Hey pallies, likes cool Dino-finds are likes just floodin' the web this Dino-week...to my total total Dino-delight. From the site "STUPEFACTION" comes this most astoundin' and very rare footage of our Dino in the Capitol recordin' studio with live orchestra makin' music.
As you will read below, this recently placed on youtube vid from created in 1951 as a promo film shown only to record execs. Featurin' Mel Blanc as a record dealer and Billy May as a potential, but resistant customer, the two eventually end up over at Capitol Records where among other greats they gets to see our Dino recordin' a tune live.
Likes pallies, it is so so thrillin' to see our Dino there in the studio croonin' away while the orchestra plays...certainly makes me likes very very desirous of bein' in that studio with our great man seein' him create a new recordin' for all his millions of pallies likes to enjoy.
ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to the pallies at STUPEFACTION for postin' this long lost film gem. BTW....the segment on our Dino begins 'bout 16:20 and only last a precious few seconds...but it is an absolutely awesomely rare Dino-experience for all us Dino-holics. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this her Dino-message. Dino-awed, DMP
Movie of the Week - Buy a record with Mel Blanc at Wallichs Music City
Filmed in wonderful color, this special promotional film was made in 1951. It's 35 minutes long and of perfect quality. This lost gem, never shown to the public, was used for promotional use only among record executives, and hasn't been seen in over 55 years.
Mel plays a record dealer who is desperately trying to sell anyone a record at the corner of Sunset & Vine streets in Hollywood, California. While pestering several people Billy May approaches playing a regular guy walking down the street. Mel takes him into his record store (Wallichs Music City) and proceeds to pitch everything in the store to him.
In the end Billy won't pay the 85 cents for a record & Mel decides to show him exactly how records are made. They go over to the Capitol Records recording studios on Melrose, and meet with Alan Livingston who takes them on a tour. Here is where they run into several famous folks while getting into a little bit of mischief along the way. We get to see rare footage of Dean Martin in the studio actually recording one of his hit records. They run into Les Paul and Mary Ford, a vocal group, a country & western singer (Merle Travis?), and even Bozo the Clown.
Hey pallies, likes the Dino-magic is sparklin' all over the 'net these days. The Copacabana where our Dino and the kid startin' performin in 1949 is re-opennin' tonight in a new location in Times Square and as part of the celebration the pallies at the online presence of the New York Post have likes created a timeline of the good ol' Copa.
As mentioned the timeline highlights the fact that the Team of Martin and Lewis began appearin' there in 1949 and likes of all the great entertainers who have appeared on it's stage over the decades, likes who's pix does they decide to include as the leader of the "A-list of line-up?"
Likes none other then our Dino...with that radest of the rad pixs of our amazin' Dino readin' from the tome, "The Drinking Man's Diet." It certainly is one of the coolest Dino-poses ever created and likes how totally totally cool that the pallies at The New York Post chose to put the accent on our beloved Dino as they put the accent on the re-opennin' of the Copacabana!
ilovedinomartin sez our Dino-thanks to the pallies at the New York Post for sharin' such a stellar pix of our great man with the great news of the re-opennin' of the Copa! To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-message. Dino-delightedly, DMP
The Copacabana: A timeline Last Updated: 5:14 AM, July 12, 2011
Posted: 11:57 PM, July 11, 2011
* 1941: At the start of the new year, the Copacabana opens for business at 10 E. 60th St. Later that year, America goes to war.
* 1947: Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda star in the film “Copacabana.”
* 1949: Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin start performing at the club, part of a large group of A-list performers who would frequent the Copa in the coming decades.
* 1957: Shortly after the club’s dining room is integrated, Yankees Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra are involved in an infamous tussle with alleged loudmouths who were heckling headliner Sammy Davis Jr. As usual, the Yankees recorded several hits.
* 1965: The Supremes make their debut at the Copa.
* 1969: The famous Copa Girl dance team is disbanded.
* 1973: Original owner Monte Proser dies, and the club sits empty for nearly three years.
* 1976: John Juliano takes over the Copacabana and operates it like the discotheques that were popular at the time.
* 1978: Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana” crashes the Billboard charts with the tale of a one-time showgirl working in a disco. Juliano gets the idea to revisit the Copa’s roots and host a Latin theme night. It’s a hit.
Dean Martin led the A-list lineup.
* 1992: The Copa moves to 617 W. 57th St., where it operates until 2002.
* 2003: The Copa takes over a cavernous space at 560 W. 34th St. as a nightclub and special events venue.
* 2007: Construction on the rapidly developing West Side causes the Copa to close once again halfway through the year.
* TONIGHT: The Copacabana reopens in Times Square with a live performance by salsa legend Willie Colon.
Hey pallies, likes the "humorous recipe for 'Martin Burgers'" first featured here some time 'go has been makin' it way 'round the 'net the last several days certainly helpin' to bring the name of our Dino front and center likes where it always always belongs. Anyway, one of the coolest results of the ground beef and bourbon Dino-recipe is that it triggered memories for Mr. Richard Metzger, blogger extraordinare of "Dangerous Minds," of his "own encounter with the legendary entertainer."
What follows pallies, is one of those bigger then life...true life Dino-encounters that likes most of us Dino-holics only are able to dream of....bein' in the livin' presence of The King Of Cool! Mr. Metzger, at the tender age of 26, discovered that our beloved Dino often dined 'lone at the Beverly Hills Hamburger Hamlet and he and a couple of pallies went to said Hamlet in hopes of meetin' our great man...and meet him they did.
I loves sharin' everythin' with a Dino-connection, but likes I so so loves to be able to read and share 'nother's real life rendezvous with our great man...so likes it gives me the greatest of great Dino-pleasure to pass this amazin' Dino-tale 'long to all you pallies.
This is likes truly truly a supreme Dino-read and likes I woulda encourage all you Dino-philes to likes takes the time to soak in each and every Dino-detail...bein' in the presence of Dino certainly musta be likes the most amazin' experience that one coulda ever experience in this here life!
Hat Off to Mr. Richard Metzger for sharin' his amazin' personal experience of meetin' our reason for bein'...and for sharin' it in the coolest of cool ways possible...likes how envious I am of a dude like Mr. Metzger who went one-on-one with the one and only Dino! To read this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-message. Dino-awed, DMP
Richard Metzger: The time I met Dean Martin 07.08.2011 01:44 pm
Topics: Heroes
Tags: Richard Metzger Dean Martin
There is a humorous recipe for “Martin Burgers” that Dean Martin came up with (grill some ground beef, pour a shot of bourbon, done!) that was posted on the Letters of Note Twitter feed today that reminded me of my own encounter with the legendary entertainer. It also involves hamburgers. And bourbon. It’s one of my favorite stories to tell. Gather ‘round, children…
This event took place in, I think, 1992, when I was 26-years-old. I’d recently read Nick Tosches’ excellent biography of Martin, Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams, and I was on a Dean Martin “kick” that culminated in me having a professional photo house make me a 6 ft. by 6 ft. photo mural of the above Dean Martin album cover (which Boing Boing’s Mark Fraunenfelder once described in Wired. I still have it, but it’s not hanging up).
