Editor's Note: Hey pallies, likes 'cause I may not be in shape to do any postin' on the morrow, am gonna shares our pallie Danny G.'s special New Year's Edition of his Dino-serenade a wee bit early to makes sure youse gets it. Hats off to our swingin' pallie Danny G. for faithfully sharin' his huge Dino-passion through his regular Dino-serenade Dino-reflections. Dino-yearnin', DMP
Hey pals...Happy New Year!!! What a great time it truly is my friends! 2011 was such a Dino-blast! Dean was all over the place! We got new dvd's, new cd's, the "Cool Then, Cool Now" book & all kinds of Dino-patter! I simply cannot wait to see what 2012 brings our way!
I know...you're thinkin'..."man, this guy is usin' a lot of exclamation points." I can't help it pals, I'm just so so excited for great things to come! There I go again!
I wanted to pick the perfect song to ring in the new year and could not thinks of a better tune that expresses our Dino's passion for livin' & lovin' than "Party Dolls & Wine". This ditty really seems to capture that "Dino essence". Let's start the new year off right pallies and turn this one way up! It's time to forgive & forget...live & let live...eat, drink and be merry! Let's all try to be a little more like Dean this comin' year! Enjoy pals! Salute!
PARTY DOLLS & WINE
Neon lights barroom bands hotel rooms one night stands When it's party time you'll find me at the head of the line Midnight cowboy singing his song to every girl who comes along My life's made up of party dolls and wine
Party dolls and wine yeah drink and let the good times roll Party dolls and wine making mem'ries for the days when I grow old
They say that someday I'll meet my match but until that time down the hatch With that bubbling sparkling tantalizing fruit of the vine I know someday I'll be put in my place but I'll die happy with a smile on my face Remembering all those party dolls and wine
Party dolls and wine... Midnight cowboy singing his song... Party dolls and wine... Party dolls and wine...
Hey pallies, likes our days of celebratin' Dino-winter-month are drawin' to a close, and likes we find ourselves at Dino-eve....out with the old year and in with the new! Below are two delightful pixs of our Dino and Jerry as Father Time and the babe in arms. It seems hard to believe that this pixs were shot to celebrate the comin' of 1952....60-count-em-60 years ago!
How fun to see our most beloved Dino decked out as Father Time...lookin' so wonderfully wise with his long flowin' robe and sickle...and Jerry dressed us as a new born ready to toot his horn....indeed the boys are certainly type cast!
ilovedinomartin wishes all you pallies a swingin' and safe New Year's Eve and the bestest of best New Years! Keeps checkin' in at ilovedinomartin for more great Dino-action in the comin' year....and likes most of all...KEEPS LOVIN' OUR DINO! Dino-celebratin', DMP
Hey pallies, likes Dino-winter-month is almost to an end and blends so so coolly into Dino-eve. Today ilovedinomartin shares a couple of totally cool, hip, and oh so randy vid clips from the Dino-show that put the accent on our Dino's partyin' on Dino-eve. Likes who better to celebrate the endin' of the ol' year and the comin' of the new then our swingin' Dino! These clips have been shared here before, but they certainly will continue to puts all us pallies into a Dino-eve-mood.
The first clip has our great man and his pallie Frank, along with Miss Ruth Buzzi and the Golddiggers puttin' on a radio programme for New Years Eve. My fav seg of this particular clip comes early when Sinatra brings our Dino to the microphone introducin' Dino sayin' "...."And, now staggerin' up to the microphone, direct from the three month tour of his wine cellar, the baritone of the breweries, Mr. Blinky Tomlin"....and our Dino begins sings the ditty "The Object Of My Affections," usin' all the hip movements that he is known for.
Up next Frank has been throwin' a NYE party in his hotel suite, where 87 chicks and only two pounds of potato salad have gathered with Sinatra and Martin handlin' the food and females. As Sinatra and our Dino retire to Frank's bedroom they uncover Miss Ruth Buzzi a bit tipsy from an abundance of liquid refreshments. Great fun entails as Mr. Sinatra and Mr. Martin try to rid themselves of the buzzed Buzzi.
So, likes sit backs and enjoy these classic moments from the Dino-show and let the Dino-eve partyin' begins! Dino-lovin', DMP
Hey pallies, likes welcome to the 29th day of Dino-winter-month edition of ilovedinomartin. Today we takes you to the blog pad, "Los Angeles Morgue Files," where blogger Mr. Brian Aldrich is "Showcasing crime and death in Los Angeles, focusing on crime scenes and celebrity graves."
On Dino-winter-day, Mr. Aldrich wisely posted a youtube vid of "2 Stories on the Death of Dean Martin." Taken from the December 25 and 26 editions of "Entertainment Tonight" the stories are marvelous tribs to our most beloved Dino. The first clip features Jerry Lewis speakin' 'bout the "love affair" that our Dino and Mr. Lewis had. In the second clip we hear lovin' thoughts from Mr. Joey Bishop and Mr. Paul Anka as well as vignettes of our great man's great career.
Likes pallies takes the time to honor our wonderful Dino by watchin' these brief but outstandin' vid tribs to our man. ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Mr. Brian Aldrich for sharin' these Dino-honorin' stories with his blog readers..helpin' more and more to grow in their deep, pure, and true devotion to our Dino! To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Dino-devotedly, DMP
Sunday, December 25, 2011
2 Stories on the Death of Dean Martin
2 Stories on the Death of Dean Martin - December 25, 1995
Hey pallies, Likes the days of our Dino-winter-day remembrance are windin' down as we are now at the twenty-eighth day of Dino-winter month. Today we return to the blog, "classicmoviechat.com," where on December 10 we reported that bloggers Mr. Joe Morella and Mr. Frank Segers asked the provocative Dino-quire, "Was Dean Martin a Movie Star or a TV Star?" Faithful ilovedinomartin readers will remember that Joe and Frank correctly answered both and went on to share a stunnin' pix of our Dino on the set of "Texas Across The River."
Well, likes as I most often do when sharin' other pallies' Dino-reflections, I offered a bit of Dino-patter in the comments section thankin' these dudes for their Dino-reflections and tellin' 'em that they were bein' featured at this here humble little Dino-blog.
To my total total Dino-delight I discovered that Morella and Segers featured my Dino-devotion in a recent post at "classicmoviechat.com" puttin' the accent on comments received on their original Dino-post. And, to make thin's even Dino-sweeter, it would appear that my Dino-thoughts have encouraged this dudes to delve deeper into our most beloved Dino sayin'.... "But what we may have overlooked Is Martin’s “coolness” factor.
Likes this flick lovin- guys then goes on to share my Dino-thoughts as you can read below. Can't tell you likes how delighted I am to know that perhaps, just perhaps the efforts of ilovedinomartin to lift up the life, times, and teachin's of our most beloved Dino sometimes indeed is helpin' others to grow in knowin', lovin', and honorin' our great man!
Thanks to Mr. Joe Morella and Mr. Frank Segers for sharin' this Dino-holic's thoughts as a featured blog post and for growin' in knowin' the importance of our Dino's cool quotient! Dino-passionately, DMP
DEAN MARTIN — The Coolest?
