino.

From the blog, "The Hollywood Interview," comes the post "ANTHONY HOPKINS: The Hollywood Flashback Interview." This post features Mr. Simon's September 2002 interview from Venice Magazine titled "ANTHONY HOPKINS SERVES HIS FINAL COURSE."

While doin' the interview Sir Anthony Hopkins speaks of a number of actors with great fondness....includin' our Dino. Hopkins relates his viewin' of a "marvelous documentary" of our great man in which the jeanne shares some classic memories of our Dino includin' a cool Dino-remebrance of when our Dino was workin' on the flick "Airport"...for which he received a record breakin' cool 7 mil.

Sir Anthony affirms the Dino-tude toward actin' by sayin' "That sums it up for me. Get on with it. Do it. You don't need all this bullshit. Either you can do it, or you can't."

You can read the whole Dino-tale below. And, if you wanna read the whole interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins, just click on the title of this post. We say our thanks to Sir Anthony for speakin' so directly of his Dino-affirmation, and to Mr. Alex Simon for postin' his interview with Sir Anthony. On this twenty-sixth day of Dino-amore-month, it just makes me so happy pallies to share 'nother great actor's love of our great man!!!! Dino-devotedly, DMP



I just saw a marvelous documentary about Dean Martin a few weeks ago. His widow was talking, and she said "Dino loved movies. He loved acting, but he never took it seriously." And Dean Martin was very good, as was Frank Sinatra and all those guys. All those guys, they didn't try to be Marlon Brando. They just did what they did. There's another great story that Martin's widow told: during the filming of Airport (1970), Dino was doing this scene and the actress playing opposite him was sitting in the corner, being very Method about it, keeping everyone waiting. Finally, Dino walks over to her and says "Honey, neither of us is going to win an Oscar for this, let's just do the scene so we can go home." (laughs) That sums it up for me. Get on with it. Do it. You don't need all this bullshit. Either you can do it, or you can't.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Las Vegas Walk of Stars dedication ceremony for entertainment legend Dean Martin




Hey pallies, been lookin' far and wide to find some info on our Dino's bein' "starred" by the Las Vegas Walk Of Stars. Here is all that I turned up. From the NPR site comes this pix and a bit of commentary. To view this in it's orginal format, just click on the tagg of this Dino-gram. And, certainly if I find more Dino-info I will be passin' it on to all my Dino-holic pallies here. In our Dino, DMP


LAS VEGAS - FEBRUARY 22: Singer Deana Martin (C), daughter of Dean Martin, and members of The Golddiggers, singers and dancers from The Dean Martin Show (L-R), Sheila Allan, Susie Ewing, Suzy Cadham and Rosie Gitlin appear during a Las Vegas Walk of Stars dedication ceremony for entertainment legends Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin at the Flamingo Las Vegas February 22, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The stars will eventually be placed on the sidewalk in front of the Flamingo.

...and a private recording Dean Martin made for Jerry Lewis’s birthday, circa 1953.

Hey pallies, remember the Dino-gram from a few ago 'bout the first ever release to the general public of a '53 recordin' our Dino did just for the jer's birthday? It's called "You Skinny Hebrew" and can now be downloaded at itunes.

Anyway that announcement musta prompted this dude tagged Jeff Wayne to tell us his Dino-tale. From a pad tagged "Boomer Cafe" comes this wonderful story of how the Jer's boypallie, Scott, gave Mr. Wayne a rare 78 featurin' "You Skinny Hebrew."

Cool to read this Dino-story and learn what some of the lyrics to the B-day trib are. Sounds just likes our Dino. Woulda so loves to get an original copy of this for my Dino-collection. So grateful to Mr. Jeff Wayne for sharin' this cooler then cool story....he's certainly one lucky Dino-dude! To read this in it's original context, just click on the tagg of this Dino-gram. btw, if you goes to the original post and click on the Jeff Wayne link you will goes to his cooler then cool pad. Dino-desirin', DMP

Remembering Martin and Lewis

February 25, 2010 |

We got an email at BoomerCafĂ© from an independent producer in Hollywood, a baby boomer named Jack Walters. Jack is restoring and digitally remastering old TV shows on which we boomers grew up – Remember the 70s. But what got our attention was a story he told us about a friend, another boomer named Jeff Wayne, who is putting a song on iTunes that has never been publicly released. It’s from the era of Martin & Lewis. In fact it’s written by Dean Martin for Jerry Lewis! We asked Jeff to give us the background.

Jeff Wayne
I am a show business junkie and a “Baby Boomer.” I not only make my living in show business, but I collect show business memorabilia from the good old days. Autographs, pictures, letters, books, magazines, props. Through the years I have managed to acquire some very odd items, which makes sense since I am a odd person.

In my memorabilia collection you will find Oscar Wilde’s calling card from one of his visits to the United States. It is framed and hangs in my den. And a 3-D, electronic photograph of Lou Costello (a hologram). It is so lifelike, I feel like I’m looking right in his eyes! Who’s on first? You Lou, always. Bing Crosby’s ice cream containers and Bing Crosby’s record cleaners. I guess you can use them on CDs. I don’t know, I don’t have any.