I was absolutely fascinated by Martin, the very definition of the devil-may-care roué who truly wasn’t impressed by anything or anyone. Beauty? He had more women than he knew what to do with. Fame? Come on. Money? Please! Dino didn’t care if you were the President of the United States, some hot piece of ass or the head of the Las Vegas Mafia. The man, to paraphrase the Super Furry Animals, simply did not give a fuck. Weltschmerz as an art form! Ennui deluxe! I reckoned Dean Martin must’ve been the coolest man alive.
Janet Charlton, the Star magazine gossip columnist, seen frequently on Access Hollywood, ET and similar shows back then, told me that Dean Martin—who was generally thought to be a complete recluse, sitting home drunk in an armchair watching movie westerns, basically—did in fact dine out nearly every night at the Hamburger Hamlet (an upscale LA burger chain) on Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills. I made a mental note to myself to go there one day.
Not more than a few weeks after she told me this, Mike and Roni, two pals of mine from New York, arrived on my doorstep unannounced. They seemed quite amused by my gigantic Dean Martin album cover and when I told them that he was a regular at the Doheny Hamburger Hamlet, we all three enthusiastically agreed that this was where we’d dine that evening. And we brought a camera.
I generally like the Hamburger Hamlet chain, but the one in Beverly Hills has got to be THE restaurant in LA with the oldest clientele, hands down. It’s the sort of place where grandparents take their grandchildren out to eat and the grandchildren are in their seventies. I’m talking OLD. Palm Springs old. Miami Beach old. A few of the faces seemed extremely familiar from sixties television, character actors who might have been on The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza or Green Acres, but who I could not place exactly due to the passing of years. What made walking into this place seem even more surreal is that it is merely a block away from all the rock clubs on the Sunset Strip.
So we get there and valet the car. I asked the maître d’, who must’ve been all of 19-years-old, if we could be seated near Dean Martin’s table. He took the money I put into his hand and looked at me like I was an idiot. Not a stalker mind you, but an idiot. “Oookay,” he whistled dismissively.
Martin was not there, he told me, but they did expect him. So we sat in the lobby and we waited. And waited. And waited. After looking at the grub the waiters were serving up, we decided he wasn’t going to show up and split to grab a steak at Dan Tana’s. As the valet handed me my car keys I asked him, “We heard that Dean Martin eats here all the time. When is a good day to see him?” He replied “Mr Martin? Oh, his chauffeur just phoned ahead, he’ll be here any minute.”
I tossed my keys back to him and we returned inside and were seated in the back section of the restaurant. Within a few minutes, the sultan of suave, secret agent Matt Helm, the roast-master general hisself, Dean Martin stumbled in, completely shit-faced. His eyes were bloodshot red and he looked old and he looked drunk. Very drunk. It was probably a very good thing that he could afford to employ a full-time driver, let’s just say…
As soon as he took his seat, the waiter slammed down several shots of bourbon and two beers in front of him. Dino downed two shots immediately and two more were placed in front of him in a flash.
We made our move before they brought his food out. Roni got her camera ready and asked politely, “Mr. Martin, can I get a picture of you with these guys? They’re big fans of yours!”
He looked at us like “Yeah, right” and replied quietly “Most of my fans these days are old broads.”
I told him about my giant 6’ ft. mural of his album cover and that I was born and raised in Wheeling, WV, just across the Ohio River from Martin’s hometown of Steubenville, OH. He softened a bit and said “I remember Wheeling, WV. I used to swim there and mess around hang out there when I was a boy.” (No matter how slowly I ask you to imagine this sentence being said, you’re going to make it faster in your mind than he spoke it. Pause after each word as if there is a period… or a wheeze).
I asked him when the last time he’d visited and he just snickered.
“Do you mind if we get a picture?” Roni asked again.
“I don’t think they allow that here,” he demurred, trying to avoid it.
“Who’s gonna stop us? Let’s just do it,” she replied.
Martin exhaled with undisguised annoyance, parted his lips and clicked on a a very fake smile. Through his gritted teeth he said “Go ahead, I don’t give a shit.” Something about his manner let Mike and I know that he meant NOW, so we squatted beside his chair.
After the flash went off, his smile vanished, he looked down at his drink and completely ignored us. We knew this was our cue to leave and we took it. Outside his limo was waiting. It sported a vanity plate reading “DRUNKY.”
The story doesn’t end there: Two weeks later I get a package of two big prints of the photo and several smaller ones from Roni. I laughed my ass off, DELIGHTED at seeing this memento of our loopy encounter with Dino. I left them out on the kitchen counter and every time I walked past them I grinned and marveled at the fact that a photo existed with Dean Martin and ME in it.
Then the phone rang. It was Roni asking had I gotten the package. I was looking down at the picture when she asked me: “Did you notice that his…”
No, I hadn’t noticed it, but I did then: His pants had been unfastened and un-zipped old man-style so his gut could hang out and the camera caught this!
The photo I had been admiring all day became a million times better before my very eyes.
But the story doesn’t end there, either: At the time, I was in the middle of writing a script with Kramer (he of Bongwater and Shimmy-Disc fame) and I gave him one of the larger prints, which he framed and hung in his Noise New Jersey studio. Around this time, he and Penn Gillette formed a band called Captain Howdy and they were doing a bit of recording. Apparently Penn asked Kramer who the old guy in the photo was, but he refused to believe it when told that it was Dean Martin. Eventually he relented, and the Captain Howdy song “Dino’s Head” was apparently inspired in part by the below photo (and Penn getting to use Dean Martin’s “special” German shower head when Penn & Teller were performing in Las Vegas).
Hey pallies, likes was wonderin' what dem der four first songs recorded by our Dino were and low and behold I found the Dino-answer at a blog pad tagged "The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac," where coolster Mr. Bob Dearborn holds forth from Ontario, Canada.
How wonderful of our Dino to direct me directly to Mr. Dearborn's post to help me learn more of these important Dino-details. ilovedinomartin is indebted to pallies likes Mr. Bob Dearborn for honorin' our Dino and sharin' such significant Dino-details with their readers...drawin' more and more into the Dino-know! To view this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-message. Dino-devotedly, DMP
July 11, 1946…Weeks before starting his comedy team partnership with Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin signed a contract and recorded four songs for Diamond Records: "Which Way Did My Heart Go," "All of Me," "I Got the Sun in the Morning" and "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi." The first two tracks were the A and B sides, respectively, of his first single release.
Hey pallies, the 'net is literally burstin' with Dino-features, likes so much so that simply gonna have to try and makes several Dino-posts these days just likes to try and keeps up with all the Dino-activity.