Dec 22 2011
Written by classicmovieguys
Hello, everybody. Joe Morella and Frank Segers, your classic movie guys, here today to enjoy the entertaining responses we received to our Dec. 8 blog that asked the pressing question, Was Dean Martin a Movie Star or a TV Star?
Our answer was that he was both. And we certainly stick by that! But what we may have overlooked Is Martin’s “coolness” factor.
Whatever you thought of his merits as an actor (disclosure: Frank is a lot less enthusiastic than Joe), Martin was one cool dude. With or without Sinatra and the Rat Pack, el Dino was as smooth a vocalist as he was an operator.
That certainly is the view of reader Dino Martin Peters, who emailed on Dec. 10:
Hey pallies, likes what a totally totally provocative Dino-quire and stunnin’ Dino-reflection! Never was, never will be anyone as cool as the King of Cool…oh, to return to the days when Dino walked the earth!
Knows your Dino-prose is bein’ shared this day with the ilovedinomartin readership.
Gosh, Martin STILL commands such a rapturous following! We suspect that is a lot more than can be said for Jerry Lewis. Thanks Dino, and we are glad you so enjoyed our blog.
In our Dec. 8 piece, we ran a photo (see above) of Martin starring (more or less as a goof, we suspect) in Texas Across The River. Its is totally forgettable comedy/western made in 1966, in which Martin’s eclectic costars include French actor Alain Delon and our mystery gent (we asked that you identify him) who played the ‘Indian’ (see above).
Peter Graves, the younger brother of “Gunsmoke’s” James Arness, was also in the picture, playing one Captain Rodney Stimson, and given to delivering such lines as “Take it easy, Yancy. You got a wedding to go to.”
In any case, who was the guy playing “the Indian.”
Reader Gerri had the correct answer: Is that “Indian” Joey Bishop??? What a riot!
It was indeed Joey Bishop, playing an Indian by the name of “Kronk.” Talk about casting against type. Bishop was many things but never an Indian. He was Jewish, born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx in 1918. (He died in 2007 at the age of 89.)
Bishop made a fair number of movies but was most popular as a TV show personality. He was also, along with Martin, a certified member of Frank Sinatra’s Las Vegas-based Rat Pack, and costarred with fellow packers in their signature movie, Ocean’s Eleven in 1960.
Hey pallies, likes there is stunnin' Dino-news to share on this 27th day of Dino-winter-month. Likes when I checked my email this mornin' I was surprised to find an 'lert from the pallies at amazon.com 'bout an up comin' release of some new Dino-treasure. The teaser pix in the email showed a very very retro cover of our Dino on the tube hostin' his fabulous Dino-show.
Likes when I clicks on the link (which you can do by clickin' on the tag of this Dino-message) I found this totally rad release of a collection of 4-count-em-4 Dino-musical CDs by a snazzy pad tagged Pazzazz. Releasin' on January 10, 2012 this new Dino-collection contains 68 of our most beloved Dino's croonin' tunes....and at a very nice price as well.
Below we feature pixs of the front and back covers of this Dino-release so you will be able to check out the list of Dino-songs. Likes tried to do a bit of Dino-net-searchin' to gather more info to share with all you pallies, but likes I turned up empty handed at this time. If and when I can uncover more info, I will be sure to share it with all you dudes.
Ain't it the greatest that more and more Dino-treausres are bein' released for the pleasure of all us Dino-philes. Likes just goes to show that Dino-devotion is growin' by leaps and bounds all 'round this Dino-universe. Keeps lovin' Dino and keeps spreadin' the Dino-message of cool! Dino-reportin', DMP
Hey pallies, likes hopes all you pallies took the op to honor our most beloved Dino in your own special way yesterday on Dino-winter-day. As we continue to pay homage to our Dino in these closin' days of Dino-winter-month, today we turn to a brief Dino-postin' at the blog "mysack.com" where the pallies there have listed important events in music history for December 25th.
Even though this Dino-mention is brief in nature, and even though I have spotted at least one error in the Dino-information (our Dino's stellar Dino-show ran for 9-count-em-9 seasons on the Peacock Network), one never knows how such Dino-homagin' will help to bring others into the Dino-fold! So, ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to the dudes at "mysack.com" for sharin' this information on the day of our Dino's departure from our planet. To views this in it's original format, just likes clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram.
Keeps lovin' our Dino pallies and keeps tuned to ilovedinomartin for even deeper Dino-devotion to come! Dino-passionately, DMP
In 1995, singer-actor Dean Martin died of respiratory failure at his Beverly Hills, California home. He was 78. Martin first gained fame in a comedy duo with Jerry Lewis in the late 1940's. They were top movie, T.V. and nightclub stars when Martin ended the act in 1956. He went on to further stardom on his own, both as an actor and singer. Martin's movies included "The Young Lions," "Some Came Running" and the Matt Helm series. His TV variety show ran for eight years on N.B.C., beginning in 1965. And on record, Martin's smooth baritone made number-one hits out of "Memories Are Made of This" in 1956 and "Everybody Loves Somebody" in 1964.
Editor's Note: Hey pallies, likes since I won't be near a 'puter tomorrow and 'cause after several valiant attempts our Danny G. hasn't quite not the knack for postin' Dino-grams here, her is our great Dino-holic Danny G.'s very very special Dino-winter-day edition of Danny G.'s Sunday Serenade with Dino. Keeps lovin' our Dino pallies and just knows all you Dino-philes will find your own special way of honorin' our Dino's earthly departure on Dino-winter-day. Deeply Dino-devotedly, DMP
HAPPY DINO WINTER DAY PALLIES!!! What a wonderful day it is! A true time of celebration & a chance to reflect on all that is good in the world. It's a day that we can all focus on what totally terrific things our Dino has brought to us!
This very special "Duetin' with Dino" could'nt have come at a better time! The world definately needs more Dino in it right now! "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has always been one of my most favorite of fave Christmastime tunes! It really brings this pallie back to his youth when things were simple & Christmas was so so very excitin'! I can still remember my dear old Dad playin' the Dino Christmas al b um on the giant record player in the parlor while he was cookin' up some yummy octopus, squid & shrimp in the kitchen! That's how we did it in my house anyway;)
The bea u ti ful Ms. Scarlett Johansson accompanies Dean on this winter time classic and I gots to admits...she does one outstandin' job pals! Let's all keep our Dino in mind as we celebrate this wonderful day and maybe even lift a glass in his honor & memory! I knows for sure that I will. Merry Christmas & Happy Dino Winter Day to all my great great pals at ilovedinomartin.
I'll Be Home For Christmas
I'll be home for christmas; You can Count on me. Please have snow and mis-tle-toe And presents on the tree.
Christmas eve will find me Where the love light glems. I'll be home for christmas If only in my dreams.
I'll be home for christmas; You can count on me. Please have snow and mis-tle-toe And presents on the tree.
Christmas eve will find me Where the love light glems. I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams
Hey pallies, likes it has sorta become a tradition on this eve of Dino-winter-day to share an in depth Dino-remembrance scribed by a dude tagged "Poe" at the blog "Poe Forward." First shared on the day-after-Dino-winter-day in 2009, likes I does think this will certainly continue to be shared annually 'round Dino-winter-day.