And, there’s a privately-published magazine written and published by Lenny Bruce. This was given to me by his mother and autographed to me. By Sally Marr! She was more of a character than Lenny, and while she had a dirty mouth, she didn’t do drugs.


Dean Martin (L) with Jerry Lewis
I have some of Dean Martin’s home movies, some of Al Jolson’s home movies, and a private recording Dean Martin made for Jerry Lewis’s birthday, circa 1953. Scott Lewis, son of Jerry, became a friend of mine. Strangely, I knew his father before I knew him. Scott is a real classy guy, and knowing my love of his father and show business, he presented me with a rare gift one day long, long ago. It is a 78 RPM record which was recorded by Dean as a birthday present for Jerry. I believe Scott said this was around 1953.

Dean was recording for Capital records at that time, so he probably recorded it there.

It has special lyrics and is recorded with a full orchestra (Nelson Riddle), with a good arrangement considering this is a one-shot joke. The song is sung in the manner of the day, in typical Dino style. The joke is that he was happy and content being a blackjack dealer in Steubenville, Ohio (his hometown) and since teaming with Jerry his life is hell!

Work, work, work, and bills, bills, bills, and income taxes too! In the manner of a Friars’ Club roast, there is some joshing by insults, i.e. the chorus, “You rat face, you bastard, you Jew!” In these politically-correct times I am sure many will find this offensive, without considering that it was a personal recording only intended for Jerry, and it was a common humor shared by those “insiders.”

Another member of the Rat Pack even sings for Le Roi du Crazy, which is what they call Jerry Lewis in France, where he is regarded a genius and total filmmaker! “The King of Crazy.” Has the Rat Pack ever been more popular than now? That is because we have no stars! Frank, Sammy, Dean! Retro is in!

Happy Birthday Jerry! March 16, 2010.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Cinema Tuesdays {The Silencers}

Hey pallies, likes on this 24th day of Dino-amore month for a blog tagged "The Frog's Eyebrows" from a retro chick tagged Jennifer comes mucho, and I means mucho Dino-amore in her Cinema Tuesday's - feature Dino-expose on "The Silencers."

I've seen many many features on the Matt Helm flicks...many, many fine ones for Dino-sure....but I think this one has more caps from the film that I have ever seen in one place at one time. Miss Jennifer shares over 3 dozen---count 'em---glorious pixs from Matt Helm caper numero uno....gotta 'fess up pallies that it took quite the Dino-time to get this posted here...but, such sharin' such Dino-passion is what ilovedinomartin is all 'bout.

My hat's off to this Canadian chick for all her time and effort to bring the story of "The Silencers" and so so much Dino-devotion to her blog readers. To read's this in it's original format, just click on the title of today's Dino-gram. We often speak her of our Dino lovin' to put the accent on youth, and today loves to share a youthful lady puttin' the accent on our Dino. And, btw, don't forget to watch the very creative Dino-trib at the end of today's Dino-feature.... Dino-amorin', DMP

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Cinema Tuesdays {The Silencers}



I had a great deal of trouble deciding on which one of the many spy-spoofs to end February with and finally picked The Silencers from 1966 for two reasons:



First, Cyd Charisse sings and dances to the title song.


Second, Dean Martin plays Matt Helm, the semi-retired agent who now works as a fashion photographer. I've never understood the fuss about Jerry Lewis as I've always thought that Dean Martin was the funny one. Anyway, Matt Helm is basically Dean Martin as a spy. Plus, he is the only spy in which we hear his thoughts, in the form of his hit songs.



Matt Helm lives in California in a large house which has lots of gadgets, the most important of which is a circular bed which tips the sleeper into the bath in the mornings.



This is Lovey Kravezit, Matt Helm's back scrubber, secretary and answering service. I can't decide who has more fun- the audience or Dean Martin with the script.



The evil organization this time is called Big O, headed by Tung-Tze. Big O's plot to take over the world is called Operation Fallout, which is essentially fun with nuclear weapons.



Matt Helm doesn't want to help out the agency as he has a photo shoot do to in Mexico. Fortunately, Big O thinks that he is involved and so send an agent to kill him.



Matt Helm's old partner Tina (Daliah Lavi) shows up in time to shoot the enemy agent. I love the big bow on her suit,



and her cute, yet practical holster.
Let's have a look at Matt Helm's uncomplicated spy gear:


There's a camera that shoots knives



And his bullet-proof station wagon, which includes two separate bedrooms. I think that this is the best car that a spy could have since no one would suspect it, whereas an Aston-Martin armed to the teeth simply screams "Look at me! A spy drives me!"



There's also a clever gun which kills the shooter.


And the buttons on his jacket are actually grenades.



Anyway, Matt and Tina go to a certain hotel in Phoenix and quickly find the bar.



We also meet Gail (Stella Stevens) in a bathing suit that simply isn't made anymore.




