Hey pallies, always loves so much when I find 'nother dude who has discovered the exteme pleasures of our Dino playin' Matt Helm. Today's Dino-gram features a review of "The Silencers" done by a guy named Stu at his blog "Snubian." To checks this out in it's original format, just click on the title of this post.
By readin' some blog posts I was able to figure out that Mr. Stu is an Aussie from down under....there are huge numbers of Dino-holics that hail from the land of kangeroos. Loves this guy's Dino-perspective....as he states..."Apparently it was a condition of Dino’s contract that alcohol not only be constantly available on set, but that every scene in the film include an open bottle of booze...."
Mr. Stu has also shared a couple of classic Dino-pixs from the flick as well. So thanks to Aussie Stu for liftin' up the name of our Dino and sharin' his pleasureable experience viewin' "The Silencers." Dino-sharin', DMP
Jan 8
Sunday Night Classic Movie: The Silencers
Jan 8th, 2010 | Sunday Night Classic Movie |
If there’s one thing I learnt from watching our most recent Sunday Night Classic Movie, The Silencers, it’s that Dean Martin loved a drink. Apparently it was a condition of Dino’s contract that alcohol not only be constantly available on set, but that every scene in the film include an open bottle of booze, even when he’s tooling through the desert in his quite amazing 1965 Mercury Colony Park station wagon:
That’s a well-stocked travel bar you can see peeking out from behind the driver’s seat as our male lead accepts a glass from his female companion. One for the road, Dino?
The Silencers, released in 1966, is a tongue-in-cheek spy romp based on a novel by Donald Hamilton. Responding to the James Bond craze then sweeping the world, The Silencers was the first of four films to feature crooning “Rat Pack” alumnus Dean Martin as government agent Matt Helm.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around an evil individual called “Big O” (or perhaps it’s an organisation, it’s hard to tell) who plans to divert an American nuclear test missile so that it crashes back into a large underground cache of other nuclear weapons. Helm is called out of retirement to put a stop to this, with the resulting course of events often totally mystifying.
For some reason Helm keeps finding beautiful women in his bedroom, or in his car, or in other places. One beautiful woman tells him something about a mysterious “computer tape”, crucial to Big O’s plan. Helm drives to a desert resort hotel, the location for the drop-off of the tape to a Big O henchman. While watching a semi-erotic dance routine in the hotel lounge, Helm somehow ends up in the company of another beautiful woman, who through a strange and unfathomable series of events has acquired the tape. The pair take off into the desert in his enormous station wagon, stopping overnight in a swamp where the car converts magically into a swanky bachelor pad. Here’s Dino in the back, assisting his friend with the removal of her wet clothes:
The plot doesn’t really go anywhere after that. Helm saves the world in the end of course, by diverting the missile into Big O’s own headquarters. On the way he meets a variety of strange characters, most of whom he kills, including one old guy who wanders around draped in an electric blanket. Of more interest than the plot are the hilarious props: a circular bed that moves across the floor and tilts to 90 degrees, bath robes that descend from the ceiling, some sort of automatic towel system, a gun that fires backwards into the stomach of the unwitting shooter.
Dean Martin was in his late forties, and already a hugely famous singer and actor, when The Silencers was made. He had been playing nightclubs for decades, and was a legendary boozer. The cracks are beginning to show by 1966. Dino’s face is leathery and coarse. He sweats 100% alcohol. His lower lip is permanently creased from contact with glass. He sways and slurs his way from one scene to the next, delivering his lines with almost no inflection or nuance. At times his leading ladies seemed almost repulsed to be kissing him.
Nevertheless, The Silencers comes highly recommended by me. It’s truly hysterical from start to finish. Do yourself a favour and track down a copy.
Hey pallies, inquirin' Dino-minds wanna know.....where has our Dino turned up next? Today's Dino-discovery is from "Finer Things" and their elegant blog "Fine Stationary." Ladies and gents to visit this entry there, just click on the title of this post.
Our pallies at "Finer Things" are suggestin' to make our Dino the center of your Valentine's Day bash....and likes what coulda be more appro then makin' your amore-day celebrato anchored in our Dino? Answer: nothin' in this Dino-holics mind. After all the day of love is truly Dino-amore-day to all Dino-philes.
So, even though it is a few weeks before the great Dino-love-day, gets started now by soakin' in these pallies great suggestions for "That's Amore!: A Valentine's Day Party."
And, likes pallies, to gets us all likes in the Dino-amore-mood, sharin' a classic clip of our great man singin' his great amore tune. Thanks to the fine folks at "Finer Things" for liftin' up our Dino is this lovely Dino-way and givin' us some cool Dino-celebratin' idears! Dino-delightedly, DMP
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
That's Amore!: A Valentine's Day Party
When the moon hits your eye, Like a big pizza-pie... That's Amore!
-- Dean Martin
Now that we've settled into our new home and my morning sickness has passed, I'm finally feeling ready to formally entertain! I am hoping my first endeavor can be a Valentine's Day party for a group of our closest friends. The theme: "That's Amore!"
This Italian-styled love fest will be full of basil and garlic infused hors d'oeuvres (including mini pizza-pies), candlelight and, of course, music from the beloved Dino.
Invite guests with an elegant invitation featuring a heart motif and lyrics from the song "That's Amore" by Dean Martin -- FineStationery.com
Set up an "Olive You" (sounds like i-love-you) buffet -- Real Simple
Decorate the entrance and interior of your home with string lights to create the ambiance of an authentic Italian bistro -- The Haystack Needle
Serve miniature pizzas along with other Italian hors d'oeuvres -- Food and Wine Magazine
Make a playlist of Dean Martin music to play softly in the background -- Eil.com
Decorate the dining area with soft lighting, candles and bouquets of red roses -- Brides
Serve Italian wine and champagne -- The Knot
Place this "Amore" sign somewhere within your party space -- Dibor
Sinatra initially loathed Presley. New kid, crazy hips. This rock 'n roll was creeping in on his territory. Sinatra, never known to embrace the new loud sound.
Little did Sinatra know it was his buddy Dino was to largely blame. Crosby was an old man, Sinatra too tight. Elvis needed a cue, a role model even. Dino as the King of Cool. Not only cool, but a cat that got it. It was Dino that was planning on building a country club with the emphasis for the younger crowd. Dino may have been in his 40's, but his image and appeal crossed all generations. That was the beauty of Dino. All people of all ages got sucked into Dinos world.
Elvis and the Dino-familiar Hal Wallis.
Like an old oak tree, the tree of music is well branched. Thickly trunked and growing exponentially, the tree has notable benchmarks. Jolson, Crosby, Martin, Presley, Beatles, Stones, etc. etc..
The modern day Rock 'n Roll branch started with Presley. What influenced the Rock 'n Roll branch was the crooning branch. Ironic only in print. In reality, it was crooning that Rock 'n Roll replaced. The man of the time was Dino. Elvis took note. The evolution from crooning to Rock 'n Roll occurred between two men. Martin, and Presley. Elvis emulated the voice, threw in a hip thrust, a lip curl, some black leather, and the world was instantly changed.
