Wednesday, January 24, 2018

.....the biography of Martin, the autobiography of Lewis and the memory of an America that no longer exists.....

Hey pallies, likes yesterday Greece, today Italy....we continued to be absolutely awed by the many and varied powerfully potent pieces of incredibly international Dino-devotion that keeps pourin' in from so so many  parts of the Dino-globe.  Today, likes we said, we visit with a blogger from the land of Dino-heritage, Italy.  The blog is tagged in Italiano, "SOLO QUALCHE PAROLA - quel po' di mondo che riesco a sbirciare mentre cresco due figli," which translate into English as "ONLY A FEW WORDS -
that little bit of the world I can peek at while I'm raising two children."   The Italian lady blogger who tags herself, "Francescob," tells us 'bout herself that, "I'm married, I have two children and I'm a lawyer."

Likes today we are perfectly pleased to share "Francescob's" post, "Dean & Me - A love story."
As youse can probably tell from how we tagged this Dino-gram and for her title that this post accents Mr. Jerry Lewis' lovin' look as his decade long relationship with our most beloved Dino.  It's a remarkable review, well written and full of heartfelt homage for our Dino and his comedic partner.

"Francescob" wonderful work includes perfect prose and potent poses, as well as a youtube clip of our fav of fav Dino and Jerry silver screen epic, "Artists & Models.  She delightfully declares, "from comic book fan, my favorite movie of the couple could only be "Artists & Models".  Likes, of course, we couldn't 'gree more with her!

We solemnly salute "Francescob" for puttin' her readership onto this touchin' 'n tender tome of absolutely awesome amore of our Dino by scriber Mr. Jerry Lewis.  Anyone who has ever or will ever read this book simply must fall deeper 'n deeper in love with our King of Cool!  To checks this out in it's original format, simply clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram.

We Remain,

Yours in Dino,

Dino Martin Peters




"Dean & Me - A love story"


In the decade between 1946 and 1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis achieved incredible success, far beyond their own expectations and perhaps beyond anyone's expectations.7be26e178a-e952-4344-890b-22734d0a23887dimg100
Separately, at the end of the Second World War, the two led stunted existences, on the edge of the New York showbusinnes. Lewis mimed songs dressed in improbable costumes, and Martin had a few dollars as a singer. They occupied hotel rooms "so small that the rats occasionally had to get out to get some air" and waited in a spasmodic way for the big occasion, which seemed to escape them.
Then, in 1946, an occasional meeting, which lights up the imagination of Lewis and to which he follows a sort of courtship. He would show Martin how fun he was and would have convinced him to perform with him. What was the result of that courtship, as they say, is history.
Little by little, the unlikely couple formed by the handsome Italian and the amusing Jew earned a reputation for performance after exhibition, first in small clubs and then in the most prestigious theaters of America.
Their live shows were sold out and crowds of thousands of people blocked traffic in Times Square in New York hoping to see them looking out of their dressing room windows.
They were what is called a phenomenon of custom. The theatrical entrepreneurs contended for their presence at the sound of crazy economic offers and their films were a guaranteed success, so much so that the producers offered them pharaonic contracts.
Still, one of the most successful comic couples in history has stood together for only ten years. A short period, one would say, especially in light of the success obtained.
After the separation, arrived in 1956 after a good sixteen films, a silence interrupted only in a few circumstances and a surprise reunion, desired by a mutual friend of the two, Frank Sinatra, on the stage of the Telethon led by Lewis, in 1976. This meeting was not followed by a recomposition of the comic duo, but the two people who had gone through the United States together to bring down the theaters were again ready to be friends and to face together, albeit with a little assiduous attendance, the last part of their lives.
"Dean & Me - a love story" by Jerry Lewis traces all ten years of intense experience of these two sacred monsters of comedy, tells us of their humble origins, their stunted beginnings, the years of shared success and the one pursued by each person on his own and goes as far as the years of old age, up to a definitive separation, following the death of Martin, in 1995.a260a7c40b8cb93bbf128705dc298ed2
Funny, interesting, sad and melancholy at the same time, this biography responds to the question that has plagued the couple's fans since 1956. That is, why separate, right at the peak of success?
Lewis tells so many private anecdotes, so many unknown facts about the life of both of them, often with a tone that is too heartfelt to be less than sincere. Raises the curtain and allows the reader to peek behind the scenes, opens the doors of hotel rooms shared by him and Martin, even leads to evenings of excesses made of alcohol and women, that the two have never denied, although they were both married.
This book, which can be read in a moment, is the biography of Martin, the autobiography of Lewis and the memory of an America that no longer exists, able to laugh at a slight humor and to dream to the rhythm of melodies so much romantic to be mawkish, yet so beautiful.
Recommended? Highly recommended.
Personal note: from comic book fan, my favorite movie of the couple could only be "Artists & Models". Set in the world of comics during that climate of hypocritical disapproval of the drawn literature that led to the approval of the Comics Code, presents us an excellent Dean Martin in the role of a comics designer and an exhilarating Jerry Lewis in the role of a comic book reader with the brain "burned".



