Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, recording artist and comedian…..who was one of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century….as he was nicknamed “The King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance. Martin gained his career breakthrough together with comedian Jerry Lewis, billed as Martin & Lewis, in 1946. They performed in nightclubs and later had numerous appearances on radio, television and in films…..when following an acrimonious ending of the partnership in 1956, Martin pursued a solo career as a performer and actor.
Comedy & Music – 1917 To 1995 – Special – Tribute To The Life And Career Of Dean Martin
Martin established himself as a notable singer, recording numerous contemporary songs as well as standards from the Great American Songbook…..as he became one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas….while being known for his friendship with fellow artists Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr…..who together with Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, formed the Rat Pack.
Comedy – 1996 – Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon Special – Tribute To The Life And Times Of Comedy Duo Dean Martin + Jerry Lewis
Comedy – 1952 – MDA Telethon Live – With Jerry Lewis + Dean Martin + Jackie Gleason -“The Phone Gag”
Starting in 1965, Martin was the host of the television variety program The Dean Martin Show….which centered on Martin’s singing and comedic talents….and was characterized by his relaxed, easy-going demeanor. In addition, from 1974 to 1984, he was roast master on the popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roast….which drew notable celebrities, comedians and politicians.
Comedy – 1973 – The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast – Ronald Reagan
Comedy – 1974 – The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast – Frank Sinatra
Comedy – 1976 – The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast – Dean Martin
Throughout his career, Martin performed on concert stages, in nightclubs, on audio recordings and appeared in 85 film and television productions…..as his relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles….which included his signature songs “Memories Are Made of This”….“That’s Amore”….“Everybody Loves Somebody”…. “You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You”….“Sway”….“Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?”….and “Volare”.
Music – 1962 – Dean Martin Live In Roma – “Volare”
Music – 1966 – Dean Martin Music Video – “Sway”
Music – 1962 – Dean Martin – “Arrivederci Roma”
At 15, Dean Crochetti (Dean Martin) was a boxer who billed himself as “Kid Crochet”…..when his prizefighting earned him a broken nose (later straightened), a scarred lip, many broken knuckles (a result of not being able to afford tape used to wrap boxers’ hands) and a bruised body…..and of his 12 bouts, he said that he “won all but 11”. For a time, he shared a New York City apartment with Sonny King…. who was also starting in show business and had little money….as the two reportedly charged people to watch them bare-knuckle box each other in their apartment….while fighting until one was knocked out. Martin then knocked out King in the 1st round of an amateur boxing match. Martin gave up boxing to work as a roulette stick-man 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 Metropolitan Opera tenor Nino Martini)….when he got his break working for the Ernie McKay Orchestra…..as he sang in a crooning style influenced by Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers and Perry Como…..and by the late 1940’s, he had begun singing for Cleveland bandleader Sammy Watkins….who suggested he change his name to Dean Martin. He stayed with Watkins there until at least May 1943…..when he had begun performing in New York.
Comedy & Music & Entertainment – Las Vegas Special – Dean Martin: “The King Of Cool”
In October 1941, Martin married Elizabeth “Betty” Anne McDonald in Cleveland, Ohio, and the couple had an apartment in Cleveland Heights for a while. They eventually had four children before the marriage ended in 1949.
Music – 1917 To 1996 – Musical Tribute To Dean Martin – “For The Good Times”
Martin attracted the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures….but a Hollywood contract was not forthcoming…..when he met comic Jerry Lewis at the Glass Hat Club in New York….where both were performing. Martin and Lewis formed a fast friendship which led to their participation in each other’s acts…..and ultimately the formation of a music-comedy team…..as Martin and Lewis’s debut together occurred at Atlantic City’s 500 Club on July 24, 1946….when they were not well received…..and that is when owner, Skinny D’Amato, warned them that if they did not come up with a better act for their 2nd show that night, they would be fired. Huddling in the alley behind the club, Lewis and Martin agreed to “go for broke”….as they divided their act between songs, skits and ad-lib material…..when Martin sang and Lewis dressed as a busboy…..who was dropping plates and making a shambles of Martin’s performance and the club’s decorum….that is until Lewis was chased from the room as Martin pelted him with bread rolls. They performed slapstick, reeled off old vaudeville jokes….and did whatever else popped into their heads….when the audience laughed a great deal…..as this success led to a series of well-paying engagements on the Eastern seaboard…..which culminated in a run at New York’s Copacabana Club. The act consisted of Lewis interrupting and heckling Martin while he was trying to sing….with the two ultimately chasing each other around the stage. The secret, both said, is that they ignored the audience and played to each other. The team made its TV debut on the 1st broadcast of CBS-TV network’s The Ed Sullivan Show (then called The Toast Of The Town) on June 20, 1948…. with composers Rodgers and Hammerstein also appearing. Hoping to improve their act, the two hired young comedy writers Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to write their bits….and with their assistance, the two would take their act beyond nightclubs.