Few major benchmarks occurred between Jolson and today. Jolson sang aloud. Microphone and recording technology allowed Crosby to converted the Jolson type delivery to the singing style we know today as crooning. Dino added cool and suave to crooning. Elvis took the cool and suave to the new rock sound. Now you know the rest of the story.
It's been suggested by people more knowledgeable than I, that our Dino should be inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame just on account of his influence on Elvis Presley. Perhaps one day soon the blog can start a movement for this to become a reality.
Today is Elvis's Birthday. We celebrate his voice and talent. We also celebrate his never ending energy and enthusiasm to perform and make music. We respect his talent and drive. Unfortunately, that drive that eventually lead to his demise.
We all share one thing with Elvis. His appreciation and respect for Dean Martin. He's amongst us as a fan, and someone who was in awe of his talents.
Dino, "Write To Me From Naples"
Elvis, "Write To Me From Naples"
A crazy Dino-sweet fan made movie! "The Chase", "starring" Dino 'n Elvis...Enjoy!! Love the random Dino film scenes.
Twas the night before Rock, and all through the joint, not a Harvey was stirring, not even a Mouse...
Genesis day one, Dino, the King of Cool was born. Genesis day two, Elvis, The King Of Rock 'n Roll is born. It's protocol on the scale of genius.
On the eve of the birthday of Elvis, we warm up the blog with this marvelous piece of writing via the Elvis Information Network. Just give a click on the title and read away! Tomorrow we will be posting a special ilovedinomartin blog tribute to the unique link between the King of Cool and the King of Rock 'n Roll.
Hey pallies, likes it seems that the unfoldin' theme of this new Dino-year may justa be....where will our Dino turn of next. Gotta 'fess up that I was really dry for a Dino-post to share this day, when I gots on the computer a few ago and was 'lerted by the google pallies of this cool Dino-find at a site tagged "The Paper Pack." To goes there, likes just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram.
Here is the styliest (is there as such word pallies?) of hip Dino-toys created by a cat named Luis Renato Kriegel....and likes made outta paper. Just wonderin' if he plans to sell these on the free market. No really interested in gettin' the frankie or even the Sam, but woulda likes totally groove on gettin' my hands on this Dino-paper-creation!
So, likes where did our Dino turn up next....as a Dino-creation of a hip paper toy creator. Thanks Mr. Kreigel for usin' your talents to gives us such a hip Dino-toy! Dino-amazed, DMP
The Paper Pack Posted by Luis Renato Kriegel on January 6, 2010 at 8:34am
This is a new toy series I'm working on inspired by the 3 great swingers from the Rat Pack: Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. Dean is already here, the other two will arrive soon.
Hey pallies, once in a while a cool Dino-mention gets away from me. Such is today's Dino-gram. Our great Dino-writin' Dino-lovin' Dino-devotee Miss Gayle Carline shared this true Dino-confession at her wonderful blog, "On The Edge Of The Chair Of Literature," smack dab at the beginnin' of her "the abc's of Christmas" on December 23rd. To view this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram.
Faithful readers of ilovedinomartin will remember Miss Gayle Carline as that great newly published author of the murder and mayhem mystery "Freezer Burn" that features the character of characters Benny Needles who is one simply, totally sold-out Dino-phile. If you loves our Dino and haven't yet got your copy of "Freezer Burn"......run, don't walk to your local bookstore and ask 'em to order you a copy this very Dino-day...and gets them to order some extra to puts on their shelves!
Thanks Miss Gayle Carline for unabashedly sharin' your Dino-secret....and for givin' me 'nother opportunity to plug your delightful Dino-read. btw pallies, you will note that I have also posted a youtube vid of our Dino and Miss McBride singin' the Dino-winter-tune that so turned on our Miss Gayle. Dino-delightedly, DMP
The abc's of Christmas Before I start in on this Very Special Episode, can I tell you a secret? I was running Yet Another Holiday Errand yesterday, when I heard Dean Martin and Martina McBride singing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" on my minivan's radio. Honest to God, I sighed. One of those girlie, isn't he dreamy, sighs. Good thing no one else was in the car.
Art, Science. Speculate, calculate. Dino, Bing. Dino and Bing, connoisseurs of manipulating microphone diaphragms. Benders of vowels that make record needles dizzy. Ironically, the cruxes of Dino and Bing are as distinct as megaphones and microphones. Its second nature to the Dino fan that der Bingle was a huge influence on the man. Most documents state just that. No elaborating, no comparing or contrasting, just a fact. Crosby influenced Martin. Done. Bing influenced Dean like paint influenced Picasso. Allow me to paint a broad stroke. Crosby, much like Sinatra after him, was extremely involved in the productions of his recording sessions. Whether it is equipment specifications, microphone placing, or song lists, Crosby was in charge. Crosby owned, controlled, and produced Crosby Enterprises. Conversely, Dino trusted the producers, never questioned production techniques, he cracked jokes, made visitors laugh, spun his crooner magic and went on his way. Probably to golf. Maybe to Vegas. The Crosby that inspired Dino was the Crosby who’s style evoked success, and voice induced arousal. Dino got that. He saw, heard, made a note. Chick’s dig the voice. Chick’s dig the style. Chick’s dig the confidence. Check, check, and check.
What Dino had that Crosby didn’t is what separated Martin from all the rest. It was the inherent cool, unruffled, relaxed aura that Dino radiated. Proper, but relaxed. Cool, but warm. Dino took Crosby and made him personable in a way Crosby couldn’t. Dino had fun. He smiled, he laughed. His humor spot on! The man could add-lib like Hope, had timing like Abbot, and can sing like Crosby. He was a man the common folk had never before experienced. Movies, live stage, recordings, TV, all while handsome and genuine! People liked Dino because he was real. He made you feel comfortable. There was no fake in Dino.
Bing had his influence, but it began and ended at the microphone. Dino had his own plans. Dino forged ahead a new trail. A trail that put him on the map, yet to be treaded by anyone since.
Hey pallies, likes I told ya if you stayed tuned to this Dino-channel, I woulda shares with you the newest and grooviest Dino-sightin'.
Today's Dino-discovery is the start of a piece of scare fiction by auther Paul Bibeau that he has published at his "Goblin Books Get your creep on" blog site. The refrain of our Dino's stellar Dino-winter-tune "Baby It's Cold Outside" begans chapter 1 of Mr. Bibeau's tome "Dark As It Gets."
Seems that our Dino's croonin' "is the only thing that calms Douglas down." Douglas is "almost four" and appears to be wise beyond his tender years when it comes to diggin' our Dino.
Ain't it the coolest pallies to find more and more authors who are givin'the nod to our Dino by addin' the King of Cool to their creative effort?!?!??!?
Have posted a vid of our Dino singin' his version of "Baby" 'long with Mr. Bibeau's literary Dino-efforts. To read this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-post to go to the "Goblin Books" site. Dino-sharin', DMP
GOBLINBOOKS
Friday, January 1, 2010 Dark As It Gets: Chapter 1
I really can't stay… Baby, it's cold outside. I've got to go away… Baby, it's cold outside.
