Hey pallies, likes hot on the heels of Monday's and Tuesday's Dino-grams awesomely accentin' Canadian Mr. Norm Macdonald's heroism of our most beloved Dino, today we are fantastically fully filled with the deepest of deep Dino-happiness 'cause as we were doin' a bit of 'net searchin' for delightful Dino-devotion (which we never ever have 'nough time to do) we were lovin'ly led to the awesomest of awesome adulation of our Dino by a totally totally sold-out-to-Dino pallie tagged Karl...and he, too, names the name of our Dino as his HERO!Likes Karl's cooler then cool cyber home pad is simply tagged "K-Web, and likes his deepest of deep devotion to our most beloved Dino is swankly shared in his perfectly powerfully potent post's terrifically tagged "Dean Martin – A Homage to My Hero." All youse Dino-philes oughta be able to keenly know by that title that Karl is graciously givin' his touchin' 'n tender testimony of his purest of pure passion for our Dino!
Likes pallies, our new pallie Karl's huge homage to his hero....our one, our only Dino is so so swankly scribed and is lovin'ly ladened with the wisest of wise words of wisdom for Karl's beautifully "bold statement" that "Dean Martin by all accounts was the greatest all-round showbiz celebrity that ever lived!" And, likes dudes we woulda coolly certify that Karl powerfully proves his point with extraordinary example after extraordinary example from the life, times, and teachin's of our Dino that our most beloved Dino is all that Karl proudly proclaims him to be!
Likes we coulda goes on and on reverently reflectin' on Karl's amazin' adoration of our Dino, but likes then youse woulda have to wait longer to read it for yourself. Let's just say that we stand in awe, yes in awe pallies of Karl's deepest of deep devotion to our one and only Dino and we are certain that anyone who reads his refreshin' reflections will themselves grow greatly in knowin', lovin', and honorin' our King of Cool.
Once 'gain, we gotta 'fess up that truly mere words fail us in expressin' our greatest of great gratitude to pallie Karl for his extraordinary efforts in so coolly, candidly proudly professin' his amazin'ly awesome amore of our beautifully beloved Dino! To checks this out in it's original source, likes simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. btw pallies, we be sure to checks out the vid that Karl shares at the end of his perfect prose....'two minutes of pure Dino-pleasure accentin' the swankest of swank moments for the bestest of the best Helmer's "Murder's Row."
We remain,
Yours in Dino,
Dino Martin Peters
October 5, 2016
Dean Martin – A Homage to My Hero
Dean Martin by all accounts was the greatest all-round showbiz celebrity that ever lived! …a bold statement you might be saying but I will try to back it up and do him justice.
Dean Martin possessed one of the richest and most seductive voices of his generation, as fetching as his leading-man good looks. Of American singers of his day, only Nat King Cole had a more serene and comforting way of articulating notes. Even Sinatra couldn’t achieve that kind of soothing resonance in the lower range. Martin’s phrasing was assured and he seemed never to go off pitch. His stage presence was unsurpassed. No performer was more relaxed and unruffled in front of an audience radiating a kind of charm and offhand charisma that I doubt we would ever see the likes of again. And talk about Cool, well Elvis Presley may have coined the phrase that 
Dean Martin is the King of Cool but it was rubber-stamped when Playboy called him “the coolest man who ever lived.” His early beginning are stuff that movie script-writers should fall over themselves to put on screen, if they tried they would see why when reaching the top of his game he would step back a little or maybe a little more than just a little. See he would rather have the quiet less traumatic showbiz life, not getting involved in Hollywood Parties, not get into scuffles etc. and never taking himself too seriously, his heart was too big for all that! He was very religious a devout Catholic and devoted family man but one with a huge respect for the millions of his adoring fans. His modesty was tinged with slight low self esteem which did mark him as a complicated celebrity among other stars at the time but also made him incredibly flexible and funny. In fact anyone who had the pleasure to be in Dean Martin’s company would often remark that Dean was the nicest and funniest man they ever met. Martin Scorsese short-sightedly said that to do a film about Dean Martin would be painstakingly difficult as he pulled away in life, but in fact stepping back as such are truly endearing qualities of the man and why his own fellow Rat-Packers loved him even more so for them. Dean Martin was indeed a true Gent, his personality was to do in part with his Italian heritage and the old ways, ways that kept the world ‘lontano’, as the mafiosi would say: “distant, safe, and wisely at bay.” Hollywood should not give up on this great story, maybe try Ron Howard, Eastwood or Spielberg, this biopic just gotta be done and I’d further recommend to make it into a 4 parts Mini-Series, I bet it would be viewed by millions;