From the musical blog "MUSICBACKTRACK...the soundtrack of our lives," we learn from blogmaster Vincent Lovegrove that today is a very very special day in all of Dino-history. Lovegrove reminds all us Dino-holics that likes on this day, July 11, 1946 our Dino recorded his first four tunes...the start of his unparalleled recordin' career began on this very day 65 years ago!
While Lovegrove doesn't likes tell us the tags of the tunes (that will be comin' up very very Dino-soon in 'nother brief Dino-post) he does share a ton of Dino-adulation with all us hooked on Dino-junkies. Lovegrove certainly does spreads some Dino-love 'round with some awesome Dino-thoughts includin'...
"...he lived and died the high life of booze, broads and bright lights, always projecting a sense of utter detachment and serenity..."
"Martin remains the epitome of the excesses of a bygone era, a world without rules or consequences."
and my fav of all...."Dean Martin remained aloof, near the most distant star in the galaxy."
Truly, truly Mr. Vincent Lovegrove "gets Martin" and certainly is to be praised for spreadin' such deep, pure, and true Dino-devotion 'round his great blog pad. In addition to such outstandin' Dino-thoughts Mr. Lovegrove also offers the Dino-pleasure of a couple of great Dino-vid clips of Dino-classics as well!
ilovedinomartin sez our most devoted Dino-thanks to Lovegrove for liftin' up the life and times..and this great piece of Dino-musical-history with all the readers of his blog...helpin' many pallies to come to know, love, and honor our most amazin' Dino! To view this in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram. Dino-learnin' and Dino-growin', DMP
July 11, 2011
1946 - It''s July 11, and Dean Martin, the man they dubbed 'the king of cool', recorded his first four songs. During his long career, Martin enjoyed great success in music, film, television, and the stage. More than an entertainer, Dean Martin became an icon in his lifetime, and was a regular on the big screen with his duo comedy partner, Jerry Lewis. A member of the legendary so-called Rat Pack, he lived and died the high life of booze, broads and bright lights, always projecting a sense of utter detachment and serenity - or so his image went; along with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and the other chosen few who breathed the same rarefied air-of-true-stardom, Martin, always had a martini and ciggie in hand, although many say it was purely an image to which he remained true in fantasy only. Martin remains the epitome of the excesses of a bygone era, a world without rules or consequences. Of course we see that as a truism of the entertainment industry today, too, but in those days it was also accompanied by a touch of class and dignity, and that certainly cannot be said of today's equivalents, such as Martin Sheen, who is not even in the same ball park as Martin. Dean Martin remained aloof, near the most distant star in the galaxy. With the continued success of his many TV specials, he effectively conquered movies, music, television and the stage, simultaneously, a claim not many other entertainers can make. He 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 honour. These two songs were not amongst his first recorded, but they remain two of his best known: the first was released in 1953, the second in 1956.
Hey pallies, likes today we are in for the rarest of the rare Dino-treats. Our most devoted Dino-commentor, Miss AOW (Always On Watch) has created an exclusive Dino-reflection just for ilovedinomartin pallies 'bout her first encounter with our beloved Dino. Each and every Dino-phile has their own unique tale of how our Dino entered their life and changed it forever, and Miss AOW's is simply Dino-magical.
Enjoys how our Dino welcomed Miss AOW to his wise and wonderful world. Truly truly ilovedinomartin sez our devoted Dino-thanks to our pallie in Dino, Miss Always On Watch for sharin' her Dino-testimony with us this very Dino-day. Likes if you clicks on her byline you will be transported to AOW's outstandin' blog. Dino-devotedly, DMP
I fell in love with our Dino's velvet baritone voice without knowing anything else about the man. Imagine my joy when I discovered that the voice belonged to the King of Cool, the most talented man ever to grace our planet!
It was the summer of 1965, and I was visiting relatives in Tennessee. My cousin Beverly had a few jacketless LP's, one of which was Dean Martin's The Door Is Still Open to My Heart.
Beverly was enamored of the second song on the album: "We'll Sing in the Sunshine." But I, barely into my teens and not the least bit interested in the the kind of music performed by the Beatles, fell in love with the album's title song:
Once home that fateful summer, I went to our local drug store (In those days, drug stores sold LP's and 45's) and bought my first Dean Martin record album:
I can't remember now how many times I went to see that film. I know only that I went many times because my father's best friend owned the local movie theater. As a result, I had free admission to that theater and watched our Dino on the big screen over and over again in a film now considered a classic Western.
My timing in falling in love with our Dino forty-six years ago was perfect. The Dean Martin Show debuted on September 6, 1965. And, of course, our Dino went on from there to have one of the most successful careers in music, television, and film.
We shall not see another as versatile, as talented, and as cool as Dean Martin. But we can relive those joyous days through the miracle of technology. Somehow, I'm sure that our Dino would approve of that kind of immortality, immortality that brings joy to others.
Yes, indeed, I have every album pictured in the above video! **smile**
Hey pallies, likes today's Dino-discovery asks the extemely provocative Dino-quire, "Who can play Dean Martin?" From the web page of "Creators.com...A Syndicate Of Talent" comes the "Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith" with patter focusin' on our Dino's girlpallie Deana expoundin' on who coulda possibly play our beloved Dino in the upcomin' proposed Dino-feature flick based on her Dino-bio, "Memories Are Made Of This."
To her credit, Miss Martin confesses that, "I really don't know who could play him," and goes on to say, "There was something so special about him, so funny, with that charisma and that little gleam in his eye." "So special" indeed pallies, likes who ever woulda dare to attempt to play our great man? Likes to this dude likes total total impossiblity!
Deana goes on to tell a very intiguin' story of how she found Jennifer Love Hewitt to play Miss Martin...quite a tale that you will wanna takes the time to read.
And, as a bonus to the patter on the castin' of the Dino-bio, we also learn that the new Time-Life Dino-discs of the Dino-show have likes done so well that a second edition of the Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show oughta be released latter this here fall. You can read more of the Dino-details below.
Cool to know that the masses continue to hunger and thirst for our Dino, drivin' up the sales of the recent releases. But, likes just wonderin' how a new set will fair with many of us Dino-holics mucho disappointed by the lack of solo Dino in the current set of DVDs...our hue and cry continues to be, "JUST GIVE US DINO!."
Likes loves how Miss Beck and Miss Smith end these Dino-ruminations with these ever wise Dino-thoughts...."Not that Dean Martin and the Rat Pack have ever been out of style, but the ground is definitely fertile for him to be rediscovered again. "He had his gimmick. He was the King of Cool, with the cigarette, the martini, the tux." But in real life, he was far more complicated, aloof and mysterious."
ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Miss Marilyn and Miss Stacy and the pallies at "Creator.com" for sharin' with us this very very informative piece of Dino-prose. Likes always loves to be in the Dino-know on all the up and comin' Dino-activity. Truly the Dino-revolution is gettin' into full swing and will just continue to grow and grow bringin' more and more pallies of every age and stage to the knowin', lovin', and honorin' of our Dino!