Dean Martin is crooning through the minivan's speakers, and it makes it harder to hear what's out there. But Rat Pack Christmas is the only thing that calms Douglas down. Donald is sitting next to him in his car seat, and he's wailing and screaming for me.
"Help me, daddy," he says. "Help me!" But Donald's the baby, and he's more dramatic. He laughs and cries easily. Nothing really seems to get to him. I'm not worried about Donald. Douglas, almost four, is serious and quiet and thoughtful. The whole world seems too much for him sometimes. Anything can break his heart. He's absolutely silent and wide-eyed in the back, and he understands enough to know he should be scared.
"Are you okay honey?" I ask, looking at him in the mirror between glances at the row of white front yards and black-windowed houses. He nods and doesn't mean it. I go back to my business, searching in the sweep of the headlights as I turn the van and hold tight to the wheel. We skid on the ice. The trucks haven't sanded the back roads and subdivisions out here in the county, and the snow has been falling heavily since early this morning.
As the van slips I hear the hiss of glass chips sliding across the back seat. The rear window was smashed in completely. Through it a draft of wind slips in and makes the whole minivan's cabin numbing in spite of the heater. I had enough time to grab blankets to wrap Donald and Douglas. But I didn't have time to dress. I'm in my boxers, a T-shirt, and shoes without socks, because I pulled them off my feet, and I'm wearing them on my hands. I had to punch holes in them to work the Mossberg, which thumps around down on the floor of the passenger's side. I keep one foot touching it to know its location in case I have to get it quickly. But on the passenger's seat is the revolver, and that seems a quicker reach.
This evening has been… So very nice. I'll hold your hands; they're just like ice.
My nose is still bleeding. I snort and taste rust. I cough every few minutes, feeling a sharp pain from what has to be a cracked rib. Two toes on my right foot feel crushed, and I'm covered with bruises. And none of that is as bad as the nub of the hunting arrow sticking out from my shoulder. I broke as much off of the shaft as I could. The head has hooks in it though, and I won't be able to get them without pliers and time. I have neither. I hunch to keep that part of my back from touching the seat, but now and again I brush it and a shiver of pain shoots through me. I still don't quite know who the fuck shot me with the arrow.
"Daddy, help." "I can't help you now, Donald," I say, evenly, but my evenness is wearing thin, because of the cold and the terror, and because of that arrow. "But I bet we can sing a song together…"
Donald shakes his head and his face crinkles up like he's about to cry. I start to sing along with the radio to get him interested.
I wish I knew how… To break this spell.
"I'll take your hat; your hair looks swell," Dean and I answer. "No sing!" Donald says, "No, no, no!" "Donald, please. We'll drive out of here, and then I promise you…" "No!" "Donald, why don't we…" "NO SING!" "Donald!" I shout, but I never finish. Because then something bumps up against the window right next to Donald's tiny head, and I see it in the mirror. I don't see it long, but it has eyes and teeth and it looks right at my son, and then it's gone.
Startled by the sound, Donald stops crying. And then he breaks out laughing and laughing like it's one of our games, and I've just surprised him. Douglas doesn't react much, doesn't change expression. He just stiffens a little, and soon I smell that he's pissed himself. But I'm not looking directly at them. I've turned around in my seat, straining to see it, but the thing is somewhere beside the vehicle, just out of sight, and moving toward the open window in back. I hit the accelerator and the van jerks forward. I make it to the end of the street, and all of a sudden I swerve around, almost toppling.
Whatever's out there can outrun us. I know that. There's only one thing to do. I click on the high beams and speed back, aiming for a trash bin and a clump of cardboard boxes with a shadow behind them. I barrel into the whole mess, taking most of my neighbor's trash halfway down the block. For a second I think I missed it, but then there's a thump from the grill and right tire, and it feels right. I pound the brake and fishtail slightly to a stop. Then I back up about fifteen feet and hit it again, trying to put my wheel right onto its head.
Then silence and stillness. Nothing but the curtains of headlight and street lamp spotted with snow. I jolt when the cell phone buzzes in the side pocket, but I pick it up with my left hand. I keep my feet on the brake and my right hand free to reach the gun. I'm ready to see something terrible rise up, and I'll have to shoot it without hesitating.
"Is everything okay?" Ellen wants to know, "I called the landline." She's been away for awhile, and she worries on nights like this. "Oh yeah, honey," I say. "I had them in the bath." "It's really late for that." "I know, I know. They wanted to watch Airplane, Airplane. And then they wanted to watch it again, and I just, I just couldn't say no…" I chuckle unconvincingly. "You sound strange." "Just a lot of… stress. It's nothing."
She murmurs sympathetically. It's been a strange day. But it's difficult to be a stay-at-home dad. It's worth it, and I love my family, and every day is an adventure of course. Still, some days are harder than others.
"Don't worry," Ellen tells me. "You've got all the important stuff." It's something we remind each other when we run low on money or our work gets hard. Because if your kids are okay, and you're in love with your wife, then you really can't worry about anything.
"I know you're right, honey," I tell her. "Now, I gotta…" "You have to put them to bed." "Yes." "Love you." "You too."
She hangs up. I drop the phone. Even Donald is quiet now. Whatever is down there in front of us hasn't moved. It's time to kill it if I can. I almost reach for the Mossberg, but change my mind. The revolver. Because it has silver bullets…
The hidden full moon glows softly from somewhere behind the clouds. The interior lamp chases it away as I pop open the door.
"Daddy's got to do something, kids, and then we'll go have ice cream, okay?"
Donald smiles weakly. Douglas nods a little. I punch the emergency brake and step out to finish it off. Posted by Paul Bibeau at 10:59 AM
Hey pallies, y'all knows how much I loves seein' the name of our Dino bein' lifted up in such varied and various ways. Well today's Dino-find on the web has the teachin's of our Dino bein' paired with issues in "Peak Oil."
We thanks Mr.Gregor Macdonald, at his oilly blogg "Gregor.us" for sharin' one of our Dino's "no problem" teachin's with "no problem" quotations from the peak oil decade. Mr. Macdonald is an oil analyst and energy sector investor, who also focuses on the coming transition to alternatives.
Gotta 'fess up that I don't know nothin' 'bout peak oil, but I diggs findin' our Dino's life and times bein' shared in so many unique ways....no one and nothin' obviously is outside our Dino's realm of influence.
Thanks to Macdonald for makin' the Dino-link between our great man and oil. To read the entire post with charts and oilly quotations, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram.
Where will our Dino turn up next, you ask? Wells stay Dino-tuned to this Dino-channel of Dino-edification to finds out all my Dinolovin' Dino-holics! Dino-researchin', DMP
December 31, 2009
The Dean Martins of Peak Oil
New Year’s Eve at the end of the decade. A time to play around a little with alcohol and oil, I would think. In the spirit of Dean Martin then, who famously said: I don’t have a drinking problem. I drink, I get drunk, I fall down. No problem! I bring you some of the choicest No Problem! quotes from our peak oil decade, accompanied by rich visual material to get you past midnight.