Dean Martin is the King of Cool but it was rubber-stamped when Playboy called him “the coolest man who ever lived.” His early beginning are stuff that movie script-writers should fall over themselves to put on screen, if they tried they would see why when reaching the top of his game he would step back a little or maybe a little more than just a little. See he would rather have the quiet less traumatic showbiz life, not getting involved in Hollywood Parties, not get into scuffles etc. and never taking himself too seriously, his heart was too big for all that! He was very religious a devout Catholic and devoted family man but one with a huge respect for the millions of his adoring fans. His modesty was tinged with slight low self esteem which did mark him as a complicated celebrity among other stars at the time but also made him incredibly flexible and funny. In fact anyone who had the pleasure to be in Dean Martin’s company would often remark that Dean was the nicest and funniest man they ever met. Martin Scorsese short-sightedly said that to do a film about Dean Martin would be painstakingly difficult as he pulled away in life, but in fact stepping back as such are truly endearing qualities of the man and why his own fellow Rat-Packers loved him even more so for them. Dean Martin was indeed a true Gent, his personality was to do in part with his Italian heritage and the old ways, ways that kept the world ‘lontano’, as the mafiosi would say: “distant, safe, and wisely at bay.” Hollywood should not give up on this great story, maybe try Ron Howard, Eastwood or Spielberg, this biopic just gotta be done and I’d further recommend to make it into a 4 parts Mini-Series, I bet it would be viewed by millions;
PART1. Dean’s early beginnings: Where he delivered bootleg liquor, served as a speak-easy croupier and blackjack dealer, worked in a steel mill, a back-door fist-fighter who would get paid only on a knock-out later to wear the gloves and legally fight, briefly ruling the ring as boxing phenomenon, Kid Crochet. Winning his share of bouts earned him little apart from a broken nose, but Dino’s speakeasy experience put him in contact with club owners, resulting in his first singing gigs.
PART2. His meeting with Jerry Lewis and there time together is truly an amazing relationship with all the ups and downs to make it too good a story not to be immortalized. They were together the highest paid movie double act ever in showbiz history. One story has it that Jerry came down with hepatitis right before the duo’s opening night at Ciro’s, Lewis was dumbfounded by the extent of this Dean’s nonchalance where he alone would be faced by the Hollywood elite but to prepare, Martin decided to play a round of golf. “What, you’re going to do a single for the first time in eight years, and you’re not planning a strategy?” Lewis asked. “You’re not going to rehearse?” Martin responded: “Rehearse what? All I need is our music books. I pick a couple of tunes, throw in a couple of ideas that feel right, and have some fun” …There’s a term in Italian for this kind of attitude: menefreghismo, a couldn’t-care-less manner that brings with it overtones of extreme macho coolness and total disregard for all consequences. No entertainer from the 20th century captured this posture with more authenticity than Dean Martin.
PART3. His rise and rise after Lewis, his films, television, Rat-Pack and Las Vegas years
are all pretty well documented, but also interestingly was in 1968, Dean signed the biggest contract in show business history. He signed a 3 year contract for $34 million to do three more seasons of his hit series The Dean Martin Show. This would be a very unique contract: since Dean hated rehearsing, he would not have to show up all week to rehearse the show. A stand-in took over Dean’s role at rehearsals, while Dean played golf Monday through Thursday. He’d look over his lines during the week, but mostly he’d golf. Then on Friday, he would show up and tape the show. I would also include in this part that rarest of moments when both Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were both at the Sands in Las Vegas doing their own separate shows at the same time in 1960 and would gate-crash eachother and comic mayhem would ensue, an absolute treat for the audience who were witness to these two entertainers at the height of their careers.
PART4. His latter life, 1976 onwards, his on-going Las Vegas shows, and it’s this year where Dean would honour Jerry Lewis on his annual Telethon in raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and his dedication year on year and then followed by that legendary 1977
reunion organised by Frank Sinatra, raising more money that year than in history of the show… Dean coming to terms or maybe never really recovering from the death of his Son and his continual friendship with Jerry Lewis after seeing him at a distance attending that funeral. Dean making up with his dearest friend Frank Sinatra after a falling out on a Rat pack revival tour, and settling a family affairs knowing his death was imminent a legacy his children would keep in the minds of all his fans through their own cherished love for their father. Finally his Death on Christmas Day, a day coincidently was the day his dearly beloved mother died also on… Christmas Day 1995 on hearing the news that Dean Martin had died all the Casinos on the Vegas Strip had turned off their lights for one minute to commemorate Dean Martin’s passing.