To read this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of these here Dino-thoughts! Dino-reportin', DMP
Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith
Casting Search for New Dean Martin in 'Memories Are Made of This'
Who can play Dean Martin? That is the question — with Jennifer Love Hewitt poised to star as Deana Martin in the film adaptation of Deana's best-selling memoir "Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes." Joe Mantegna is lined up to direct and co-produce, and Bonnie Hunt is writing the script.
"I really don't know who could play him. We may have to do a big casting call," surmises Deana, who points out that the role spans decades. People have thrown out names including James Franco, Hugh Jackman and even Johnny Depp, "but I don't know," she says. "There was something so special about him, so funny, with that charisma and that little gleam in his eye."
Deana tells us that she and Hewitt shook hands on Hewitt's anticipated involvement, which came about in an amazing way. "I was performing at Feinstein's in New York last year, and I was talking about the book and the movie between songs, and I said, 'I've always wanted Jennifer Love Hewitt to play me.' And this voice came from the audience: 'OK, I'll do it!' She and her mom were there. It was so wonderful, I get chills thinking about it!"
Deana is touring the country with her "Deana Sings Dino" multimedia show this summer, but was back in Beverly Hills this week finalizing plans for a second collection of "The Very Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show." The first two-DVD set was just released a few weeks ago by Time-Life and NBC-Universal. It has done so well that the second is now targeted for fall — with bonus features including commentary by Deana, who appeared on the variety show herself many times. For various reasons, including the working out of rights and residuals agreements, Martin's famous variety show has never been available on home video until now.
Guests are a who's who of talent of the day — John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, Orson Wells, Peggy Lee, Jack Benny, George Burns, on and on. But it was the preternaturally relaxed Dean himself who was the weekly draw, making it all look easy and fun. That's even though, as she points out, "it was very, very hard work, which I didn't realize until I was on the show." And that glass of scotch perpetually in Dean's hand was really apple juice. Could be that the movie as well as the DVDs are benefiting from the resurgence of interest in the cool, classy aspects of the 1960s, as exemplified by "Mad Men" and the forthcoming "Playboy Club" and "Pan Am" on TV and "Catch Me if You Can" on Broadway.
Not that Dean Martin and the Rat Pack have ever been out of style, but the ground is definitely fertile for him to be rediscovered again. "He had his gimmick. He was the King of Cool, with the cigarette, the martini, the tux." But in real life, he was far more complicated, aloof and mysterious. He was, Deana stated in her book, "not a good father, but a good man." That will be one juicy role.
Hey pallies, likes 'though I know that likes this here post featurin' our Dino as Matt Helm in the Matt Helm Lounge DVDs was basically posted at the blog "Visit Now to Watch Movies Online and Check Dvds" as an advert to sell the DVDs through the 'net, I still have chosen to share it with all you Dino-holics here at ilovedinomartin 'cause while it contains a minimal 'mount of prose on these very cool Dino-spy-flicks, there is an intriguin' mix of Dino-images associated with the Helmer quartet of big screen action and adventure capers.
In addition to the cover for the DVD set of Matt Helm Lounge, we gets a groovy movie poster for "The Ambushers," a lovely lobby card image from the "Wrecking Crew," the celebrated "The Silencers" al-b-um cover of our Dino on the round bed surrounded by all those adorin' chicks, a screen cap of our swingin' Dino from "The Silencers," and even a vid clip celebratin' Miss Camilla Sparv who appeared in "Murder's Row."
Likes that's some eclectic mix of Dino-images and more! Don't thinks that I have ever ever seen such a diverse set of Dino-sources in one post before. So this Dino-advert is of a cooler Dino-quality then most. And, btw, pallies likes if you for some crazy unknown reason have not acquired your personal set of Matt Helm Lounge DVDs likes don't waste time...last time I looked Amazon have 'em priced at a bit more then $4 per flick...likes what a Dino-bargain is that!
To view this Dino-post in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of these Dino-remarks. Dino-awed, DMP
Matt Helm Lounge (The Silencers/ Murderers Row/The Ambushers/The Wrecking Crew) (1966)
Dean Martin stars as the original swinger agent, Matt Helm, in this four-disc set including: THE SILENCERS, MURDERERS ROW, THE WRECKING CREW, and THE AMBUSHERS.
THE SILENCERS: The first of the series of Matt Helm films, the big cheese of Big O, an organization that wants to sabotage the American atomic missile system. It's up to secret agent Helm to save the day.
MURDERER'S ROW: The handsome top agent Matt dies a tragic death in his bathtub - the women mourn about the loss. However it's just faked for his latest top-secret mission: He shall find Dr. Solaris, inventor of the Helium laser beam, powerful enough to destroy a whole continent. It seems Dr. Solaris has been kidnapped by a criminal organization. The trace leads to the Cote D'Azur.
THE AMBUSHERS: A government space saucer is hijacked mid-flight by a powerful laser beam under the control of Jose Ortega, who then proceeds to rape the female pilot, Sheila Sommars. ICE sends agent Matt Helm to Acapulco with Sheila to recover the saucer, under the guise of Matt taking fashion photographs of beautiful models. Matt is temporarily sidetracked, falling prey to the seductive charms of enemy agent Franceca Madeiros.
THE WRECKING CREW: The count has stolen enough gold to cause a financial crisis in the world markets so I.C.E. sends in ace spy Matt Helm to stop him. As Matt works alone, the British send in Freya to aid Matt, but it seems that Freya causes more problems than she solves.
Hey pallies, likes all us Dino-devotees likes knows how how much our beloved Dino loves him a game of golf, so one woulda thinks that when the blog pad "Ultimate Guide To Golf" puts the accent on our Dino that they woulda be celebratin' his passion for puttin' the round ball in the little hole.
But, likes au contraire pallies! From the golfin' blog comes a Dino-focus on one of our great man's other loves...the lovin' of drinkin' some liquid libations. Featurin' a youtube vid clip homagin' our Dino's love of the drink as well as some outstandin' Dino-reflections on said Dino-topic.
Likes the writer of these Dino-thoughts certainly "gets Martin" with such insights as.."the truth is Dean was a still a seasoned drinker in his own right who could hold his own with the best of them." If you have some Dino-time likes you might just wanna clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram to goes to the site and read all the various Dino-comments....some very very full of Dino-commitment and Dino-passion.
ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to the pallies at the "Ultimate Guide To Golf" for puttin' the accent on our Dino in this way....and for generatin' many and varied Dino-thoughts from their readers. Dino-promotin', DMP
Greatest Drunks of All Time: Dean Martin
Born Dino Paul Crocetti, Dean Martin was one of the Greatest Drunks of All Time, along with his Rat Pack cronies Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. While some say Frank was the real boozer and Dean often pretended to drink while performing on stage, the truth is Dean was a still a seasoned drinker in his own right who could hold his own with the best of them. Dean Martin was a complete entertainer, who could do it all. As a kid Dean delivered bootleg liquor and served as a speakeasy croupier, a blackjack dealer, a steel mill worker, and a welterweight boxer. Later he was part of the biggest entertainment duo in the world as one half of Martin & Lewis. With the Rat Pack Martin was the epitome of cool, with his fun-loving swinger persona Dean always made it look easy. Dean Martin (along with Foster Brooks) was a master of the “drunk act” playing the tipsy loveable ladies man (although he was actually a devoted family man most of his life) with an ever present smoke in one hand and a cocktail (sometimes apple juice or ginger ale) in the other. Dean perpetuated his reputation as a lover of the sauce with his vanity license plates that read “DRUNKY” and his tradition of not rehearsing and improvising at his variety shows. Dean was actually a disciplined and talented artist who memorized entire scripts – not just his own lines. He was an amazing singer, a great actor and fantastic comedian, he could film a movie by day, record a hit record, host a …
Hey pallies, today we return to our great Dino-lovin' pallie Miss Gayle Carline's blog "On the edge of the chair of literature." Faithful ilovedinomartin readers will remember Miss Carline as the author of "Freezer Burn" a murder and mayhem mystery featurin' private investigator Miss Peri Minneopa and what becomes her Dino-adorin' sidekick Mr. Benny Needles.
I just loved the first book and have been eagerly awaitin' the publication of book two in the series. That book tagged "Hit Or Missus" has recently been independently published and today's post from Miss Gayle Carline's blog includes a teaser from it featurin' Miss Peri and Dino-addicted Benny. Gotta 'fess up that I have not yet acquired my copy of "Hit Or Missus," but it certainly is on my get-as-soon-as-possible list. Will certainly let's all you pallies know my Dino-reflections once I have read it, but likes totally totally 'pects that I will be as smitten with our Benny's Dino-antics in volume two as I was in "Freezer Burn."
So, likes sits backs and enjoys a bit of prose from the pen of our Dino-devoted Miss Gayle Carline and her new Dino-volume, "Hit Or Missus." To read this in it's original format, likes clicks on the tag of this Dino-post.
Thanks Miss Gayle Carline for doin' your part to lift up the name of our Dino and keeps that Dino-light glowin' Dino-bright! Dino-stuck, DMP
Having a lovefest If you don't know Jenny Hilborne, author extraordinaire, get your tush over to her website and check out her books. I read and loved her first one, Murder and Madness, and I just downloaded No Alibi onto my Kindle, which I will read as soon as I finish John Locke's How I Sold A Million eBooks Neener Neener (or something like that).
Jenny read Hit or Missus and left THE LOVELIEST review on Amazon and Goodreads. She wrote:
"This is the second book in the Peri Minneopa mystery series and the first one I've read. I loved it. Peri is not your typical wise-cracking PI, which adds a refreshing touch to the story. I enjoyed all the characters, especially Dino fan, Benny. The author brings them to life and creates wonderful relationships between them all. Her villains mingle dangerously close to her protag to where you experience the tension first hand. Clever plot and subplots. I'm off to check out Freezer Burn, the first in the Peri series. Excellent job, Gayle."
Thank you, Jen!
I thought I'd share a little Benny (and Dino) love by posting an excerpt from Hit or Missus. Enjoy.
* * * * *
When they got to the easement, she saw a large metal box, one that might house controls for power or phone lines, locked into the narrow area by a large gate. She studied the lock, and considered the climbable nature of the wrought iron. It was unfortunately not as ornate as the homes' fencing, being about six feet in height and mostly straight up, with few crossbars. The vertical bars were punctuated by arrows pointing skyward.
Peri considered the possible outcomes of trying to climb over. At five-feet-nine, she could probably heft her body over the fence, but not without a struggle, which would attract attention. Plus, she really didn't want to snag her clothes, or her skin, on those points. The view she needed was on the other end of this narrow aisle, if she could only find a way in.
She turned to Benny. "Dean Martin ever pick locks?"
"Of course. Matt Helm picked 'em all the time."
"I don't suppose those Matt Helm movies taught you how to pick them."
He laughed. "Don't be silly, Miss Peri." He reached into his pocket and took out a Swiss Army knife. "I learned how to do that in jail."
Peri stepped aside and used the back of her hand to lift her chin and close her gaping mouth, while her new employee proceeded to poke about the inside of the lock with one of the knife's many attachments. He closed his eyes and hummed a little tune as he adjusted the pin and tugged. Finally, she heard the click of victory and Benny handed her the open lock.
"I gotta say, Ben, I'm impressed."
His smile reminded her of when he was a boy and his mother would brag about him while Peri cleaned her house.
"Okay, you stay by the gate," she told him, and handed him her cell phone. "Act like you're busy, fiddling with the phone, texting or checking email or something. If someone comes, whistle."
"I can't whistle, Miss Peri."
"Well, then, cough, or sneeze."
"Which one?"
"I don't care. Sneeze. Loud, though. So I can hear you." She slipped in, past the power box, and crept to the gate at the opposite end.
There were a few well-placed shrubs, which weren't quite tall enough to hide her, but could offer some camouflage for her gray sweats and oatmeal cap. She knelt down, took out her camera and looked through the telephoto lens at the grounds. The grove of trees where Nikki and Tyler hooked up yesterday was easily visible from here. It was a perfect place to rendezvous; too far from the trail to be noticed, with the trees close enough together to hide anyone behind them, unless you were looking for them. Peri leaned back against the fence and waited.
Ten minutes later, she saw a small blonde walk along the cart path, then take a detour, up to the grove. A tall, tan form approached from the opposite direction soon afterward. Peri raised her camera and focused her telephoto lens. It was Nikki and her boy-toy. Peri kept her finger on the trigger and clicked a freeze-frame report of the meeting.
Tyler reached out to hug Nikki, who responded at first, then pushed him away. She appeared cross. Tyler questioned; Nikki whined; Tyler apologized; Nikki pouted; Tyler appealed; Nikki softened; Tyler caressed; Nikki embraced. They kissed, made up, and made out, all to Peri's adoring lens.
"Ah-Choo!"
Peri whipped around to see Benny in a rigid stance. She heard footsteps on the sidewalk, so she scooted around to the side by the power box and crawled behind it, just as a man's voice spoke.
"Good morning."
"G-g-g-ood morning, Mister Officer." Benny's voice was about three octaves above normal.
Shit, a police officer, she thought. If Benny doesn't go into Dino mode, he's gonna have a freaking heart attack.
"Someone called and said you'd been out here for awhile. I guess they were worried that you were lost or something."
Benny giggled like six-year old girl. "No, no. I-I-I was out for a walk, see? And, I started messing with my new phone, and I wasn't - um - sure of some of the buttons and then I got it stuck in some kind of mode and I forgot about walking and just kinda stood here playing with it."
Peri was surprised. It was a halfway decent explanation. She heard the officer laugh.
"Yeah, I've done that too."