Hey pallies, likes any of you Dino-holics remembers by what character, in which Dino-flick the tagg of this Dino-post was spoken?
Wells it was spake by the Miss January chick to our Dino as Matt Helm in his spy caper numero duo, "Murders' Row." After our Dino had taken Miss J's pix for a calendar layout, she sneaks under our Dino's sheets 'cause "January is such a cold month" and she wants to stay warm. When he finds her there he sez, "I'd never thought I would ever say this, but I'm tired, all I want to do is lie down and get some rest. Now, be a good girl and go on home." Well by the Dino-shot below you can see who won the first 'round of that tangle, as our Dino sez, "Well, I'm glad you talked some sense into me."
Likes Miss J, I wanna wish all our ilovedinomartin Dino-philes a Happy New Year. I raise a toast to our Dino and all his pallies in lookin' forward to 'nother year of liftin' of the name of our Dino and spreadin' the happiness that he brings to all who know, love, and honors him. So, happy new year pallies and keeps lovin' our Dino in 2010!
Below is a cool Dinotrib that I recently found at youtube that cleverly honors our great man with tons of Dino-stills and Dino-posters from the Matt Helm quartet. Loves it pallies and knows you will too. May all our days be Dino-days! Dino-diggin', DMP
Hey pallies, likes we've reached the 31st of December, the last day of the Dino-winter-month celebration, the last day of this ol' Dino-year. Thinkin' 'bout how to end our Dino-seasonal celebratin' and ringin' out the ol' year, thoughts that I would simple share a fav Dino-pix and a fav Dino-vid.
The Dino-pix and vid comes from that moment in Dino-history when our great man sang the marshmallow tune for a Bob Hope wintertime special. Yeah, I knows that I have posted that vid so so many times durin' this Dino-wintery celebration, but I am likes so smitten with the Dino-image and Dino-clip pallies! You ask why such Dino-affinity to 'em?
Well seems to this Dinoholic that the image and clip captures the regally royal nature of our Dino so very very well: our Dino sittin' on his kingly throne of plush green velvet, in his royal tux attire, usin' his cigarette likes a scepter, pontificatin' on the cool condition of his kingdom durin' the wintery season.
We proclaim our Dino the "King Of Cool" and indeed this photo still and these brief moments of videotape ooze cool and regal us with his kingly presence.
So, as we finds ourself on the edge of a comin' new Dino-year, we pay homage to our Dino and celebrate bein' a part of his world. Stay tuned for much more Dino in '10. Dino-devotedly, DMP
Hey pallies, well our Dino-winter-month celebration is nearin' the end...'nother great year of lovin' our Dino draweth nigh. But, likes pallies today's Dinopost is goin' heat thin's up as much of the earth is turnin' colder.
Today we turn to a post shared by Mr. Rudy Panucci in his cyber column "PopCult" at the Charleston Gazette web pad. Pallie Panucci shares some quality Dino-commentary and stellar Dino-clip-examples on his Dino-themed essay "The Subversive Comedy Of Dean Martin."
Our pallie Rudy really 'gets Martin' and speaks insightfully of our Dino and his amazin' show by sayin' "how progressive and subversive the comedy on the show was." Mr. Panucci reminds us that our Dino is a man way ahead of his time and leadin' way to new ways of bein' and thinkin' and doin'.
It is truly such a thrill to find columnists like Mr. Rudy Panucci liftin' up the name of our Dino and sharin' such amazin' insights into the life, times, and workin' of our great man.
Deep Dino-thanks to pallie Panucci for helpin' other to growin' in their Dinoknowledge and Dino-appreciation. His post is such a wonderful gift in spreadin' the Dino-word and a great way of startin' to bring this ol' Dino-year to a close.
To view Mr. Rudy Panucci's Dino-prose in it's original format, please clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram. Dino-psyched, DMP
Sunday Evening Video: The Subversive Comedy Of Dean Martin
The Dean Martin Variety Show was one of the highest-rated shows on TV in the 1960s, but people forget how progressive and subversive the comedy on the show was. Martin introduced American audiences to Monty Python and Marty Feldman, and at a time when the racial divide in this country was rarely breached, the Dean Martin show regularly featured stand-up comedy from the then-young Bill Cosby and Flip Wilson. The show also addressed what could have been touchy social issues in the patented Rat Pack “who cares as long as nobody gets hurt” manner.
In the above clip, a recurring bit where Nipsy Russell and Dom DeLuise played the “NBC Barbers” who would be cutting the hair of that week’s guest, the guest is Peter Sellers, who discovered earlier in the day that he could reduce Martin to tears by doing a campy “gay” voice. Without any prior warning, he began the sketch, in which he was supposed to be speaking normally as himself, using that voice. You can see how it caught Russell and DeLuise off guard, but when Dino enters the sketch it really takes off.
The cool thing about The Dean Martin Show was that Martin never rehearsed. He’d walk in at the last minute and read his lines off the cue cards, often ad-libbing just to mess with his well-rehearsed co-stars. After the jump check out some more clips from The Dean Martin Show, featuring Goldie Hawn, Don Rickles, and more. This was the heyday of the show, not the last few years when the show was reduced to cranked-out celebrity “roasts.” These are examples why, in the history of comedy, Dean Martin matters.
Finally, here’s Dom DeLuise and Orson Welles on The Dean Martin Show, doing a sketch originally written by Marty Feldman and Tim Brooke-Taylor for “At Last, The 1948 Show” for the BBC.
This entry was posted on Sunday, December 27th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Hey pallies, likes y'all knows how much I digs to promote Dino-posts from other bloggers who shows their deep Dino-love my sharin' our Dino with their readers. Wells, when 'nother blogger choses to repost a Dino-gram from our humble Dino-blog, I'm like so so totally Dino-delighted. Today's Dino-gram is from our great Dino-holicly inclined pallie Andy from Singapore.
It's a repostin' of come of my Dino-rememberin' comments shared here first on December 27. To goes to Andy's fun-lovin' blog, "Sinapore 60's Music," just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-post.
So, on this 29th day of Dino-winter-month, I says my thanks to our great Dino-devoted pallie Andy for liftin' up the life and times of our Dino and spreadin' the word 'bout our little ilovedinomartin Dino-conclave. Dino-honorin', DMP
Monday, December 28, 2009
Remembering Dean Martin - From Andy To DMP FROM DMP's BLOG: "Hey pallies well our month of Dino-remembrance started windin' down. But, still a few more Dino-days to honor our Dino and his passin' on Dino-winter-day... Gotta 'fess up that I just had to share this trib to be able to one more time share my fav of fav Dino-seasonal clips....loves this version of the white stuff more then I can ever say. To read this in it's original format, clicks on: http://ilovedinomartin.blogspot.com/ (On December, 25th in 1995, actor and singer Dean Martin dies at the age of 78. Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917. From then on it's show biz history when this great man - Elvis Presley's idol and favourite singer -flooded the 50's to the 90's with his magical, music and movie moments. Long live Dino Martin.)