"Deathday: Dean Martin" contains a ton of Dino-hearted commentary on the life and times of our most beloved Dino as well a huge number of awesome Dino-vid-clips and classic Dino-pixs. Likes the first time I came 'cross this these totally totally Dino-honorin' reflections I was simply awe struck by the deep, pure, and true devotion shown in this Dino-presentation.....and to this day, I continue to be awed by this Poe dude's amazin' Dino-passion!
So, likes sits back and soak in the abundant Dino-adulation below. ilovedinomartin speaks our greatest of the great Dino-appreciato to Mr. Poe for such an open and unabashedly lovin' trib to our King of Cool. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-message. btw, pallies, a number of vid clips from the original post have been deleted and thus not shared in this repostin' In Deep Dino-devotion, DMP
Friday, December 25, 2009
Deathday: Dean Martin
Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, film actor and comedian. He was one of the best known musical artists of the 1950s and 1960s. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "Mambo Italiano", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?". One of the leaders of the "Rat Pack", he was a major star in four areas of show business: concert stage/night clubs, recordings, motion pictures, and television.
Nicknamed the "King of Cool," Dean Martin became a pop culture icon for his music, his trademark charm and his drinking, although his glass while on stage contained apple juice. He was much respected wherever he went, and became a sort of unofficial ambassador of the Italian-American community.
In October 1941, Martin married Elizabeth Anne McDonald. During their marriage (ended by divorce in 1949), they had four children. Martin worked for various bands throughout the early 1940s, mostly on looks and personality until he developed his own singing style. Martin famously flopped at the Riobamba when he succeeded Frank Sinatra there in 1943, but it was the setting for his introduction.
Martin repeatedly sold 10 percent shares of his earnings for up front cash. He apparently did this so often that he found he had sold over 100 percent of his income. Such was his charm that most of his lenders forgave his debts and remained friends.
Drafted into the United States Army in 1944 during World War II, Martin served a year stationed in Akron, Ohio. He was then reclassified as 4-F (possibly due to a double hernia; Jerry Lewis referred to the surgery Martin needed for this in his autobiography) and was discharged.
By 1946, Martin was doing relatively well, but was still little more than an East Coast nightclub singer with a common style, similar to that of Bing Crosby. He drew audiences to the clubs he played, but he inspired none of the fanatic popularity enjoyed by Sinatra.
Mafia Connections A biography on Martin titled Dean Martin: King of the Road by Michael Freedland alleges he had links to the Mafia early in his career. Martin allegedly was given help with his singing career by mob bosses who owned saloons in Chicago, Illinois. In return, he later performed in shows hosted by these bosses when he was a star. The mob bosses were Tony Accardo and Sam Giancana. The author suggests Martin felt little sympathy for the Mafia and only did them small favors if it was not inconvenient for him. Reportedly, the FBI's bugs once picked up a mafioso making plans to injure or even kill Martin because of a perceived lack of gratitude. Another book, The Animal in Hollywood by John L. Smith, depicted Dean Martin's longtime friendship with Mafia mobsters Johnny Roselli and Anthony Fiato. The author suggests Anthony Fiato (a/k/a "the Animal") did Dean Martin many favors, such as getting back money from two swindlers who had cheated Betty Martin, Dean's ex-wife, out of thousands of dollars of her alimony.
Teaming with Jerry Lewis Martin attracted the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures, but a Hollywood contract was not forthcoming. He seemed destined to remain on the nightclub circuit until he met a comic named Jerry Lewis at the Glass Hat Club in New York, where both men were performing. Martin and Lewis formed a fast friendship which led to their participation in each other's acts and the ultimate formation of a music-comedy team. More than a few people dubbed them "The Organ Grinder and the Monkey".
Martin and Lewis' official debut together occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24, 1946, and they were not well received. The owner, Skinny D'Amato, warned them that if they did not come up with a better act for their second show later that night, they would be fired. Huddling together in the alley behind the club, Lewis and Martin agreed to "go for broke", to throw out the pre-scripted gags and to improvise. Dean sang and Jerry came out dressed as a busboy, dropping plates and making a shambles of both Martin's performance and the club's sense of decorum until Lewis was chased from the room as Martin pelted him with breadrolls. They did slapstick, reeled off old vaudeville jokes, and did whatever else popped into their heads at the moment. This time, the audience doubled over in laughter. This success led to a series of well-paying engagements on the Eastern seaboard, culminating in a triumphant run at New York's Copacabana. Patrons were convulsed by the act, which consisted primarily of Lewis interrupting and heckling Martin while he was trying to sing, and ultimately the two of them chasing each other around the stage and having as much fun as possible. The secret, both said, is that they essentially ignored the audience and played to one another.
A radio series commenced in 1949, the same year Martin and Lewis were signed by Paramount producer Hal Wallis as comedy relief for the movie My Friend Irma.
Martin liked California which, because of its earthquakes, had few tall buildings. Suffering as he did from claustrophobia, Martin almost never used elevators, and climbing stairs in Manhattan's skyscrapers was not his idea of fun.
Their agent, Abby Greshler, negotiated for them one of Hollywood's best deals: although they received only a modest $75,000 between them for their films with Wallis, Martin and Lewis were free to do one outside film a year, which they would co-produce through their own York Productions. They also had complete control of their club, record, radio and television appearances, and it was through these endeavors that they earned millions of dollars.
Although there had been hugely successful film teams before, Hollywood had not seen anything like Martin and Lewis. The fun they had together set them apart from everything else done at the time. Both were talented entertainers, but the fact that they were good friends on and off stage took their act to a new level.
Martin and Lewis were the hottest act in America during the early 1950s, but the pace and the pressure took its toll. Most critics underestimated Dean's contribution to the team, as he had the thankless job of the straight man, and his singing had yet to develop into the unique style of his later years. Critics praised Lewis, and while they admitted that Martin was the best partner he could have, most claimed Lewis was the real talent and could succeed with anyone. However, Lewis always praised his partner, and while he appreciated the attention he was getting, he has always said the act would never have worked without Dean Martin. In Dean & Me, he calls Martin one of the great comic geniuses of all time. But the harsh comments from the critics, as well as frustration with the formulaic similarity of Martin & Lewis movies, which producer Hal Wallis stubbornly refused to change, led to Martin's dissatisfaction. He put less enthusiasm into the work, leading to escalating arguments with Lewis. They finally could not work together, especially after Martin told his partner he was "nothing to me but a dollar sign." The act broke up in 1956, 10 years to the day from the first official teaming.
Splitting up their partnership was not easy. It took months for lawyers to work out the details of terminating many of their club bookings, their television contracts, and the dissolution of York Productions. There was intense public pressure for them to stay together.
Lewis had no trouble maintaining his film popularity alone, but Martin, unfairly regarded by much of the public and the motion picture industry as something of a spare tire, found the going hard. His first solo film, Ten Thousand Bedrooms, was a box office failure. He was still popular as a singer, but with rock and roll surging to the fore, the era of the pop crooner was waning. It looked like Martin's fate was to be limited to nightclubs and to be remembered as Jerry Lewis's former partner.