"Hey, at least I wasn't driving." Benny's voice had returned to normal, and Peri detected some Dino-swagger to it.
"Good point. Well, I was just making sure you were okay. You have a nice day, sir."
"You, too, Officer. Thanks for checking up on me."
Peri listened for the footsteps to diminish. The sound of an engine meant the officer had returned to his patrol car. She watched the black and white sedan pass Benny, then turn around in a driveway and leave, before she exited, making certain to lock the gate behind her.
Hey pallies, likes today's Dino-entry puts the accent on a one-of-a-kind Dino-treasure crafted by a very talented artist tagged Cortney. From the blog "INDIGOTWIN,"....yup Miss Cortney is a twin, comes what has to be one of the most unusual and unique Dino-creations that has ever been created....a lovin'ly handcrafted Dino-"Cookie"-jar.
As you read the post you discover that Miss Cortney was commissioned to create this delightful Dino-art for "a great customer" who wanted to gift her mother with this Dino-creation for a birthday present. Likes how lucky can a lady be to have a girlpallie giftin' her with such a cool Dino-gift!
Likes was thrilled to come on this heart-warmin' tale of Dino-creativity and am so so thrilled to share it with all the pallies here at ilovedinomartin.
Hat offs to artiste extraordinare Miss Cortney for sharin' her talent for Dino-art with the rest of us....very very cool Miss Cortney...and how cool that this has been one of your "favorite projects of all time!" Thanks for usin' your many and varied gifts to lift up our beloved Dino in this awesome way! To read this in it's original format, likes clicks on the tag of this here Dino-message. Dino-delightedly, DMP
Dean Martin "Cookie" Jar....
This has been one of my favorite projects of all time!
I had a request from a great customer for a Dean Martin Jar for her mother's birthday.
I just love how it came out and can't wait to make some Halloween Jars. It is almost 5 inches wide and 9.5 inches tall. I think I'm going to do a pumpkin next. What would you make?
Hey pallies, likes Happy Independance Day to all pallies in the good ol' US of A on this Fourth Of July! Likes wanna share one of my most fav Dino-clip songs ever...one likes I knows I have shared before, but likes oh, so appro on this day of celebratin' liberty. From the classic drama flick Ada, here is our Dino playin' Bo Gillis, politician extraordinare, runnin' for governor and wooin' and cooin' the masses with his charismatic cool singin' "May The Lord Bless You Real Good."
Gotta 'fess up that I have never seen Ada as it is one Dino-flick yet to be released to the general masses...but likes oh how I yearn to see our beloved Dino in what musta be one of his most classic screen roles. The notion of any state or for that matter nation bein' dependant on our Dino for runnin' the action....likes how amazin' wonderful likes woulda that be pallies....'cause while we live in a nation founded on Independace, I gladly proclaim my likes total total Dino-dependance!
Enjoys celebratin' with parades,sparkles, some liquid libations and, likes of course, mucho Dino o'pallies of mine! Dino-dependently, DMP
(Hey pallies, likes due to the big Fourth 'o July weekend festivities...sendin' this post a day early. Dino-ly yours, DMP)
Hello pals o' mine! Let me start by sayin' "Happy Independence Day " to all you Dino-holics! To me, nothin' is more Americano than listenin' to my favorite guy beltin' out these great great songs that make me feel so so happy! Only in America would I be fortunate enough to be able to float round' in my pool while sippin' on my fav drink and listenin' to Dean Martin bellowin' from my speakers! I love this country!
Today's Serenade "In the Misty Moonlight" comes from the 1964 LP "The Door is Still Open to My Heart". This al i um, album, album, was put together quickly because of the explosive popularity that the single "Everybody Loves Somebody" produced! The people wanted more Dino! And more Dino they got! If the fellas over at Reprise Records hadn't got the record together fast...there may have been riotin' in the streets of this great country of ours!!! Ha ha ha!!! The American people wanted as much Dino as they could get!
What a truly excitin' time it must have been! Way up on a mountain, way down in the valley, I know I'll be happy, Any place any where, I don't care pallies...as long as I got my Dino! Happy 4th pals!
Hey pallies, likes today's Dino-post coulda be fantastic news for all true Dino-holics. Accordin' to the web pad "World Screen" and writer Miss Kristin Brzoznowski, STM Etertainment, purveyor of many classic TV shows, has inked an agreement with Inception Media Group to distribute "restored editions" of many of their holdings.
Among the "restored editions" of TV classics slated for fall release are "The Colgate Comedy Hour, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis." If this means that the entire catalog of the Martin and Lewis Colgates are bein' restored as full programmes includin' musical selections...that will be extemely excitin' news for all us devotees of our great man.
Dino-philes have been waitin' forever for such Dino-releases. But, likes pallies with the disappointin' results of the recent release of the Time-Life Dino-discs of the Best Of The Dean Martin Show, one has to wonder if the Colgates will suffer the same kind of cuttin' and pastin' that the Dino-shows have received.
Anyway dudes, likes we can all hold our hopes up high that indeed these "restored editions" of the Colgates will be pristinely primo releases of full episodes. Thanks to the pallies at "World Screen" and particularly writer Miss Kristin Brzoznowski for sharin' this news with us. To read this in it's orginal format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-report. Dino-anticipatin', DMP
Inception Media Group Inks Output Deal with SFM
By Kristin Brzoznowski
Published: June 29, 2011
SANTA MONICA: Inception Media Group has firmed up a multi-year output agreement with SFM Entertainment that includes the worldwide home-video and digital distribution rights to classic TV titles from the distributor.
Among the programs included in the SFM catalogue are shows from the Jerry Lewis and Flip Wilson libraries. Initial releases include restored editions of The Colgate Comedy Hour, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; The Jazz Singer, a 1959 live NBC broadcast starring Lewis; the complete The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp classic TV series, starring Hugh O'Brian; and the entire series The Real McCoys, starring Richard Crenna and Walter Brennan. The first set of new releases will be out this fall.
“Our agreement with Inception Media Group furthers our ability to bring some of the best classic television programming to consumers around the world,” said Stanley Moger, the president and CEO of SFM Entertainment. “We are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Inception’s dedicated and proven team.”
“Stan and SFM have an incredible catalogue of television entertainment, and Inception will be bringing many of these titles to physical and digital retailers around the world,” added Andy Reimer, co-partner of Inception Media Group. “Consumers continue to build their libraries of classic television content and, together with SFM, we will offer many of the finest broadcast programs from the past.”
Hey pallies, likes I never ever tire of readin' 'bout others devotion to our beloved Dino. Today we hear from a Mr. Dennis Sylvester Hurd at his personal blog "My ejournal and images." Mr. Hurd hails from New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada and tags his Dino-prose "Dynamic Dino."