Hey pallies, likes we are inchin' our way to a new Dino-year...wonderin' if any of you pallies have gotten you Dino-resolutions figured out yet? Well on this 28th day of Dino-winter-month we continue to showcase 'nother fine trib to our Dino on the remembrance date of his passin'
Today's entry comes from the "The Music's Over" pad over at wordpress and to view this in it's original format, again, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram. Enjoys the Dino-portrait, the Dino-details, and the Dino-clip of "That's Amore."
Again, so encouragin' to see 'nother site rememberin' and honorin' our Dino on the day of his passin'...and every time the life and legacy of our Dino is liftin' up, we just never know how many more pallies come to know, love, and totally dig our King of Cool! Dinoencouraged, DMP
Died On This Date (December 25, 1995) Dean Martin
Posted by themusicsover.com on December 25, 2009
Dean Martin (Born Dino Crocetti)
June 7, 1917 - December 25, 1995
Dean Martin was a pop music, television and film star who was one of the biggest names in entertainment during the ’60s and ’70s. He and his pals, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis, Jr. were collectively known as the Rat Pack around Hollywood and beyond. Besides hanging out together, they shared many legendary performances in Las Vegas. Martin’s recording career was dotted with numerous hits throughout the years, including “That’s Amore,” “Everybody Loves Somebody,” and “Volare.” His charisma, rugged good looks, and (mostly fake) public drinking made him the “King of Cool” and a pop culture icon. Following the tragic death of his son Dean Paul in 1987, Martin all but faded from the public eye. He made occasional special appearances mostly in honor of his Rat Pack buddies. In 1993, he was diagnosed with lung cancer along with kidney and liver problems. Dean Martin was 78 when he died of respiratory failure on Christmas Day, 1995.
Hey pallies, well our month of Dino-remembrance started windin' down. But, still a few more Dino-days to honor our Dino and his passin' on Dino-winter-day.
Today, on the 27th day of our Dino-seasonal celebratin' we thank the good folks at Hollywood Outbreak who put together this special Dino-memorial to our great man....a great pix of our Dino 'long with some Dino-bits of his life and times....AND....that stellar Dino-winter-clip of our Dino singin' the "Marshmallow Song" from a Bob Hope Winter Special.
Gotta 'fess up that I just had to share this trib to be able to one more time share my fav of fav Dino-seasonal clips....loves this version of the white stuff more then I can ever say. To read this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram.
I am so awe struck by the many and varied tribs that our Dino always receives in rememberin' that saddest of sad days when he left us for the great beyond. The Dino-legacy just keeps glowin'and growin'....spreadin' the Dino-message and givin' Dino-cheer the world 'round. Dino-honorin', DMP
ON THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ: DEAN MARTIN DIES
25 Dec 2009
Filed under: NEWS OF THE DAY, OBITUARY, TELEVISION NEWS, VIDEO CONTENT
On this day in 1995, actor and singer Dean Martin dies at the age of 78. Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917. After working as a prizefighter and a steelworker, Martin started a nightclub act. In 1946, he teamed up with comedian Jerry Lewis, and they became one of the most successful comedy duos of all time. A hit with live audiences and on television, Lewis and Martin made 16 movies together over 10 years, starting with My Friend Irma in 1949. After the duo split up, Martin launched his own TV variety show, which ran from 1965 to 1974. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin teamed up with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop to perform in Las Vegas. The group, known as the Rat Pack, made several movies together in the early 1960s, including Ocean’s Eleven (1960), Sergeants Three 1962), and Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964).
Hey pallies, likes greetin's on this 26th day of Dino-winter-month...hopes all you pallies found ways to remember and honor our Dino on the day of his passin' from this existence. Wasn't able to get on line yesterday, so am playin' some catch up with Dino-'lerts and have found some wonderful tribs in honor of Dino that were shared in the last couple of days...and I plan to post some of 'em as we move through the last few days of our Dino-seasonal remembrance.
Today's Dino-post comes from a blogg tagged "Poe Forward" where Mr. Poe has shared the most worderfully massive Dino-remembrance....full of lovin' commentary on our Dino's life and times with a huge number of heart-warmin' Dino-clips and Dino-pixs to enhance the Dino-presentation. To view this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram.
I can't express my total Dino-delight to see a blogger like Poe showin' such interest in honorin' our Dino is such a stellar way. It just so warms my Dino-heart to see others so so tenderly rememberin' our Dino. Hopes all you pallies will takes the time to read each and every Dino-word hear and enjoys the Dino-clips and Dino-images as well.
My deep thanks to Dino-lovin' Poe for showin' such unabashed Dino-affection! Dinodevotedly, DMP
Friday, December 25, 2009
Deathday: Dean Martin
Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, film actor and comedian. He was one of the best known musical artists of the 1950s and 1960s. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "Mambo Italiano", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?". One of the leaders of the "Rat Pack", he was a major star in four areas of show business: concert stage/night clubs, recordings, motion pictures, and television.
Nicknamed the "King of Cool," Dean Martin became a pop culture icon for his music, his trademark charm and his drinking, although his glass while on stage contained apple juice. He was much respected wherever he went, and became a sort of unofficial ambassador of the Italian-American community.
Early life Born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio to Italian immigrant parents, Gaetano and Angela Crocetti (née Barra), his father was an immigrant from Abruzzo, Italy and his mother was an Italian American of part Neapolitan and part Sicilian. Martin was the younger of two sons. He had one brother, Bill. Martin spoke only Italian until he started school at the age of five. He attended Grant Elementary School in Steubenville, Ohio and 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 from Steubenville High School in the 10th grade because he thought that he was smarter than his teachers. He delivered bootleg liquor, served as a speakeasy croupier, wrote crafty anecdotes, 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". His prizefighting years earned him a broken nose (later fixed), a permanently split lip, and many sets of broken knuckles (a result of not being able to afford the tape used to wrap boxers' hands). He lost 11 of his 12 bouts. For a time, he roomed with Sonny King, who, like Martin, was just starting in show business and had little money. It is said that Martin and King held bare-knuckle matches in their apartment, fighting until one of them was knocked out; people paid to watch. Eventually, 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" (after the then-famous Metropolitan Opera tenor, Nino 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), among others. In the early 1940s, he started singing for bandleader Sammy Watkins, who suggested he change his name to Dean Martin.
In October 1941, Martin married Elizabeth Anne McDonald. During their marriage (ended by divorce in 1949), they had four children. Martin worked for various bands throughout the early 1940s, mostly on looks and personality until he developed his own singing style. Martin famously flopped at the Riobamba when he succeeded Frank Sinatra there in 1943, but it was the setting for his introduction.
Martin repeatedly sold 10 percent shares of his earnings for up front cash. He apparently did this so often that he found he had sold over 100 percent of his income. Such was his charm that most of his lenders forgave his debts and remained friends.
Drafted into the United States Army in 1944 during World War II, Martin served a year stationed in Akron, Ohio. He was then reclassified as 4-F (possibly due to a double hernia; Jerry Lewis referred to the surgery Martin needed for this in his autobiography) and was discharged.
By 1946, Martin was doing relatively well, but was still little more than an East Coast nightclub singer with a common style, similar to that of Bing Crosby. He drew audiences to the clubs he played, but he inspired none of the fanatic popularity enjoyed by Sinatra.