The CBS film, "Martin and Lewis", a made-for-TV movie about the famous comedy duo, starred Jeremy Northam as Martin, and Sean Hayes as Lewis. It depicted the years from 1946-1956.
Solo career Never totally comfortable in films, Martin wanted to be known as a real actor. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1957), he agreed so he could learn from Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Tony Randall already had the part, but talent agency MCA realized that with this movie, Martin would become a triple threat: they could make money from his work in night clubs, movies, and records. Martin replaced Randall in one of the best dramatic roles of the decade and the film turned out to be the beginning of Martin's spectacular comeback. Success would continue as Martin starred alongside Frank Sinatra for the first time in a highly acclaimed Vincente Minnelli drama, Some Came Running. By the mid '60s, Martin was a top movie, recording, and nightclub star, while Lewis' film career declined. Martin was acclaimed for his performance as Dude in Rio Bravo (1959), directed by Howard Hawks and also starring John Wayne and singer Ricky Nelson. He teamed up again with Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), somewhat unconvincingly cast as brothers.
In 1960, Dean Martin was cast in the motion picture version of the Judy Holliday hit stage play Bells Are Ringing. Martin played a satiric variation of his own womanizing persona as Vegas singer "Dino" in Billy Wilder's adult comedy Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) with Kim Novak, and he was not above poking fun at his image in films such as the Matt Helm spy spoofs of the 1960s, in which he was a co-producer.
As a singer, Martin copied the styles of Harry Mills (of the Mills Brothers), Bing Crosby, and Perry Como until he developed his own and could hold his own in duets with Sinatra and Crosby. Like Sinatra, he could not read music, but he recorded more than 100 albums and 600 songs. His signature tune, "Everybody Loves Somebody," knocked The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" out of the number-one spot in the United States in 1964. This was followed by the similarly-styled "The Door is Still Open to My Heart," which reached number six later that year. Elvis Presley was said to have been influenced by Martin, and patterned "Love Me Tender" after his style. Martin, like Elvis, was influenced by country music. By 1965, some of Martin's albums, such as Dean "Tex" Martin, The Hit Sound Of Dean Martin, Welcome To My World and Gentle On My Mind were composed of country and western songs made famous by artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens. Martin hosted country performers on his TV show and was named "Man Of the Year" by the Country Music Association in 1966.
"Ain't That a Kick in the Head," a song Martin performed in Ocean's Eleven that never became a hit at the time, has enjoyed a spectacular revival in the media and pop culture (which can be traced to its usage in 1993's A Bronx Tale).
For three decades, Martin was among the most popular acts in Las Vegas. Martin sang and was one of the smoothest comics in the business, benefiting from the decade of raucous comedy with Lewis. Martin's daughter, Gail, also sang in Vegas and on his TV show, co-hosting his summer replacement series on NBC. Though often thought of as a ladies' man, Martin spent a lot of time with his family; as second wife Jeanne put it, prior to the couple's divorce, "He was home every night for dinner."
The Rat Pack As Martin's solo career grew, he and Frank Sinatra became close friends. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin and Sinatra, along with friends Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr. formed the legendary Rat Pack, so called by the public after an earlier group of social friends, the Holmby Hills Rat Pack centered on Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, of which Sinatra had been a member.
The Martin-Sinatra-Davis-Lawford-Bishop group referred to themselves as "The Summit" or "The Clan" and never as "The Rat Pack", although this has remained their identity in the popular culture. The men made films together, formed an important part of the Hollywood social scene in those years, and were politically influential (through Lawford's marriage to Patricia Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy).
The Rat Pack were legendary for their Las Vegas performances, which were almost never preannounced. For example, the marquee at the Sands Hotel might read DEAN MARTIN---MAYBE FRANK---MAYBE SAMMY. Las Vegas rooms were at a premium when the Rat Pack would appear, with many visitors sleeping in hotel lobbies or cars to get a chance to see the three men together. Their act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets and trios, along with much seemingly improvised slapstick and chatter. In the socially-charged 1960s, their jokes revolved around adult themes, such as Sinatra's infamous womanizing and Martin's legendary drinking, as well as many at the expense of Davis's race and religion. Davis famously practiced Judaism and used Yiddish phrases onstage, eliciting much merriment from both his stage-mates and his audiences. It was all good-natured male bonding, never vicious, rarely foul-mouthed, and the three had great respect for each other. The Rat Pack was largely responsible for the integration of Las Vegas. Sinatra and Martin steadfastly refused to appear anywhere that barred Davis, forcing the casinos to open their doors to African-American entertainers and patrons, and to drop restrictive covenants against Jews.
Posthumously, the Rat Pack has experienced a popular revival, inspiring the George Clooney/Brad Pitt "Ocean's" trilogy. An HBO film, "The Rat Pack," starred Joe Mantegna as Martin, Ray Liotta as Sinatra and Don Cheadle as Davis. It depicted their contribution to JFK's election in 1960.
The 1960s and 1970s In 1965, Martin launched his weekly NBC comedy-variety series, The Dean Martin Show, which exploited his public image as a lazy, carefree boozer. It was there that he perfected his famous laid-back persona of the half-drunk crooner suavely hitting on beautiful women with hilarious remarks that would get anyone else slapped, and making snappy if slurred remarks about fellow celebrities during his famous roasts. During an interview he stated, and this may have been tongue-in-cheek, that he had someone record them on cassette tape so he could listen to them; this is evidenced by his comments to this effect on the British TV documentary 'Wine, Women and Song' which was aired in 1983.
The TV show was a huge hit. Dean prided himself on memorizing whole scripts – not merely his own lines. He disliked rehearsing because he firmly believed his best performances were his first. The show's loose format prompted quick-witted improvisation from Dean and the cast. On occasion, he made remarks in Italian, some mild obscenities that brought angry mail from offended, Italian-speaking viewers. This prompted a battle between Martin and NBC censors, who insisted on more scrutiny of the show's content. The show was often in the Top Ten. Martin, deeply appreciative of the efforts of the show's producer, his friend Greg Garrison, later made a handshake deal giving Garrison, a pioneer TV producer in the 1950s, 50% ownership of the show. However, the validity of that ownership is currently the subject of a lawsuit brought by NBC Universal.
Despite Martin's reputation as a heavy drinker — a reputation perpetuated via his vanity license plates reading 'DRUNKY' — he was remarkably self-disciplined. He was often the first to call it a night, and when not on tour or on a film location liked to go home to see his wife and children. Shirley MacLaine in her autobiography confirmed that Martin was sipping apple juice (not liquor) most of the time onstage. He borrowed the lovable-drunk shtick from Joe E. Lewis, but his convincing portrayals of heavy boozers in Some Came Running and Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo led to unsubstantiated claims of alcoholism. More often than not, Martin's idea of a good time was playing golf or watching TV, particularly westerns – not staying with Rat Pack friends Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. into the early hours of the morning.
Martin starred in and co-produced a series of four Matt Helm superspy comedy adventures. A fifth, The Ravagers, was planned starring Sharon Tate and Martin in a dual role, one as a serial killer, but due to the murder of Tate and the decline of the spy genre the film was never made.