'Though it woulda 'pear that Mr. Hurd has known 'bout our Dino for decades, it seems that his appreciato for our Dino has grown profoundly in more recent times. As Hurd proclaims..."Yet, I've really learned to appreciate his pure voice." And Dennis makes note that some of his travels, particularly to 'Vegas and Italy have aided him in havin' "the cultural knowledge to put his music into better context."
Now, likes that's one Dino-notion that I don't think I have ever heard before. But, it truly truly makes cool Dino-sense that havin' hung out in some Dino-environments one clearly oughta gets more appreciato for the mood and tone of many Dino-tunes.
ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Mr. Dennis Sylvester Hurd for so openly and unabashedly sharin' his Dino-devotion with his readers...surely helpin' 'em to comes to their own lovin' knowledge of as Hurd expresses it, our "Dynamic Dino." To view this in it's orginal format, likes just clicks on the tag of these here Din-thoughts. Dino-sharin', DMP
Dynamic Dino
I just found an album of Dean Martin's best songs. Actually, I already have many of them on my media drive (and more recently in the cloud with Google's Music Beta). I am mature but I don't think my interest in the music of Dean Martin is typical for someone my age.
I can, of course, remember Dean from B&W television. He used to show up on variety and musical shows a lot in the late 60's and early 70's. I remember him as the cool one who always looked about three sheets to the wind. I definitely don't remember listening to his music as a kid though.
Yet, I've really learned to appreciate his pure voice. I've come to appreciate him through visits to Las Vegas, and of course, Italy too. It's not really that I heard him in either place, but I now have the cultural knowledge to put his music into better context. Even on an Alaskan cruise a decade ago one of his songs was a part of Princess Cruise's tradition. On the journey through the Inside Passage, after one dinner, Baked Alaska is traditionally served. The lights were dimmed, candles lit, and waiters paraded with the flaming dessert throughout the entire dining area. That's Amore was the accompanying music.
Hey pallies,likes always loves to reads me a great review of some Dino-treasure...and today's Dino-gram from the pad "groovevolt.com" is indeed a extraordinary review of the recently released expanded edition of "DINO: The Essential Dean Martin."
Likes don't know the tagg of the writer of this Dino-review, but for sure dudes this pallie "gets Martin." From the tagg of the review "Dean Martin: Absolutely Essential" to the closin' words of the musical reflection..."Pour yourself a scotch on the rocks, put on your slippers, and sit back and luxuriate in this essential collection," these Dino-thoughts obviously flow outta deep deep Dino-devotion.
The scribe of this Dino-prose is obviously a Dino-holic of huge porportions..sayin' such wonderfully wise thin's of our Dino like..." the purity of Martin’s voice" and "Martin’s golden throat." Likes how enchantin' to know that there are others enchanted by our beloved Dino!
So enjoys readin' this review filled with likes total total Dino-admiration. Thanks to the pallies at "groovevolt.com" and 'specially to the dude who penned these awe-filled Dino-thoughts. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-message. Dino-hearted, DMP
Dean Martin: Absolutely Essential
Posted on 29 June 2011 by Groovevolt.com
Every generation discovers the Rat Pack at some point. Those who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s watched its formation in real time and grew up with the magical music of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin. In the mid-1990s, the film Swingers introduced a new generation to the joys of cocktail culture and the music that made that era famous. And on what would have been his 94th birthday, Capitol Records released a pair of collections: the 14-track Classic Dino: The Best of Dean Martin and an expanded release of Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, which has been expanded from its original release to include 36 of Martin’s top hits across two CDs. (This review will focus only on the latter.)
The new collection, includes a previously unreleased studio version of “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody,” which was recorded in 1950, and was believed lost until it was discovered in the Capitol vaults.
Fans of Dean Martin probably have the remainder of the tracks on the 36-track set; however, they likely do not have them in one convenient package and, for those who are unfamiliar with Martin’s catalog, this set is a must have. Upon first listen, new fans will be struck not only by how many of the songs that they know — even if they were not aware that Martin was the singer — but also by the purity of Martin’s voice and the craft that went into writing the songs that grace this set.
Every song is iconic and the digitally-remastered tracks pop, highlighting not only Martin’s golden throat, but also the talented musicians who backed Martin. Horns pop, pianos tinkle, and drums land with a crispness and discipline that you don’t hear anymore.
Sinatra’s place in the musical pantheon is unquestioned. Sammy Davis Jr., while a great singer, was something of a novelty — the African-American sidekick to a group of Caucasian guys. Martin, for all of the acclaim bestowed upon him, never seemed to get the proper respect for his talents; for his ability to croon as effortlessly in Italian as he could in English, and his ability to switch languages from verse to verse (as he does in “Volare (Nel Blu, Di Pinto Di Blu).”)
This is absolutely a nostalgic trip. Those expecting anything else will be disappointed. (Then again, if you’re considering this set, you’re probably not expecting Martin to bust out a Biz Markie cover.) It is also a wonderful artifact of a time when smoking was cool, and when great songs and a powerful voice to sing them were almost exclusively the only way to succeed in the music business. Pour yourself a scotch on the rocks, put on your slippers, and sit back and luxuriate in this essential collection.
Hey pallies, likes loves to find our Dino's name dropped in connection to other great entertainers....and sometimes in the coolest if likes most unusual ways. Case in point, from the blog "Sal's Sports, Health and More" blogger Sal compares our Dino to Queen rocker Freddie Mercury.
What does our King of Cool have in common with Queen's Freddie Mercury? Accordin' to Sal, both entertainers were totally totally full of insouciance..."the cheerful feeling you have when nothing is troubling you, carefreeness, lightheartedness, lightsomeness, blitheness."
I find it likes so refreshin' that Sal has recognized our Dino gift for bein' laid back and full of fun, and that he finds those same traits in rocker Freddie Mercury. Gotta 'fess up that I have never listened to Mercury's music, but Sal has got me intrigued by the Dino-comparison and so likes I am just gonna have to check Freddie's work out.
Thanks to Mr. Sal for sharin' his thoughts and honorin' our insouciant Dino...always digs to read other's take on our beloved Dino...and each Dino-mention is sure to bring more and more pallies to deep, pure, and true Dino-devotion. To read this in it's original format, likes clicks on the tagg of this here Dino-message. Dino-devotedly, DMP
Dean Martin, Freddie Mercury & Insouciance
Posted on June 27, 2011 by admin
Insouciance: the cheerful feeling you have when nothing is troubling you, carefreeness, lightheartedness, lightsomeness, blitheness
All the great singers have it, and then some, and then more. So much of Elvis’ stuff and Al Green’s interpretations are just so playful, light. You know it because you just kind of smile when that stuff comes on.
But no one was more insouciant than Dean Martin and Freddie Mercury. Dean’0 will even take very emotional, deep, darker songs and add a light touch to them. These include renditions of Walk on By (a cheatin’ song) or I Walk The Line (dark, fearful devotion).
Forget it if the songs were light to start with. Mambo Italiano and That’s Amore are beyond insouciant, into campy and hysterical.