Music & Comedy – 1954 – Special – Dean Martin + Jerry Lewis Live At The Copacabana
Music & Comedy – 1953 – Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon Special – “Orchestra Schtick” – With Dean Martin + Jerry Lewis
Comedy & Music – 1952 – Helsinki Olympics Telethon – With Host Bing Crosby + Bob Hope – Featuring Dean Martin + Jerry Lewis
Comedy – 1951 – Special – Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Comedy Routine
A radio series began in 1949….which was the year Martin and Lewis signed with Paramount producer Hal B. Wallis as comedy relief for the movie My Friend Irma…..when their agent, Abby Greshler, negotiated one of Hollywood’s best deals….when although they received only $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…..as they also controlled their club, record, radio and television appearances…..and through these they earned millions of dollars. In Dean & Me, Lewis calls Martin one of the great comic geniuses of all time. They were friends, as well, with Lewis acting as best man when Martin remarried in 1949…..but harsh comments from critics, as well as frustration with the similarity of Martin and Lewis movies, which producer Hal Wallis refused to change, led to Martin’s dissatisfaction…..which led him to put less enthusiasm into the work….while leading to escalating arguments with Lewis…..when Martin told his partner he was “nothing to me but a dollar sign”…..so, the act broke up in 1956, ten years to the day from the first teaming.
Music & Comedy – Special Tribute To Dean Martin + Jerry Lewis – “Side By Side”
Martin’s first solo film, Ten Thousand Bedrooms in 1957, was a box-office failure….albeit his song “Volare” reached # 15 in the U.S…..and # 2 in the UK….as the era of the pop crooner was waning with the advent of rock and roll. Martin wanted to become a dramatic actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions in 1958….when his part would be with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift…..as Tony Randall already had the part….but talent agency MCA realized that with this film, Martin would become a triple threat…..which would allow them to make money from his work in nightclubs, films, and records…..so, Randall was paid off to relinquish the role….and Martin replaced him….as this film would turned out to be the beginning of Martin’s comeback. Martin starred alongside Frank Sinatra for the first time in the Vincente Minnelli drama, Some Came Running in 1958. By the mid-1960’s, Martin was a movie, recording, television and nightclub star. Martin was then acclaimed as Dude in Rio Bravo in 1959….as the film was directed by Howard Hawks….and also starring John Wayne and singer Ricky Nelson. He teamed again with Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder in 1965….while being cast as brothers. In 1960, Martin was cast in the film version of the Judy Holliday stage musical comedy The Bells Are Ringing…..then he won a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the 1960 film comedy Who Was That Lady?….as he continued to seek dramatic roles, portraying a Southern politician in 1961’s Ada….and starring in 1963’s screen adaptation of an intense stage drama, Toys in the Attic, opposite Geraldine Page….as well as in 1970’s drama Airport, a huge box-office success.
Music & Movies – 1959 – Movie Clip From “Rio Bravo” – With Dean Martin + Ricky Nelson + Walter Brenna Singing “My Rifle, Pony and Me” – plus John Wayne
Music & Movies – 1960 – Official Trailer For Movie Musical “The Bells Are Ringing” – Starring Dean Martin + Judy Holliday
Sinatra and he teamed up for several more movies such as the crime caper Ocean’s 11….the musical Robin and the 7 Hoods….along with the Western comedies Sergeants 3 and 4 for Texas….while often featuring their Rat Pack pals such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop….plus the two also made a romantic comedy, Marriage on the Rocks. Martin also co-starred with Shirley MacLaine in a number of films, including Some Came Running, Artists and Models, Career, All in a Night’s Work and What a Way to Go! He played a satiric variation of his own womanizing persona as Las Vegas singer “Dino” in Billy Wilder’s comedy Kiss Me, Stupid in 1964 with Kim Novak….and he poked fun at his image in films such as the Matt Helm spy spoofs of the 1960’s….in which he was a co-producer….when in the 3rd Matt Helm film The Ambushers in 1967….when Helm, about to be executed, receives a last cigarette and tells the provider, “I’ll remember you from the great beyond,” continuing sotto voce, “somewhere around Steubenville, I hope.”
Movie & Music – 1964 – Clip From “Robin and the 7 Hoods” – Starring The Rat Pack – With Bing Crosby + Frank Sinatra + Dean Martin + Sammy Davis Jr. Singing “Mr Booze”
Comedy & Movie & Music – 1956 – Movie Clip From “Pardners” – Dean Martin + Jerry Lewis – “You And Me”
As a singer, Martin copied the styles of Harry Mills (of the Mills Brothers), Bing Crosby and Perry Como….that is until he developed his own style….which 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”….which knocked the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” off the # 1 in the United States in 1964. This was followed by “The Door is Still Open to My Heart”…..which reached # 6 that year. Elvis Presley was said to have been a fan of Martin….and patterned his performance of “Love Me Tender” after Martin’s style. Martin, like Elvis, was influenced by country music. By 1965, some of Martin’s albums, such as Dean “Tex” Martin Rides Again, Houston,Welcome to My World, and Gentle on My Mind, were composed of country and western songs by artists such as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Buck Owens. Martin often hosted country performers on his TV show and was named “Man Of the Year” by the Country Music Association in 1966. The final album of his recording career was 1983’s The Nashville Sessions.