By the early 1970s, Martin seemed to have the Midas touch, The Dean Martin Show was still earning solid ratings, and although he was no longer a Top 40 hitmaker, his record albums continued to sell well. His name on a marquee could guarantee casinos and nightclubs a standing-room-only crowd. He found a way to make his passion for golf profitable by offering his own signature line of golf balls. Shrewd investments had greatly increased Martin's personal wealth; at the time of his death, Martin was reportedly the single largest minority shareholder of RCA stock. Martin even managed to cure himself of his claustrophobia by reportedly locking himself in the elevator of a tall building and riding up and down for hours until he was no longer panic-stricken.
Despite his success Martin retreated from show business by the early 1970s. The final (1973-74) season of his variety show would be retooled into one of celebrity roasts, requiring less of Martin's involvement. After the show's cancellation, NBC continued to air the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast format in a series of TV specials through 1984. In those 11 years, Dean and his panel of pals successfully ridiculed and made fun of legendary stars like Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball and Ronald Reagan, to name a few. For nearly a decade, Dean had recorded as many as four albums a year for Reprise Records. That stopped in November 1974, when Martin recorded his final Reprise album - Once In A While, released in 1978. His last recording sessions were for Warner Brothers Records. An album titled The Nashville Sessions was released in 1983, from which he had a hit with "(I Think That I Just Wrote) My First Country Song," which was recorded with Conway Twitty and made a respectable showing on the country charts. A follow up single "L.A. is my home / Drinking Champagne" came in 1985. The 1975 film Mr. Ricco marked Martin's final starring role, and Martin limited his live performances to Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Martin seemed to suffer a mid-life crisis. In 1972, he filed for divorce from his second wife, Jeanne. A week later, his business partnership with the Riviera was dissolved amid reports of the casino's refusal to agree to Martin's request to perform only once a night. He was quickly snapped up by the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and signed a three-picture deal with MGM Studios. Less than a month after his second marriage had been legally dissolved, Martin married 26-year-old Catherine Hawn on April 25, 1973. Hawn had been the receptionist at the chic Gene Shacrove hair salon in Beverly Hills. They divorced November 10, 1976. He was also briefly engaged to Gail Renshaw, Miss USA-World 1969.
Eventually, Martin reconciled with Jeanne, though they never remarried. He also made a public reconciliation with Jerry Lewis on Lewis' Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon in 1976. Frank Sinatra shocked Lewis and the world by bringing Martin out on stage. As Martin and Lewis embraced, the audience erupted in cheers and the phone banks lit up, resulting in one of the telethon's most profitable years. Lewis reported the event was one of the three most memorable of his life. Lewis brought down the house when he quipped, "So, you working?" Martin, playing drunk, replied that he was "at the Meggum" – this reference to the MGM Grand Hotel convulsed Lewis. This, along with the death of Martin's son Dean Paul Martin a few years later, helped to bring the two men together. They maintained a quiet friendship but only performed together again once, in 1989, on Dean's 72nd birthday.
Later years On December 1, 1983 while gambling at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City, Martin and Sinatra intimidated the dealer and several employees into breaking New Jersey laws by making the dealer deal the cards by hand instead of by a shoe, as is required by law. Although Sinatra and Martin were implicated as the cause of the violation, neither was fined by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. The Golden Nugget, on the other hand, received a $25,000 fine and four employees including the dealer, a supervisor and pit boss were suspended from their jobs without pay. It's said that Sinatra and Martin picked up the tab for the suspended employees' pay.
Martin returned to films briefly with appearances in the two star-laden yet critically panned Cannonball Run movies,. He also had a minor hit single with "Since I Met You Baby" and made his first music video, which appeared on MTV. The video was created by Martin's youngest son, Ricci.
On December 8, 1989, Martin attended Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Special.
Decline On March 21, 1987, Martin's son Dean Paul (formerly Dino of the 60s "teeny-bopper" rock group Dino, Desi & Billy) was killed when his F-4 Phantom II (jet) fighter crashed while flying with the California Air National Guard.
A much-touted tour with Davis and Sinatra in 1988 sputtered. On one occasion, he infuriated Sinatra when he turned to him and muttered "Frank, what the hell are we doing up here?" Martin, who always responded best to a club audience, felt lost in the huge stadiums they were performing in (at Sinatra's insistence), and he was not the least bit interested in drinking until dawn after their performances. His final Vegas shows were at the Bally's Hotel in 1989. It was there he had his famous final reunion with Jerry Lewis on his 72nd birthday. Martin's last appearance was on December 1990, as he congratulated Frank Sinatra on his 75th birthday.
In addition to never completely recovering from losing his son, Martin was suffering from emphysema. He kept his private life to himself, emerging briefly for a public celebration of his 77th birthday with friends and family.
In September 1993, Martin was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had been told he needed surgery on his kidneys and liver to prolong his life, but he refused. It was widely reported, though never confirmed, that Martin had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1991.
At his side in his last years was ex-wife Jeanne (Biegger) Martin, whom he had divorced years earlier.
Martin died of acute respiratory failure at his home on Christmas morning 1995, at the age of 78. The lights of the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor.
Tributes In 2005, Las Vegas renamed Industrial Road as Dean Martin Drive. A similarly named street was christened in 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California.
Martin's family was presented a gold record in 2004 for Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, his fastest-selling album ever, which also hit the iTunes Top 10. For the week ending December 23, 2006, the Dean Martin and Martina McBride duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" reached #7 on the R&R AC chart. It also went to #36 on the R&R Country chart - the last time Martin had a song this high in the charts was in 1965, with the song "I Will", which reached #10 on the Pop chart.
An album of duets, Forever Cool, was released by Capitol/EMI in 2007. It features Martin's voice with Kevin Spacey, Shelby Lynne, Joss Stone, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Robbie Williams, McBride and more.
His footprints were immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1964. Martin has not one but three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: One at 6519 Hollywood Blvd. (for movies), one at 1817 Vine (for recordings) and one at 6651 Hollywood Boulevard (for television).
In February 2009, Martin was honored with a posthumous Grammy award for Lifetime Achievement. Four of his surviving children, Gail, Deana, Ricci and Gina, were on hand to accept on his behalf.
Personal life Martin was married three times. Martin's first wife, Betty McDonald, tried by all accounts to be a good wife and mother to their four children, but her efforts were ultimately undone by her alcoholism. It remains a matter of speculation whether her alcoholism led to the failure of the marriage, or whether Dean's infidelities led to Betty's alcoholism. Subsequent to their divorce, Martin gained custody of their children; Betty lived out her life in quiet obscurity in San Francisco. In the 2002 CBS film Martin and Lewis she is portrayed by Paula Cale. Their children were Stephen Craig (born June 29, 1942), Claudia Dean (March 16, 1944 - 2001 from breast cancer), Barbara Gail (born April 11, 1945) and Deana (Dina) (born August 19, 1948).
Martin's second wife was Jeanne Biegger. A stunning blonde, Jeanne could sometimes be spotted in Martin's audience while he was still married to Betty. Their marriage lasted twenty-four years (1949-1973) and produced three children. She is portrayed by Kate Levering in Martin and Lewis. Their children were Dean Paul (November 17, 1951 - March 21, 1987 plane crash), Ricci James (born September 20, 1953) and Gina Caroline (born December 20, 1956).