PART2. His meeting with Jerry Lewis and there time together is truly an amazing relationship with all the ups and downs to make it too good a story not to be immortalized. They were together the highest paid movie double act ever in showbiz history. One story has it that Jerry came down with hepatitis right before the duo’s opening night at Ciro’s, Lewis was dumbfounded by the extent of this Dean’s nonchalance where he alone would be faced by the Hollywood elite but to prepare, Martin decided to play a round of golf. “What, you’re going to do a single for the first time in eight years, and you’re not planning a strategy?” Lewis asked. “You’re not going to rehearse?” Martin responded: “Rehearse what? All I need is our music books. I pick a couple of tunes, throw in a couple of ideas that feel right, and have some fun” …There’s a term in Italian for this kind of attitude: menefreghismo, a couldn’t-care-less manner that brings with it overtones of extreme macho coolness and total disregard for all consequences. No entertainer from the 20th century captured this posture with more authenticity than Dean Martin.
PART3. His rise and rise after Lewis, his films, television, Rat-Pack and Las Vegas years
are all pretty well documented, but also interestingly was in 1968, Dean signed the biggest contract in show business history. He signed a 3 year contract for $34 million to do three more seasons of his hit series The Dean Martin Show. This would be a very unique contract: since Dean hated rehearsing, he would not have to show up all week to rehearse the show. A stand-in took over Dean’s role at rehearsals, while Dean played golf Monday through Thursday. He’d look over his lines during the week, but mostly he’d golf. Then on Friday, he would show up and tape the show. I would also include in this part that rarest of moments when both Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were both at the Sands in Las Vegas doing their own separate shows at the same time in 1960 and would gate-crash eachother and comic mayhem would ensue, an absolute treat for the audience who were witness to these two entertainers at the height of their careers.PART4. His latter life, 1976 onwards, his on-going Las Vegas shows, and it’s this year where Dean would honour Jerry Lewis on his annual Telethon in raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and his dedication year on year and then followed by that legendary 1977
reunion organised by Frank Sinatra, raising more money that year than in history of the show… Dean coming to terms or maybe never really recovering from the death of his Son and his continual friendship with Jerry Lewis after seeing him at a distance attending that funeral. Dean making up with his dearest friend Frank Sinatra after a falling out on a Rat pack revival tour, and settling a family affairs knowing his death was imminent a legacy his children would keep in the minds of all his fans through their own cherished love for their father. Finally his Death on Christmas Day, a day coincidently was the day his dearly beloved mother died also on… Christmas Day 1995 on hearing the news that Dean Martin had died all the Casinos on the Vegas Strip had turned off their lights for one minute to commemorate Dean Martin’s passing.
It is around Christmas where Dean has the perfect voice for festive songs. His version of Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! in 1959 is the best and most popular adaptation of a classic song about snow. It amused Martin that his hit song about snow was written in California by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne on America’s hottest day of 1945. In 2009 He was honoured and awarded a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Note worthy also Dean Martin is one of few actors that have received not just one, but TWO, stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for Motion Pictures at 6519 Hollywood Blvd., and one for Television at 6651 Hollywood Blvd. The man could act, sing, dance, emcee, play the straight man to Jerry Lewis, or tell his own jokes. He could improvise routines with the Rat Pack in front of a casino audience, or host a TV variety show. He could play a credible cowboy or a super spy in a Hollywood film, but he was just as happy acting like a drunk on stage or performing one of his ethnic novelty songs that mixed Italian phrases and American slang. His signature theme song, “Everybody Loves Somebody resonates because when we hear it what they felt was love , love for a star an idol and of mystery who really was ahead of his game and everybody wanted a piece of that, and yes Everybody Loves Dean Martin…
My favourite all time classic film of Dean Martin is “Kiss me Stupid”
Classic albums not to miss are;”This Time I’m Swingin'”, “Sleep Warm” and “Dream with Dean” Also check out his live but serious singing of songs such as; “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and “Little Green Apples” And his other classic renditions of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Story of Life”….showcasing how truly gifted and remarkable his vocal range was.
Classic albums not to miss are;”This Time I’m Swingin'”, “Sleep Warm” and “Dream with Dean” Also check out his live but serious singing of songs such as; “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and “Little Green Apples” And his other classic renditions of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Story of Life”….showcasing how truly gifted and remarkable his vocal range was.
2 comments:
Karl is DEF a cool cool cat & fit lots of Dino-info into his blog! Any friend of Dean's is a pallie of mine!
Hey pallie, likes Danny-o, Karl is the kind of dude that we woulda loves to Dino-dialogue with 'cause he obviously is deeply deeply devoted to our most most beloved Dino! Keeps lovin' 'n sharin' our one, our only Dino!
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