“Dean & Me – Una storia d’amore”


Nel decennio compreso tra il 1946 e il 1956, Dean Martin e Jerry Lewis hanno ottenuto un successo incredibile, ben al di là delle loro stesse attese e forse al di là delle attese di chiunque.7be26e178a-e952-4344-890b-22734d0a23887dimg100
Separatamente, alla fine della seconda guerra mondiale, i due conducevano esistenze stentate, ai margini dello showbusinnes di New York. Lewis mimava canzoni vestito di costumi improbabili e Martin raggranellava qualche dollaro come cantante. Occupavano camere d’albergo “tanto piccole che i topi ogni tanto dovevano uscirne per prendere un po’ d’aria” e attendevano in modo spasmodico la grande occasione, che sembrava rifuggirli.
Poi, nel 1946, un incontro occasionale, che accende l’immaginazione di Lewis e al quale lui fa seguire una sorta di corteggiamento. Avrebbe dimostrato a Martin quanto era divertente e l’avrebbe convinto a esibirsi con lui. Quale sia stato l’esito di quel corteggiamento, come si suol dire, è storia.
Poco per volta, l’improbabile coppia formata dal bell’italiano e dal divertente ebreo si guadagnò la fama esibizione dopo esibizione, dapprima in piccoli locali e poi nei teatri più prestigiosi d’America.
I loro spettacoli dal vivo erano sold out e folle di migliaia di persone bloccavano il traffico in Times Square a New York nella speranza di poterli scorgere affacciati dalla finestra dei loro camerini.
Erano quello che si dice un fenomeno di costume. Gli impresari teatrali si contendevano la loro presenza a suon di offerte economiche pazzesche e i loro film erano un successo garantito, tanto che i produttori offrivano loro contratti faraonici.
Eppure, una delle coppie comiche di maggior successo nella storia ha resistito insieme per solo dieci anni. Un periodo breve, verrebbe da dire, specie alla luce del successo ottenuto.
Dopo la separazione, arrivata nel 1956 dopo ben sedici film all’attivo, un silenzio interrotto solo in poche circostanze e una reunion a sorpresa, voluta da un comune amico dei due, Frank Sinatra, sul palco del Telethon condotto da Lewis, nel 1976. A questo incontro non è seguita una ricomposizione del duo comico, ma le due persone che avevano attraversato insieme gli Stati Uniti facendo venire giù i teatri erano di nuovo pronte a essere amici e ad affrontare insieme, seppure con un frequentazione poco assidua, l’ultima parte delle loro esistenze.
“Dean & Me – una storia d’amore” di Jerry Lewis ripercorre tutti e dieci gli anni vissuti davvero intensamente da questi due mostri sacri della comicità, ci racconta delle loro umili origini, dei loro inizi stentati, degli anni del successo condiviso e di quello inseguito da ciascuno per proprio conto e si spinge fino agli anni della vecchiaia, fino a una separazione definitiva, seguita alla morte di Martin, nel 1995.a260a7c40b8cb93bbf128705dc298ed2
Divertente, interessante, triste e malinconico nello stesso tempo, questa biografia risponde alla domanda che ha assillato i fan della coppia dal 1956. Ossia, perché separarsi, proprio all’apice del successo?
Lewis racconta tanti aneddoti privati, tanti fatti sconosciuti della vita di entrambi, spesso con un tono troppo accorato per risultare meno che sincero. Solleva il sipario e consente al lettore di sbirciare dietro le quinte, apre le porte delle camere d’albergo condivise da lui e da Martin, lo conduce persino alle serate di eccessi fatte di alcol e donne, che i due non si sono mai negati, seppure fossero entrambi sposati.
Questo libro che si lascia leggere in un attimo è insieme la biografia di Martin, l’autobiografia di Lewis e il ricordo di un’America che non c’é più, capace di ridere di un umorismo lieve e di sognare al ritmo di melodie tanto romantiche da risultare sdolcinate, eppure così belle.
Consigliato? Consigliatissimo.
Nota personale: da appassionato di fumetti, il mio film preferito della coppia non poteva che essere “Artisti & Modelle”. Ambientato nel mondo dei fumetti durante quel clima di disapprovazione ipocrita nei confronti della letteratura disegnata che condusse all’approvazione del Comics Code, ci presenta un ottimo Dean Martin nei panni di un disegnatore di comics e un esilarante Jerry Lewis nel ruolo di un lettore di fumetti con il cervello “bruciato”.

4 comments:

Danny G. said...

Very cool review of “the Jer’s” book. Gets my brain sizzlin’ just readin’ how Francesco dug the read. Great post, pal!

dino martin peters said...

Hey pallie, likes Danny-o, we coolly concur...we loves to learn of more and more pallies from 'round the globe are constantly diggin' Dino, and often his beloved partner Mr. Jerry Lewis.
Keeps lovin' 'n sharin' our most beloved DINO!

Always On Watch said...

An excellent book! I've read it more than once.

dino martin peters said...

Hey pallie, likes Miss AOW, we have well delved deeply into this Dino-tome more than once...and will be doin' so soon 'gain. Keeps lovin' our most beloved DINO!