Martin's third marriage, to Catherine Hawn, lasted three years. One of Dean's managers had spotted the young beauty working the desk at a swank salon on Rodeo Drive, then arranged a meeting. Martin adopted Hawn's daughter, Sasha, but their marriage also failed. Dean initiated divorce proceedings.
Dean Martin's uncle was Leonard Barr, who appeared in several of his shows.
Popular culture Martin was portrayed by Joe Mantegna in an HBO movie about Sinatra and Martin titled The Rat Pack. Mantegna was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role.
In the movie A Bronx's Tale, Dean Martin's song, "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?", was featured during the scene when C was playing dice.
British actor Jeremy Northam portrayed the entertainer in a made-for-TV movie called, Martin and Lewis, alongside Will & Grace's Sean Hayes as Jerry Lewis. Danny Gans portrayed Martin in the miniseries, Sinatra.
For the week ending December 23, 2006, the Dean Martin and Martina McBride duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" reached #7 on the R&R AC chart. It also went to #36 on the R&R Country chart. The last time Martin had a song this high in the charts was in 1965, with the song "I Will," which reached #10 on the Pop chart. A Budweiser TV commercial that premiered during Super Bowl XLI featured Martin's "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?"
In a trailer for the 2009 video game The Godfather II, Martin's "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?" is heard throughout the trailer showing the gangster lifestyle of the 50's.
A compilation album called, Amore! debuted at Number One on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in its February 21, 2009 issue.
Martin is mentioned in the Simpsons episode Apocalypse Cow Bart: So Dean Martin would show up at the last minute and do everything in just one take? Homer: That's right! Bart: But Wikipedia said he was "passionate about rehearsal." Homer: Don't you worry about Wikipedia. We'll change it when we get home. We'll change a lot of things.
In the Meter Made episode of American Dad, Martin's Ain't That a Kick in the Head? is played during a montage in which Stan and Francine are destroying furniture items they bought with illegally obtained money.
Hey pallies, likes on this 23rd day of honorin' our Dino in Dino-winter-month, we return to a stunnin' post first shared last year at this Dino-seasonal time here at ilovedinomartin. "The Night Before Christmas....Dino-style" was scribed exclusively for our faithful Dino-holics at this humble little Dino-blog by none other then our own Danny G. of "Danny G.'s Sunday Serenade With Dino" fame.
As noted last year Dino-phile Danny G. is not only a faithful Dino-example to his wee boy and girl pallies Nicky and Stel, but as discovered last December, this Dino-holic is truly truly an up-and-comin' proser of hip, cool, and ever randy Dino-parodies as well!
Likes we enjoyed Danny G's retellin' of our most beloved Dino and his pack of pallies waitin' their visit from the jolly ol' man in red himself, that we simply had to return it for your Dino-readin' pleasure.
Thanks Danny G. for grantin' ilovedinomartin permission to repost your awesome Dino-funnin' and for the many and varied ways you continue to lift up the name of our Dino here at ilovedinomartin. And, pallies why not leave our Danny G. some Dino-patter to let him know how much you appreciate all his Dino-efforts! Dino-delightedly, DMP
Twas the night before Christmas at the Dean Martin pad chicks and pallies were groovin' the music was rad.
Martinis were pourin' shaken not stirred Dino's "White Christmas' was all that was heard.
The stockings were stuffed with vodka and gin Ol' blue eyes and Sammy just stumbled in.
The boys in their tuxes broads wrapped in their minks Sir Dino was mixin' some holiday drinks.
Then up on the roof they heard a hell of a smash Sammy yelled out "Hey man, Santa just crashed!"
Frank invited him in for a drink and a smoke Santa said "Sure! I'll take a rum and a coke!"
A bundle of booze he had on his back the tag on the bag said "For the Rat Pack"
Dean gave Jeannie her gift "To the one I love most" "It's just what I wanted, The Dean Martin Roasts!"
Dino caught Santa's eye and gave him a wink straightened his bow tie and finished his drink.
The party still swingin' Dino snuck up to bed while visions of showgirls danced in his head.
As St. Nick jumped in his sleigh and rose to the heavens They all gathered round' to watch "Ocean's Eleven".
But they heard him exclaim as he flew through the sky "Merry Christmas Dino Crocetti, your my kinda guy!!!"
Hey pallies, likes today on this 22st day of Dino-winter-month we pay a visit to 'nother new-to-ilovedinomartin blog tagged, "Bit of the Past," where one is not surprised to hear Miss Suzy state, "I love all things vintage." In her seasonal post, "ChristmasSnow," Suzy ruminates on the "magical" nature of snow that falls at Christmas and 'fesses up to her readership that that " I love Dean Martin. I love 'It's a Marshmallow World'."
Below is likes a wee bit of this Dino-lovin' lady's post that is so so full of deep, pure, and true Dino-devotion, and for your Dino-viewin' pleasure, our most beloved Dino singin' 'bout marshmallows from one of his seasonal specials.
ilovedinomartin is truly delighted to feature 'nother pallie's forthright statement of Dino-appreciato. So, likes thanks ever so much Miss Suzy for lettin' your readers in on your Dino-passion and hopes your words of Dino-affirmation will help others to grow in knowin', lovin', and honorin' our amazin' man. Likes to view this in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this Dino-message. Dino-devotedly, DMP
The clouds are making it just dark enough in my house to see the brightly colored lights on the tree. I feel the warmth from the tree, and decide to put on Dean Martin Christmas, filling my house with celebration. I love Dean Martin. I love "It's a Marshmallow World".
Hey pallies, likes his name is Mr. Patrick Wensink and he hangs his hat at the provocative blog, "We Who Are About To Die," where he is part of the pack of contributors.
On this 21st day of our journey to Dino-winter-day we are delighted to share with you Mr. Wensink's post on "Christmas Pairings," where he shares great gift pairin' idears of books and music. First up on Patrick's list of seasonal pairin's, (and likes where else woulda our great man be) is our Dino's seasonal al-b-um, "The Dean Martin Christmas Album," and the greatest of great Dino-bios ever scribed, Nick Tosches' Dino-tome, "DINO: Living High In The Dirty Business Of Dreams."
Likes, gotta 'fess up that I likes simply totally grooves on Patrick's Dino-reflections on this classic Dino-holiday-al-b-um and the hottest Dino-prose ever. Likes pallies, you simply musta takes the time outta all your Dino-preparations to soak in Wensink's evocative Dino-thoughts.
ilovedinomartin sends our deepest of deep Dino-appreciato out to Mr. Patrick Wensink and the pallies at "We Who Are About To Die," for sharin' in this Dino-seasonal selection. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. And, likes btw pallies, don't miss the op to view the Dino-vid-clip at the end of the post featurin' our most beloved Dino with his pallie Frank singin' 'bout a world full of marshmellows! Dino-delightedly, DMP
Christmas pairings.
December 19, 2011 at 8:51 am
Patrick Wensink
Some things just go together this time of year: Santa and cookies, gifts and trees, fruitcake and hard liquor.
Books and music also pair nicely around Christmas. Here is the WWAATD Pairing Guide. Enjoy.
The Dean Martin Christmas Album ranks as one of the booziest holiday celebrations known to man. Fitting, since the ship’s captain was known as one of the booziest men known to man. It sounds like he could forget the lyrics at any moment.