Mafia Connections A biography on Martin titled Dean Martin: King of the Road by Michael Freedland alleges he had links to the Mafia early in his career. Martin allegedly was given help with his singing career by mob bosses who owned saloons in Chicago, Illinois. In return, he later performed in shows hosted by these bosses when he was a star. The mob bosses were Tony Accardo and Sam Giancana. The author suggests Martin felt little sympathy for the Mafia and only did them small favors if it was not inconvenient for him. Reportedly, the FBI's bugs once picked up a mafioso making plans to injure or even kill Martin because of a perceived lack of gratitude. Another book, The Animal in Hollywood by John L. Smith, depicted Dean Martin's longtime friendship with Mafia mobsters Johnny Roselli and Anthony Fiato. The author suggests Anthony Fiato (a/k/a "the Animal") did Dean Martin many favors, such as getting back money from two swindlers who had cheated Betty Martin, Dean's ex-wife, out of thousands of dollars of her alimony.
Teaming with Jerry Lewis Martin attracted the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures, but a Hollywood contract was not forthcoming. He seemed destined to remain on the nightclub circuit until he met a comic named Jerry Lewis at the Glass Hat Club in New York, where both men were performing. Martin and Lewis formed a fast friendship which led to their participation in each other's acts and the ultimate formation of a music-comedy team. More than a few people dubbed them "The Organ Grinder and the Monkey".
Martin and Lewis' official debut together occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24, 1946, and they were not well received. The owner, Skinny D'Amato, warned them that if they did not come up with a better act for their second show later that night, they would be fired. Huddling together in the alley behind the club, Lewis and Martin agreed to "go for broke", to throw out the pre-scripted gags and to improvise. Dean sang and Jerry came out dressed as a busboy, dropping plates and making a shambles of both Martin's performance and the club's sense of decorum until Lewis was chased from the room as Martin pelted him with breadrolls. They did slapstick, reeled off old vaudeville jokes, and did whatever else popped into their heads at the moment. This time, the audience doubled over in laughter. This success led to a series of well-paying engagements on the Eastern seaboard, culminating in a triumphant run at New York's Copacabana. Patrons were convulsed by the act, which consisted primarily of Lewis interrupting and heckling Martin while he was trying to sing, and ultimately the two of them chasing each other around the stage and having as much fun as possible. The secret, both said, is that they essentially ignored the audience and played to one another.
A radio series commenced in 1949, the same year Martin and Lewis were signed by Paramount producer Hal Wallis as comedy relief for the movie My Friend Irma.
Martin liked California which, because of its earthquakes, had few tall buildings. Suffering as he did from claustrophobia, Martin almost never used elevators, and climbing stairs in Manhattan's skyscrapers was not his idea of fun.
Their agent, Abby Greshler, negotiated for them one of Hollywood's best deals: although they received only a modest $75,000 between them for their films with Wallis, Martin and Lewis were free to do one outside film a year, which they would co-produce through their own York Productions. They also had complete control of their club, record, radio and television appearances, and it was through these endeavors that they earned millions of dollars.
Although there had been hugely successful film teams before, Hollywood had not seen anything like Martin and Lewis. The fun they had together set them apart from everything else done at the time. Both were talented entertainers, but the fact that they were good friends on and off stage took their act to a new level.
Martin and Lewis were the hottest act in America during the early 1950s, but the pace and the pressure took its toll. Most critics underestimated Dean's contribution to the team, as he had the thankless job of the straight man, and his singing had yet to develop into the unique style of his later years. Critics praised Lewis, and while they admitted that Martin was the best partner he could have, most claimed Lewis was the real talent and could succeed with anyone. However, Lewis always praised his partner, and while he appreciated the attention he was getting, he has always said the act would never have worked without Dean Martin. In Dean & Me, he calls Martin one of the great comic geniuses of all time. But the harsh comments from the critics, as well as frustration with the formulaic similarity of Martin & Lewis movies, which producer Hal Wallis stubbornly refused to change, led to Martin's dissatisfaction. He put less enthusiasm into the work, leading to escalating arguments with Lewis. They finally could not work together, especially after Martin told his partner he was "nothing to me but a dollar sign." The act broke up in 1956, 10 years to the day from the first official teaming.
Splitting up their partnership was not easy. It took months for lawyers to work out the details of terminating many of their club bookings, their television contracts, and the dissolution of York Productions. There was intense public pressure for them to stay together.
Lewis had no trouble maintaining his film popularity alone, but Martin, unfairly regarded by much of the public and the motion picture industry as something of a spare tire, found the going hard. His first solo film, Ten Thousand Bedrooms, was a box office failure. He was still popular as a singer, but with rock and roll surging to the fore, the era of the pop crooner was waning. It looked like Martin's fate was to be limited to nightclubs and to be remembered as Jerry Lewis's former partner.
The CBS film, "Martin and Lewis", a made-for-TV movie about the famous comedy duo, starred Jeremy Northam as Martin, and Sean Hayes as Lewis. It depicted the years from 1946-1956.
Solo career Never totally comfortable in films, Martin wanted to be known as a real actor. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1957), he agreed so he could learn from Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Tony Randall already had the part, but talent agency MCA realized that with this movie, Martin would become a triple threat: they could make money from his work in night clubs, movies, and records. Martin replaced Randall in one of the best dramatic roles of the decade and the film turned out to be the beginning of Martin's spectacular comeback. Success would continue as Martin starred alongside Frank Sinatra for the first time in a highly acclaimed Vincente Minnelli drama, Some Came Running. By the mid '60s, Martin was a top movie, recording, and nightclub star, while Lewis' film career declined. Martin was acclaimed for his performance as Dude in Rio Bravo (1959), directed by Howard Hawks and also starring John Wayne and singer Ricky Nelson. He teamed up again with Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), somewhat unconvincingly cast as brothers.
In 1960, Dean Martin was cast in the motion picture version of the Judy Holliday hit stage play Bells Are Ringing. Martin played a satiric variation of his own womanizing persona as Vegas singer "Dino" in Billy Wilder's adult comedy Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) with Kim Novak, and he was not above poking fun at his image in films such as the Matt Helm spy spoofs of the 1960s, in which he was a co-producer.
As a singer, Martin copied the styles of Harry Mills (of the Mills Brothers), Bing Crosby, and Perry Como until he developed his own and could hold his own in duets with Sinatra and Crosby. Like Sinatra, he could not read music, but he recorded more than 100 albums and 600 songs. His signature tune, "Everybody Loves Somebody," knocked The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" out of the number-one spot in the United States in 1964. This was followed by the similarly-styled "The Door is Still Open to My Heart," which reached number six later that year. Elvis Presley was said to have been influenced by Martin, and patterned "Love Me Tender" after his style. Martin, like Elvis, was influenced by country music. By 1965, some of Martin's albums, such as Dean "Tex" Martin, The Hit Sound Of Dean Martin, Welcome To My World and Gentle On My Mind were composed of country and western songs made famous by artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens. Martin hosted country performers on his TV show and was named "Man Of the Year" by the Country Music Association in 1966.