As for Freddie, whatever band type Queen was hailed as, Mercury himself was more campy showman, who wrote and performed very light songs that should be seen as pop, show tunes and miscellaneous than Rock god.
From Bohemian Rhapsody to Bicycle Ride, it’s clear that Freddie was having fun and listening to Merc, you’ll have fun too.
Back to insouciance, I would maintain that you can’t be a great singer unless you got some, at least a little.
But if you got a lot, like Dean and Freddie, you will make listeners smile forever. What more could a performer ask for?
Hey pallies, likes I so so loves to search the blogspere for all sorts of homagin' of our beloved Dino. Today ilovedinomartin shares with all you dudes 'nother great Dino-reflection from 'nother great blog "Today Is Their Birthday-Musicians." As the blog suggests male blogger "Music Lover" shares posts on the life and times of various musical performers on their day of birth.
It likes comes as no surprise that "Music Lover" chose to put the accent on our Dino on June 7, and what follows is his word and photo essay on our King of Cool. The written content is quite standard Dino-history, and while the pictures are all pretty familiar as well, the mixin' of prose and pixs makes for a terrific tribute to our beloved Dino.
ilovedinomartin wants to honor bloggermeister "Music Lover" as he has honored our Dino. Likes I am always so so thrilled to share others efforts at Dino-devotion 'cause I find it always always refreshin' to find pallies of all ages and stages, all types and stripes, who invest good good quanities of time and effort to share the legend and legacy of our great man with their readership.
So thanks to our new pallie "Music Lover" for an outstandin' effort of honorin' our beloved Dino on his day of days..sure to help others to come to know, love, and honor our amazin' Dino. To read this in it's original format, just clicks on the tag of this here Dino-message. Dino-delightedly, DMP
June 7: Dean Martin, "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime," That's Amore," was born on this date in 1917.
... "Dino" was 78 years old when he passed away on Christmas Day in 1995.
Born Dino Paul Crocetti on June 7, 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio, Dean Martin's nickname was the "King of Cool." he was a major star in four areas of show business: concerts, night clubs, recordings, motion pictures, and television, and a member of the "Rat Pack" along with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Peter Lawford.
Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This," "That's Amore," "Everybody Loves Somebody," "Mambo Italiano," "Sway," "Volare" and smash hit "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"
Martin spoke only Italian until he started school. He took up the drums as a hobby as a teenager. He was the target of much ridicule for his broken English and ultimately dropped out of Steubenville High School in the 10th grade. He delivered bootleg liquor, served as a speakeasy croupier, was a blackjack dealer, worked in a steel mill and boxed as welterweight. He grew up a neighbor to Jimmy the Greek.
At the age of 15, he was a boxer who billed himself as "Kid Crochet." Of his twelve bouts, he would later say "I won all but eleven."
Wisely, Martin gave up boxing. He worked as a roulette stickman and croupier in an illegal casino behind a tobacco shop where he had started as a stock boy. At the same time, he sang with local bands. Calling himself "Dino Martini," he got his first break working for the Ernie McKay Orchestra. He sang in a crooning style influenced by Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers, and other popular singers of the time. In the early 1940s, he started singing for bandleader Sammy Watkins, who suggested he change his name to Dean Martin.
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, a high class nightclub in New York, when he succeeded Frank Sinatra in 1943, but it was the setting for their meeting.
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.
Martin 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's official debut together occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24, 1946. Their success, each said, was that they essentially ignored the audience and played to one another.
The team made its TV debut on the very first broadcast of CBS-TV network's Toast of the Town Program (later called the Ed Sullivan Show.) In 1949, Martin and Lewis were signed by Paramount producer Hal B. Wallis as comedy relief for the movie My Friend Irma.
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 Martin'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 Martin. 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 in 1957, was a box office failure. He was still popular as a singer, but with rock and roll gaining in popularity, 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 Lewis's former partner.
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. Martin the starred alongside Frank Sinatra for the first time in a highly acclaimed Vincente Minnelli drama, Some Came Running. Martin was acclaimed for his performance as Dude in Rio Bravo.
As a singer, 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.
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.
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. The Martin-Sinatra-Davis-Lawford-Bishop group referred to themselves as "The Summit" or "The Clan"(except for Sammy Davis) and never as "The Rat Pack," although this has remained their identity in the popular imagination. The men made films together and formed an important part of the Hollywood social scene in those years.
In 1965, Martin launched his weekly NBC comedy-variety series, The Dean Martin Show, which exploited his public image as a lazy, carefree boozer. There 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.
In December 1990, he congratulated Frank Sinatra on his 75th birthday special. By 1991, Martin had unofficially retired from performing.
Martin, a life-long smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center on 16 September 1993. He died of acute respiratory failure resulting from emphysema at his Beverly Hills home on Christmas morning 1995, at the age of 78.
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.
In February 2009, Martin was honored with a post-humous Grammy award for Lifetime Achievement.
Hey pallies, likes better late then never, here is 'nother great trib to our great man in remembrance of his 94th B-day. From the blog pad Prêt-à-Porter:Not-Made-To-Measure, comes a very nice little Dino-remembrance by a youthful chick tagged "Prêt-à-Porter." Included are classic Dino-vids of our beloved Dino singin' "That's Amore" and "Return To Me" with Mr. Perry Como. Add a quartet of quintessential Dino-poses and a bit of Dino-prosin' and you have one first-class Dino-reflection.
Loves how "Prêt-à-Porter" speaks oh so so freely and fondly of our beloved Dino..."He would have swooned with his sinsual voice and his mysteriosity. Us youngsters may be beguiled by his charming good looks but don't let this fool you. Dean Martin's past is as gritty as today's hip hop artists. He was a bootlegger, a speakseasy croupier, blackjack dealer, and boxer!"
Likes what a great word..."mysteriosity" to describe our egnimatic man! Likes how totally refreshin' to find 'nother of today's youth likes this young mod lady turnin' her readership onto our charmin' Dino. ilovedinomartin sez our thanks to Miss "Prêt-à-Porter" for sharin' her Dino-passion with others...celebratin' the life, times, and teachin's of our masterful Dino! To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Dino-devotedly, DMP
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Music: Happy Birthday Dean Martin!
"The coolest man who ever lived."
-Playboy
To Stevie Van Zandt said he was "simply perfect." While Elvis Prestley worshipped him. Who is this man? Dean Martin.
Born Dino Crocetti, today Dean Martin would have celebrated his 94th birthday. He would have swooned with his sinsual voice and his mysteriosity. Us youngsters may be beguiled by his charming good looks but don't let this fool you. Dean Martin's past is as gritty as today's hip hop artists. He was a bootlegger, a speakseasy croupier, blackjack dealer, and boxer!
A true musician and a wonderful artist to be remembered.
Happy Birthday! Dean Martin!
This is what Bruno Mars will look like when he gets older.
Posted by Prêt-à-Porter: Not Made to Measure at 7:09 PM