Spin this album with Nich Tosches’ fantastic DINO: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams and it all starts to make more sense. Told partially as a straight biography and partially as fictional reenactment, Tosches adds life and sadness to Martin that never ceases to amaze.
Hey pallies, likes on this 20th day of our journey to Dino-winter-day the pallies at the official Dino-pad, "deanmartin.com" have come up with a stunnin'ly stellar op to send Dino-seasonal e-cards to all your pallies.
The card includes a Dino-snow-globe theme where you can send a Dino-greetin' of up to 50 letters and spalces 'long with your choice of Dino-winter-tunes: "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Silver Bells," "Winter Wonderland," "A Marshmellow World," or "Jingle Bells."
Just likes know this is gonna be so Dino-addictive that I am likes gonna want to send Dino-holiday greetin's to all my Dino-devoted pallies. Hats off to the pallies at "deanmartin.com" for this technological Dino-wonder! To gets goin' on your Dino-cardin' likes just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-awed, DMP
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH DEAN MARTIN
Send a Dean Martin Snow Globe!
Here's a NEW Dean Holiday e-card to send to friends and family. Create, Shake and Send your Dean Snow Globe card.
Hey pallies, likes on this 19th day of our journey to Dino-winter-day, ilovedinomartin is delighted to share with you 'nother rare Dino-pix that shows how deeply devoted our Dino's fans have been and always will be to our most beloved man...makin' it very clear why pallies all over the globe are makin' the journey to our Dino-honorin' Dino-winter-day remembrance.
From the Monterey County The Herald newspaper archives comes this amazin' pix of our amazin' man signin' autographs for the crowd at Pebble Beach watchin' our Dino play in the 1972 Crosby Pro-Am Golf Tournament. Likes just looks at how totally totally awed members of the crowd are to be in the immediate presence of our Dino...and likes how happy our Dino is to be signin' an autograph for one of de common folk.
Just gotta wonder which of these pallies is gonna get our Dino's signature. 'Specially loves the look on that young man at the left edge of the picture...likes thinks how thrilled this young Deanager is to be standin' so near to the King of Cool. It is devotion such as this that speaks 'bout how beloved our Dino has been, is, and will always be....and why pallies likes us, just simply must remember our Dino on the day of his departure from earth.
Thanks to the pallies at Monterey County Herald for sharin' this awesome Dino-shot with their readers. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Keeps lovin' our Dino and keeps journeyin' with us to Dino-winter-day. Dino-honorin', DMP
Dean Martin at the 1972 Crosby Pro Am
A crowd favorite Dean Martin at Pebble Beach during the 1972 Crosby Pro-Am. (Monterey County Herald)
Tex Martin rides again pallies! Ye haw!!! Sorry pals, sometimes I gets myself a little caught up in the whole "Country Dino" mode. I can just picture a blue blue Dean sittin' at the bar... with a tear in his beer... thinkin' bout that very special lady that he let slip through his fingers.
Man o man...this tune really gets me goin'! Can't help but feelin' a little sorry for our great man! The way he's just pourin' his heart out to this lucky lady, man, she just HAS to take him back!!! I bet she does. How could anyone say no to our Dino?!
Well pals o mine...let's just picture Dean findin' that very special "Face In The Crowd", and mendon any open wounds. If anyone deserves a second chance...it's him!
I search each face in a crowd looking for you Just a hoping to see you again Those laughing eyes and tender lips that used to thrill me So I search every face in a crowd No matter where that I go I keep on staring For the face that belongs to you Just looking for the favorite color you're always wearing So I search every face in a crowd I know I've said that I didn't need you Every day every night oh how I failed But I'll keep hoping someday I'm gonna find you Some lucky minute some happy hour some lucky day So I'll search every face until I'll find you I didn't know that I'd miss you this way I hope I'm not too late because I love you So I search every face in a crowd So I search every face in a crowd
Hey pallies, on this seventeenth day of Dino-winter-month we join our pallie Mr. Kliph Nesteroff at his blog pad, "CLASSIC TELEVISION SHOWBIZ," where he has posted "The Dean Martin Christmas Special (1980)." This stunnin' Dino-speical first aired exactly 31 years ago this very Dino-day on December 16, 1980 on the peacock network, NBC.
Featured guests included Mr. Andy Gibb, Mr. Mel Tillis, Miss Beverly Sills, and Mr. Erik Estrada. We are invited to join our most beloved Dino and his stunnin' list of guests for a seasonal hour of music and occasional comedic skits. Likes I am sure that this fabulous Dino-winter-time special will surely gets all us Dino-holics in the Dino-mood!
Hats off to our pallie Kliph for findin' these youtube Dino-clips and postin' 'em at his great blog. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Not long now before Dino-winter-day, so enjoys pallies and keeps lovin' our Dino! Dino-sharin', DMP
Hey pallies, likes here's 'nother goodie for all us pallies to endulge in on our way to Dino-winter-day. From the pages of "SF Gate", the on-line presence of the San Francisco Chronicle, from correspondent Mr. David Wiegand comes news of a new documentary of Mr. Jerry Lewis airin' this Saturday night, December 17 at 8:00 EST on the Encore cable channel.
Wiegand gives a very finely crafted candid review of this new production on Mr. Lewis and his life and times. Likes as you will read below many A List pallies will be speakin' of Lewis' career, but likes of course what dudes likes us will be most interested in is what nuggets we can glean 'bout our Dino and his relationship with his partner of 10 years.
I finds it very illuminatin' that in referrin' to their relationship, as the tag of this Dino-message reports, Jerry states that "He needed a father figure" and that our most beloved Dino "needed a friend." Well, likes seems to this Dino-devotee that our Dino never ever needed anyone or anythin', but it will be intriguin' to hear Mr. Lewis' reflections his journey with our great man.
So, just a bit of a head's up 'bout this opportunity to learn more 'bout Martin and Lewis on this 16th day of our journey to Dino-winter-day and the honorin' of our ever-lovin' Dino. To read this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-message.
Thanks to Mr. David Wiegand and the pallies at SF Gate for puttin' us on to this Dino-opportunity. Dino-reportin', DMP
'Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis' TV review David Wiegand
Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis: Documentary. 8 p.m. Sat. on Encore.
At 85, Jerry Lewis has a lot to say and, to hear him tell it in a new two-hour documentary, a lot left to do in his singular career.
"Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis," airing Saturday on the Encore cable channel, focuses almost exclusively on Lewis' eight-decade career, all but ignoring his personal life beyond his apprenticeship to his vaudevillian parents and brief interviews with three of his children who are directly involved with Lewis' work.
If you want to know about his two marriages, his various health problems over the years, his addiction to painkillers or about the 2009 death of one of his children, look elsewhere.
Yet if you want to know what Jerry Lewis is like when he's not performing, the answer is simple: It never happens. Like his dad, Danny, Lewis says he was born to entertain people, and he's done that unrelentingly since the moment he was brought onstage during one of his parents' shows to sing "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" while decked out in a miniature tuxedo. He loved the applause, but when he inadvertently kicked out a footlight and made it explode, he also made the audience explode in laughter. He liked that even better.