"Ain't That a Kick in the Head," a song Martin performed in Ocean's Eleven that never became a hit at the time, has enjoyed a spectacular revival in the media and pop culture (which can be traced to its usage in 1993's A Bronx Tale).
For three decades, Martin was among the most popular acts in Las Vegas. Martin sang and was one of the smoothest comics in the business, benefiting from the decade of raucous comedy with Lewis. Martin's daughter, Gail, also sang in Vegas and on his TV show, co-hosting his summer replacement series on NBC. Though often thought of as a ladies' man, Martin spent a lot of time with his family; as second wife Jeanne put it, prior to the couple's divorce, "He was home every night for dinner."
The Rat Pack As Martin's solo career grew, he and Frank Sinatra became close friends. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin and Sinatra, along with friends Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr. formed the legendary Rat Pack, so called by the public after an earlier group of social friends, the Holmby Hills Rat Pack centered on Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, of which Sinatra had been a member.
The Martin-Sinatra-Davis-Lawford-Bishop group referred to themselves as "The Summit" or "The Clan" and never as "The Rat Pack", although this has remained their identity in the popular culture. The men made films together, formed an important part of the Hollywood social scene in those years, and were politically influential (through Lawford's marriage to Patricia Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy).
The Rat Pack were legendary for their Las Vegas performances, which were almost never preannounced. For example, the marquee at the Sands Hotel might read DEAN MARTIN---MAYBE FRANK---MAYBE SAMMY. Las Vegas rooms were at a premium when the Rat Pack would appear, with many visitors sleeping in hotel lobbies or cars to get a chance to see the three men together. Their act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets and trios, along with much seemingly improvised slapstick and chatter. In the socially-charged 1960s, their jokes revolved around adult themes, such as Sinatra's infamous womanizing and Martin's legendary drinking, as well as many at the expense of Davis's race and religion. Davis famously practiced Judaism and used Yiddish phrases onstage, eliciting much merriment from both his stage-mates and his audiences. It was all good-natured male bonding, never vicious, rarely foul-mouthed, and the three had great respect for each other. The Rat Pack was largely responsible for the integration of Las Vegas. Sinatra and Martin steadfastly refused to appear anywhere that barred Davis, forcing the casinos to open their doors to African-American entertainers and patrons, and to drop restrictive covenants against Jews.
Posthumously, the Rat Pack has experienced a popular revival, inspiring the George Clooney/Brad Pitt "Ocean's" trilogy. An HBO film, "The Rat Pack," starred Joe Mantegna as Martin, Ray Liotta as Sinatra and Don Cheadle as Davis. It depicted their contribution to JFK's election in 1960.
The 1960s and 1970s In 1965, Martin launched his weekly NBC comedy-variety series, The Dean Martin Show, which exploited his public image as a lazy, carefree boozer. It was there that he perfected his famous laid-back persona of the half-drunk crooner suavely hitting on beautiful women with hilarious remarks that would get anyone else slapped, and making snappy if slurred remarks about fellow celebrities during his famous roasts. During an interview he stated, and this may have been tongue-in-cheek, that he had someone record them on cassette tape so he could listen to them; this is evidenced by his comments to this effect on the British TV documentary 'Wine, Women and Song' which was aired in 1983.
The TV show was a huge hit. Dean prided himself on memorizing whole scripts – not merely his own lines. He disliked rehearsing because he firmly believed his best performances were his first. The show's loose format prompted quick-witted improvisation from Dean and the cast. On occasion, he made remarks in Italian, some mild obscenities that brought angry mail from offended, Italian-speaking viewers. This prompted a battle between Martin and NBC censors, who insisted on more scrutiny of the show's content. The show was often in the Top Ten. Martin, deeply appreciative of the efforts of the show's producer, his friend Greg Garrison, later made a handshake deal giving Garrison, a pioneer TV producer in the 1950s, 50% ownership of the show. However, the validity of that ownership is currently the subject of a lawsuit brought by NBC Universal.
Despite Martin's reputation as a heavy drinker — a reputation perpetuated via his vanity license plates reading 'DRUNKY' — he was remarkably self-disciplined. He was often the first to call it a night, and when not on tour or on a film location liked to go home to see his wife and children. Shirley MacLaine in her autobiography confirmed that Martin was sipping apple juice (not liquor) most of the time onstage. He borrowed the lovable-drunk shtick from Joe E. Lewis, but his convincing portrayals of heavy boozers in Some Came Running and Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo led to unsubstantiated claims of alcoholism. More often than not, Martin's idea of a good time was playing golf or watching TV, particularly westerns – not staying with Rat Pack friends Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. into the early hours of the morning.
Martin starred in and co-produced a series of four Matt Helm superspy comedy adventures. A fifth, The Ravagers, was planned starring Sharon Tate and Martin in a dual role, one as a serial killer, but due to the murder of Tate and the decline of the spy genre the film was never made.
By the early 1970s, Martin seemed to have the Midas touch, The Dean Martin Show was still earning solid ratings, and although he was no longer a Top 40 hitmaker, his record albums continued to sell well. His name on a marquee could guarantee casinos and nightclubs a standing-room-only crowd. He found a way to make his passion for golf profitable by offering his own signature line of golf balls. Shrewd investments had greatly increased Martin's personal wealth; at the time of his death, Martin was reportedly the single largest minority shareholder of RCA stock. Martin even managed to cure himself of his claustrophobia by reportedly locking himself in the elevator of a tall building and riding up and down for hours until he was no longer panic-stricken.
Despite his success Martin retreated from show business by the early 1970s. The final (1973-74) season of his variety show would be retooled into one of celebrity roasts, requiring less of Martin's involvement. After the show's cancellation, NBC continued to air the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast format in a series of TV specials through 1984. In those 11 years, Dean and his panel of pals successfully ridiculed and made fun of legendary stars like Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball and Ronald Reagan, to name a few. For nearly a decade, Dean had recorded as many as four albums a year for Reprise Records. That stopped in November 1974, when Martin recorded his final Reprise album - Once In A While, released in 1978. His last recording sessions were for Warner Brothers Records. An album titled The Nashville Sessions was released in 1983, from which he had a hit with "(I Think That I Just Wrote) My First Country Song," which was recorded with Conway Twitty and made a respectable showing on the country charts. A follow up single "L.A. is my home / Drinking Champagne" came in 1985. The 1975 film Mr. Ricco marked Martin's final starring role, and Martin limited his live performances to Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Martin seemed to suffer a mid-life crisis. In 1972, he filed for divorce from his second wife, Jeanne. A week later, his business partnership with the Riviera was dissolved amid reports of the casino's refusal to agree to Martin's request to perform only once a night. He was quickly snapped up by the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and signed a three-picture deal with MGM Studios. Less than a month after his second marriage had been legally dissolved, Martin married 26-year-old Catherine Hawn on April 25, 1973. Hawn had been the receptionist at the chic Gene Shacrove hair salon in Beverly Hills. They divorced November 10, 1976. He was also briefly engaged to Gail Renshaw, Miss USA-World 1969.