Gail is a klutz and not the brightest crayon in the box. Remember, blonde isn't a hair colour, it's a state of mind.



That evening, Matt and Tina are in the night club to observe the hand-over of a computer tape by a corrupt scientist that essential for Operation Fallout.



And who should they see but Gail, in a pretty LBD, on a date with an enemy agent.



The hand-over is to be made through Cyd Charisse during her act, however she is working against Big O and for the Government.



But the Big O agents figure this out and shoot her on stage in front of too many witnesses. And who should reach her first and take the computer tape but Gail.



Gail doesn't believe that Matt is working for the Government or the significance of the computer tape. But that could be because Matt has an unorthodox way of searching her for the computer tape.



Matt and his boss just can't figure out if she's working for Big O or if she's just plain dumb. So Matt takes her along on a road trip to San Juan, where the HQ of Big O is.



Along the way there's the inevitable car chase along the lonely desert road.



Fortunately, the station wagon also comes with it's own liquor store. Don't you just love Gail's chic travelling suit? If you're going to save the world, you might as well do it in style and have fun doing it.



Gail still isn't sure about what's going on and so tries to escape during the dark and stormy night and ruins her hair and her white suit.



But by morning in San Juan, her set is back to normal perfection. After all, it is a movie and not real life.



This is the trouble with small towns, everyone seems to be an enemy agent.



And so Matt and Gail are captured



and are taken to Big O headquarters. But really, this could be any HQ of any diabolical leader of an evil organization of evil, since they all live in the same paper mache underground lair.



Aw, Tina is actually a double agent and second-in-command of Big O. Anyone else think that her jump suit looks a lot like the one from Grease?



And this is her room, done in the style of Cave-Dweller Barbie.



Look who's figured out how to use the backwards gun. Unlike other dumb blondes, she does fight her way out and doesn't scream, fait or get recaptured.



Meanwhile, Matt Helm (Dean Martin barely uses a stunt double) is left to fight off everyone and outwit the rather clumsy laser device operated by Tung-Tze.



This is the master switch that controls the nuclear missile, it's so easy to use and labelled in big letters.



So, how does Dean Martin save the world, escape from Big O



and make his way to the happy ending? Well, you'll just have to watch it and keep your ear out for the cameo by Mr. Sinatra and also find out why Dino has to wear a hilarious poncho:



I couldn't find the trailer or any funny scenes, but her is a clip show someone made in celebration of Elmer Bernstein's fantastic musical score:





Posted by The Frog's Eyebrows at 11:57 PM
Labels: movies

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

"What can one say about Dean Martin........except I love him?"

Hey pallies, wells the tagg of this Dino-post sez it all. From the blog "Time Machine To The Twenties" comes this amore to our Dino from a retro chick tagged Mandy. Right now Miss Mandy is doin' a series of posts 'titled "What 100 Stars Want in 1956." Her most lastest stop is our Dino and there are some wonderful Dino-thoughts that she shares with her readers. While I already knew the Dino-details she mentioned, the quotations of Dino-wisdom are new to me. Each contains so much truth, but this particular one moves me very Dino-deeply....

"As a person I want to know more about my fellow man. I want to like them and I want them to like me when I'm not in the spotlight".

So often, the teachin's of our Dino have been played down....but ones like this show what a deeply feelin' and deeply thoughtful man our Dino is. Woulda so loves to know the context of this Dino-declaration. Wisdom from our great man such as this, just makes me love our Dino more and more every single minute...makes me desire to be more and more like him.

On this 23rd day of Dino-amore-month, we express our deep Dino-appreciato to Miss Mandy for sharin' her Dino-devotion with all of us. To view this in it's original format, just click on the title of this post. Dino-desirin', DMP


Monday, February 22, 2010

What 100 Stars Want in 1956 - Dean Martin

What can one say about Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 - December 25, 1995) except I love him? One of the all time kings of cool. He just had a swagger about him that was fabulous. Some Dino trivia:

He was afraid of elevators
A lot of the time he was thought to be drinking booze, he was really drinking apple juice
Loved comic books
He had a nose job
Was banned from Marilyn Monroe's funeral
A Dean Martin quote: "I've got seven kids. The three words you hear most around my house are 'hello,' 'goodbye,' and 'I'm pregnant." - So true. As the oldest of 10, this is definitely heard in large families.



"As a person I want to know more about my fellow man. I want to like them and I want them to like me when I'm not in the spotlight". - Cool wish.



"Professionally I hope that Jerry and I can get back to working like we did in the old days as a very close team. There's no reason why we can't get back in there and pitch for fun as we did in the old days. We both want it very much and I believe the public does, too." - I wish they would have worked it out. They played very well off each other.



"Humour knows no borders. Sharing it is something people the world over have in common. As citizens, Jerry and I hope to spend our summer abroad selling Americanism." - Wonder if it worked . . .



Posted by Amanda at 10:30 PM
Labels: 1950s, Actors, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Homes of the Stars, Movieland, What 100 Stars Want Most in 1956