Filmmaker Gregg Barson has created a hagiography about Lewis' career, with testimonials to the man's comic and filmmaking genius from the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Carol Burnett, John Landis, Quentin Tarantino, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Steven Spielberg, Carl Reiner and Woody Harrelson.
Seinfeld calls him the diamond of comedy. Crystal shakes his head in reverent wonder at how much shtick Lewis got away with when he played the Devil in a Broadway revival of "Damn Yankees." Richard Lewis says of the genius of his idiotic onscreen babbling, "He spoke this language that wildlife would laugh at."
They would, and we did. In fact, since the film is rich with clips from films such as "The Patsy," "The Nutty Professor" and "The Bellboy," you will find yourself laughing in spite of whatever wrongheaded idea you may have about Lewis being popular only in France. (Lewis himself says that based on fan mail alone, France ranks No. 6 on the list of nations who love him, behind such Jerry-philic outposts as the Netherlands and Germany.)
While still a teenager, Lewis broke into the business doing what was called a "record act" - comedic lip-syncing to recorded music. On July 25, 1946, he formed what would be a 10-year partnership with Dean Martin. He needed a father figure and Martin, he says, needed a friend. Their partnership is described correctly as a kind of love affair. Reiner recalls seeing them in 1947, saying their show was "hysterical mayhem."
Lewis is entirely correct when he says describes the adulation they received from fans as similar to what the Beatles encountered hitting the U.S. in the '60s. He's also correct when he says that their breakup was an equally huge moment in popular culture.
The popularity of Martin and Lewis was such that many people wondered how they could carve out individual careers for themselves. Of course, they did - Martin with several film roles and a popular TV variety show, and Lewis with a steady stream of hugely successful film comedies. Lewis' film success, however, was largely financial - he made millions for Paramount, and shrewdly ensured his own financial future when the rights to all his films returned to him after 30 years.
When it came to critical respect, though, Lewis rarely got it - at least not in the United States. As Burnett says, he's long overdue for a Kennedy Center Honor (just as she's overdue for the Mark Twain Humor Prize), but show business often fails to honor its elders until their names show up in the In Memoriam segment of the Oscars or some other awards show. Lewis says there are two things that are true in the world: Garbage gets thrown out every day, and old people are dismissed too easily or forgotten altogether.
From the moment he got on the set during the first Martin and Lewis film, "My Friend Irma," Lewis devoured information on how movies were made. He ended up directing his first film after Billy Wilder turned down the job, saying Lewis was the only person who could adequately direct his own script.
His work ethic is legendary. What may look like "hysterical mayhem" onscreen is the result of obsessive attention to every detail of a film by its star, director and writer. There's a brilliant scene in "The Patsy" where Lewis stumbles around a room, almost smashing one expensive vase after another, only to catch it each time just before it hits the floor. Lewis says he spent three weeks rehearsing that sequence and went through between 300 and 400 vases to make it work. Spielberg, a fan from childhood, lauds Lewis for inventing the video assist system, through which a director can judge a newly filmed scene on the set, without having to wait for the dailies.
Throughout the film, Lewis shares his knowledge and opinions. He knows what comedy is and what it isn't. He knows that delivery has to follow a certain beat. He also knows that every film has to have a clear structure, which causes us to wonder what "Method to the Madness" might have been if Lewis has directed it. Well, in a sense, he does, by dominating the film so completely. But the film is also a bit long and loosely structured. It's great to have such important talking heads, but after a while, they don't really contribute much new to the discussion.
What's also missing, frankly, is someone who is not a comic or a director who could have spoken with more detached authority of what Lewis has achieved in his career. Those achievements are pretty massive, yet "Method" only seems to scratch the surface.
Still, it's a start. And still, it's enough to convince you that Woody Harrelson is right: If you don't appreciate Jerry Lewis, I don't want to hang with you.
Hey pallies, likes it's the 15th day of Dino-winter-month and we are likes just ten days away from our Dino-winter-day rememberance. On this day we go to 'nother new-to-ilovedinomartin blog tagged "bulthaupsfblog.com." Likes I simply don't have a clue what all those letters stand for, but this is 'nother of those blogs that seems to share information from soup to nuts....literally!
Well, likes amind the huge diversity of posts found here is of course one on our most beloved Dino and his croonin' of Dino-seasonal tunes! Under the tag, "Requesting Your Favorite Dean Martin Christmas Songs over the Radio," comes some wonderful thoughts 'bout our wonderful Dino! The unknown scriber of this Dino-prose strikes the right Dino-chord when they say, "Dean Martin Christmas Songs still remain quite popular even until the present time." Indeed, Dino-winter-tunes are more popular then ever!
Likes this is the third sorta "random" Dino-winter-song post that ilovedinomartin has shared this year....just goes to show that likes you just never ever know where Dino-devotion will turns up next! ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to the pallies at "bulthaupsfblog.com" for honorin' the seasonal music of our Dino in this way. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-message. Dino-delightedly, DMP
Requesting Your Favorite Dean Martin Christmas Songs over the Radio
2011 12.11
Christmas songs can be considered as an important part of every yuletide celebration. Without these songs filling the streets as well as homes, Christmas will never be the same. With this fact, Christmas songs are continuously being created with new renditions and versions. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that the classic yuletide music such as Dean Martin Christmas songs will go out of trend. On the contrary, Dean Martin Christmas Songs still remain quite popular even until the present time. This is evident with the fact that most people would still request the said Christmas songs over the radio.
Indeed, it can be quite nostalgic to hear classic yuletide music like Dean Martin Christmas Songs being played over the radio. By listening to these songs, you are reminded how joyful and fun it is to celebrate the yuletide season with friends and loved ones. Nonetheless, people could also try purchasing their own Christmas songs album in order to make the whole yuletide season experience complete.
Hey pallies, likes you dudes knows how much our Dino loves to put the accent on youth, and how international Dino-devotion has become, well likes on this fourteenth day of Dino-winter-month, I've rounded up for all youse Dino-philes a post that stunnin'ly combines international youthful Dino-devotion!
From the blog vid pad "Vimeo" comes a Dino-seasonal vid created by nouveau hipster Mr. Anton Raduchits of Uman, Ukraine. Our pallie Anton has set part of our most beloved Dino's swingin' winter tune, "Let It Snow," to a rad graphic vid process tagged "Kinetic Typography."
Although this groovy vid is short in length..it is obviously long in Dino-devotion. Likes of all the seasonal tunes that Ukranian Raduchits coulda chosen to use...he used a Dino-winter-classic...and likes how cool is that!
ilovedinomartin salutes youthful Dino-devotee Mr. Anton Raduchits for his efforts on behalf of the Dino-cause! Dude, you are showin' that Dino-passion knows no boundaries when it comes to age or geographic location! To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of these Dino-words. Dino-awed, DMP
Dean Martin - Let it snow Kinetic Typography by Anton Raduchits
Hey pals...Happy New Year!!! What a great time it truly is my friends! 2011 was such a Dino-blast! Dean was all over the place! We got new dvd's, new cd's, the "Cool Then, Cool Now" book & all kinds of Dino-patter! I simply cannot wait to see what 2012 brings our way! 