Eventually, Martin reconciled with Jeanne, though they never remarried. He also made a public reconciliation with Jerry Lewis on Lewis' Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon in 1976. Frank Sinatra shocked Lewis and the world by bringing Martin out on stage. As Martin and Lewis embraced, the audience erupted in cheers and the phone banks lit up, resulting in one of the telethon's most profitable years. Lewis reported the event was one of the three most memorable of his life. Lewis brought down the house when he quipped, "So, you working?" Martin, playing drunk, replied that he was "at the Meggum" – this reference to the MGM Grand Hotel convulsed Lewis. This, along with the death of Martin's son Dean Paul Martin a few years later, helped to bring the two men together. They maintained a quiet friendship but only performed together again once, in 1989, on Dean's 72nd birthday.
Later years On December 1, 1983 while gambling at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City, Martin and Sinatra intimidated the dealer and several employees into breaking New Jersey laws by making the dealer deal the cards by hand instead of by a shoe, as is required by law. Although Sinatra and Martin were implicated as the cause of the violation, neither was fined by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. The Golden Nugget, on the other hand, received a $25,000 fine and four employees including the dealer, a supervisor and pit boss were suspended from their jobs without pay. It's said that Sinatra and Martin picked up the tab for the suspended employees' pay.
Martin returned to films briefly with appearances in the two star-laden yet critically panned Cannonball Run movies,. He also had a minor hit single with "Since I Met You Baby" and made his first music video, which appeared on MTV. The video was created by Martin's youngest son, Ricci.
On December 8, 1989, Martin attended Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Special.
Decline On March 21, 1987, Martin's son Dean Paul (formerly Dino of the 60s "teeny-bopper" rock group Dino, Desi & Billy) was killed when his F-4 Phantom II (jet) fighter crashed while flying with the California Air National Guard.
A much-touted tour with Davis and Sinatra in 1988 sputtered. On one occasion, he infuriated Sinatra when he turned to him and muttered "Frank, what the hell are we doing up here?" Martin, who always responded best to a club audience, felt lost in the huge stadiums they were performing in (at Sinatra's insistence), and he was not the least bit interested in drinking until dawn after their performances. His final Vegas shows were at the Bally's Hotel in 1989. It was there he had his famous final reunion with Jerry Lewis on his 72nd birthday. Martin's last appearance was on December 1990, as he congratulated Frank Sinatra on his 75th birthday.
In addition to never completely recovering from losing his son, Martin was suffering from emphysema. He kept his private life to himself, emerging briefly for a public celebration of his 77th birthday with friends and family.
In September 1993, Martin was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had been told he needed surgery on his kidneys and liver to prolong his life, but he refused. It was widely reported, though never confirmed, that Martin had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1991.
At his side in his last years was ex-wife Jeanne (Biegger) Martin, whom he had divorced years earlier.
Martin died of acute respiratory failure at his home on Christmas morning 1995, at the age of 78. The lights of the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor.
Tributes In 2005, Las Vegas renamed Industrial Road as Dean Martin Drive. A similarly named street was christened in 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California.
Martin's family was presented a gold record in 2004 for Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, his fastest-selling album ever, which also hit the iTunes Top 10. For the week ending December 23, 2006, the Dean Martin and Martina McBride duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" reached #7 on the R&R AC chart. It also went to #36 on the R&R Country chart - the last time Martin had a song this high in the charts was in 1965, with the song "I Will", which reached #10 on the Pop chart.
An album of duets, Forever Cool, was released by Capitol/EMI in 2007. It features Martin's voice with Kevin Spacey, Shelby Lynne, Joss Stone, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Robbie Williams, McBride and more.
His footprints were immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1964. Martin has not one but three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: One at 6519 Hollywood Blvd. (for movies), one at 1817 Vine (for recordings) and one at 6651 Hollywood Boulevard (for television).
In February 2009, Martin was honored with a posthumous Grammy award for Lifetime Achievement. Four of his surviving children, Gail, Deana, Ricci and Gina, were on hand to accept on his behalf.
Personal life Martin was married three times. Martin's first wife, Betty McDonald, tried by all accounts to be a good wife and mother to their four children, but her efforts were ultimately undone by her alcoholism. It remains a matter of speculation whether her alcoholism led to the failure of the marriage, or whether Dean's infidelities led to Betty's alcoholism. Subsequent to their divorce, Martin gained custody of their children; Betty lived out her life in quiet obscurity in San Francisco. In the 2002 CBS film Martin and Lewis she is portrayed by Paula Cale. Their children were Stephen Craig (born June 29, 1942), Claudia Dean (March 16, 1944 - 2001 from breast cancer), Barbara Gail (born April 11, 1945) and Deana (Dina) (born August 19, 1948).
Martin's second wife was Jeanne Biegger. A stunning blonde, Jeanne could sometimes be spotted in Martin's audience while he was still married to Betty. Their marriage lasted twenty-four years (1949-1973) and produced three children. She is portrayed by Kate Levering in Martin and Lewis. Their children were Dean Paul (November 17, 1951 - March 21, 1987 plane crash), Ricci James (born September 20, 1953) and Gina Caroline (born December 20, 1956).
Martin's third marriage, to Catherine Hawn, lasted three years. One of Dean's managers had spotted the young beauty working the desk at a swank salon on Rodeo Drive, then arranged a meeting. Martin adopted Hawn's daughter, Sasha, but their marriage also failed. Dean initiated divorce proceedings.
Dean Martin's uncle was Leonard Barr, who appeared in several of his shows.
Popular culture Martin was portrayed by Joe Mantegna in an HBO movie about Sinatra and Martin titled The Rat Pack. Mantegna was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role.
In the movie A Bronx's Tale, Dean Martin's song, "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?", was featured during the scene when C was playing dice.
British actor Jeremy Northam portrayed the entertainer in a made-for-TV movie called, Martin and Lewis, alongside Will & Grace's Sean Hayes as Jerry Lewis. Danny Gans portrayed Martin in the miniseries, Sinatra.
For the week ending December 23, 2006, the Dean Martin and Martina McBride duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" reached #7 on the R&R AC chart. It also went to #36 on the R&R Country chart. The last time Martin had a song this high in the charts was in 1965, with the song "I Will," which reached #10 on the Pop chart. A Budweiser TV commercial that premiered during Super Bowl XLI featured Martin's "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?"
In a trailer for the 2009 video game The Godfather II, Martin's "Ain't That A Kick In The Head?" is heard throughout the trailer showing the gangster lifestyle of the 50's.
A compilation album called, Amore! debuted at Number One on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in its February 21, 2009 issue.
Martin is mentioned in the Simpsons episode Apocalypse Cow Bart: So Dean Martin would show up at the last minute and do everything in just one take? Homer: That's right! Bart: But Wikipedia said he was "passionate about rehearsal." Homer: Don't you worry about Wikipedia. We'll change it when we get home. We'll change a lot of things.
In the Meter Made episode of American Dad, Martin's Ain't That a Kick in the Head? is played during a montage in which Stan and Francine are destroying furniture items they bought with illegally obtained money.
