"A Trip Down Memory Lane."
The title of pallie David's post is tagged, "Martin And Lewis: The End of The Laughter," and is a well written bit of Dino-prose puttin' the accent of the break-up of Martin and Lewis after a decade of fame and fortune.
Lobosco likes speaks such Dino-truth when he sez, "After ten years together Martin and Lewis were calling it quits, and even today some 56 years later we are still wondering why they broke up." David goes on to relate many pertinent details on their last performances at the Copacabana night club.
ilovedinomartin salutes are Dino-devoted pallie Mr. David Lososco for sharin' such a timely post with his readership and helpin' 'em to grow in knowin', lovin', and honorin' our most beloved Dino. To checks this out in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Dino-always, ever, and only, DMP
MARTIN AND LEWIS: THE END OF THE LAUGHTER
After ten years together Martin and Lewis were calling it quits, and even today some 56 years later we are still wondering why they broke up. The common perception was that Dean Martin was the lazy one. He wanted to take it easy and play golf. Jerry Lewis was the fiercely driven workaholic, who never wanted to stop performing. There may be some truth to those rumors but through the research I have done I think there was something much deeper.
Dean Martin was the one who initiated the split, although Jerry Lewis knew it was happening. Dean was sick and tired of being known as the "straight man" and even "stooge" for his partner. The performing the team did was okay but Dean had grown to hate the Martin and Lewis films, claiming he played an "idiot" in all of them. By 1956, the plots had become pretty much the same. Dean sang two songs in the film and got the pretty girl, but Jerry got all the laughs and best scenes and storylines. The reviews for the boys' movies were becoming startlingly similar as well. While all of the critics raved over Jerry's brilliant comedy, Dean was mostly looked upon as a mediocre singer who was an afterthought in the film.
So after filming their final picture picture together Hollywood Or Bust the previous June, Dean and Jerry announced to a shocked public that they were going to split up and go their separate ways. (Supposedly during the filming of this final film, Martin and Lewis did not even speak to each other unless they were filming. The anger was also evident in their performances. During the last engagement at the Copa, during one of their comedy routines, Dean slammed his foot down on Jerry's foot with the force of a piledriver, and Jerry had to peform in bedroom slippers for the next several performances. Dean told the press it was an unfortunate accident though.
During their final engagement at the Copa, every celebrity possible was there such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and Jackie Gleason - to just name a few. The showgirls who performed with Martin and Lewis had tears in their eyes, and all eyes were on the comedy duo for this last performance. They did their usual act - Dean singing a few songs, and Jerry clowning around. Their final bit singing the title song from their movie Pardners, and they walked off of the stage. Jackie Gleason jumped up on the stage ,and yelled "Folks, this can't be allowed to happen!"-but after ten years together it was the end.
The general consensus was that Jerry really was devastated by the split, but that Dean was actually relieved. Martin was anxious to move on to a solo phase of his career. On that night, Lewis supposedly had to be sedated, but Martin went home and had fried egg sandwiches with his wife.
Jerry Lewis would gone on to be one of the most popular movie comedians of the 1960s, and he directed many of his own movies he made for Paramount. Everyone predicted that Dean would fade away, but for the next two decades Dino was one of the most popular television and recording stars of his generation.
Mutual friend Frank Sinatra would orchestrate a reunion exactly twenty years after their split when he brought Dino out during Jerry Lewis' MDA telethon show. They had not spoke to each other in twenty years. Lewis was moved by the reunion. He claimed that he and Dean kept in touch after that reunion, but from what I know about Lewis he is a history revisionist, and his versions of events often are told as to make him look better. Publicly they would be seen together one more time. For Dino's 75th birthday in 1992, Jerry Lewis brought out a cake during one of Dean's performances. It was one of Dean's last performances, and it was a final end to an association that only lasted ten years, but it has entertained audiences for nearly six times that amount. Dean Martin died on Christmas Day in 1995, and Jerry Lewis is still making appearancesand even working on a movie, despite failing health. I like to remember the two as great entertainers, great performers, and as the song says "best pardners, buddies, and pals"...
5 comments:
Jerry attended Dino, Jr.'s funeral and Dean didn't even know until someone told him later on. Jerry was in the back of the crowd and wanted no attention. Dean's reaction when he was told? He said, "That's classy." He then called Jerry and they spoke on the phone for quite a while. I'll always respect Jerry for that.
Hey pallie, likes Miss Carol, thanks ever so much for remindin' all us pallies of that heart-warmin' story about Mr. Lewis. Indeed, it certainly shows much about his love and devotion to our Dino. Keeps lovin' our Dino!
Hey pallie, likes Miss Catherine, likes I believe that I remember the article of which you speak, but alas, I do not know where to locate it at this time. Keeps lovin' our most beloved Dino!
Post a Comment