Music – 1964 – Dean Martin Live – “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime”
Music – 1964 – Dean Martin Live – “The Door Is Still Open To My Heart”
The image of Martin as a Vegas entertainer in a tuxedo has been an enduring one…..as “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?”, a song Martin performed in Ocean’s 11, did not become a hit at the time….but has enjoyed a revival in the media and pop culture. 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 comedy with Lewis. Martin’s daughter, Gail, also sang in Vegas….and was on many TV shows including his, co-hosting his summer replacement series on NBC…..as daughter Deana Martin continues to perform….as did youngest son Ricci Martin until his death in August 2016…..while eldest son Craig was a producer on Martin’s television show…..and daughter Claudia was an actress in films such as For Those Who Think Young. Though often thought of as a ladies’ man, Martin spent a lot of time with his family….as 2nd wife Jeanne put it, prior to the couple’s divorce, “He was home every night for dinner.”
Movie & Music – 1960 – Movie Clip from “Oceans 11” – Featuring Dean Martin Singing “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head”
As Martin’s solo career grew, he and Frank Sinatra became friends….when in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s….they along with friends Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr. formed the Rat Pack…..which was so-called 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”….albeit this has remained their identity in popular imaginations…..as these men made films together….formed part of the Hollywood social scene…. and were politically influential (through Lawford’s marriage to Patricia Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy).
Music – 1967 – The Dean Martin Show – With Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra Singing “A Marshmallow World”
The Rat Pack was legendary for its Las Vegas Strip performances…..for example, the marquee at the Sands Hotel might read “DEAN MARTIN—MAYBE FRANK—MAYBE SAMMY.”….for their appearances were valuable because the city would flood with wealthy gamblers…..as their act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets and trios, along with seemingly improvised slapstick and chatter. In the socially charged 1960’s, their jokes revolved around adult themes, such as Sinatra’s womanizing and Martin’s drinking….as well as Davis’s race and religion. Sinatra and Martin supported the civil rights movement and refused to perform in clubs that would not allow African-American or Jewish performers. Posthumously, the Rat Pack has experienced a popular revival, inspiring the George Clooney/Brad Pitt Ocean’s Trilogy movies.
Comedy – 1960 – Special Footage – The Rat Pack Visit Danny Thomas On Stage at the Sands in Las Vegas
Music & Comedy – 1965 – Las Vegas Sands Presents The Frank Sinatra Spectacular With The Rat Pack – Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra “Singing And Swinging On Stage”
In 1965, Martin launched his weekly NBC comedy-variety series, The Dean Martin Show…..which ran for 264 episodes until 1974….when he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1966….and was nominated again the following three years. The show exploited his image as a carefree boozer…..as Martin capitalized on his laid-back persona of the half-drunk crooner….while hitting on women with remarks that would get anyone else slapped…. and making snappy if slurred remarks about fellow celebrities during his roasts. During an interview on the British TV documentary Wine, Women and Song, aired in 1983, he stated, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, that he had someone record them on cassette tape so he could listen to them. His TV show was a success. The show’s loose format featured quick-witted improvisation from Martin and his weekly guests. This prompted a battle between Martin and NBC censors….who insisted on more scrutiny of the content. He later had trouble with NBC for his off-the-cuff use of obscene Italian phrases….which brought complaints from viewers who spoke the language. The show was often in the Top Ten. Martin, appreciative of the show’s producer, his friend Greg Garrison, made a handshake deal giving Garrison, a pioneer TV producer in the 1950’s, 50% of the show…..however, the validity of that ownership is the subject of a lawsuit brought by NBC Universal.
Music – 1966 – The Dean Martin Show With Louis Armstrong Medley – “Dixie Melody” + “Down By The Riverside” + “Swanee River” + “Saints Go Marching In” Et Al
Comedy – 1967 – The Dean Martin Show Skit – Dean Martin + Foster Brooks In “The Airline Pilot At The Bar”
Music – 1965 – Dean Martin Show – With The Mills Brothers + Dean Martin Singing “Up The Lazy River”
Despite Martin’s reputation as a drinker….while perpetuated via his vanity license plate “DRUNKY”…..when the truth be known that his alcohol use was quite disciplined…..as he was often the 1st 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. 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. Martin starred in and co-produced four Matt Helm super spy comedy adventures during this time….as well as a number of Westerns. By the early 1970’s, The Dean Martin Show was still earning solid ratings….and although he was no longer a Top 40 hit maker, his record albums continued to sell. He found a way to make his passion for golf profitable by offering a signature line of golf balls ….and the Dean Martin Tucson Open was an event on golf’s PGA Tour from 1972 thru 1975. At his death, Martin was reportedly the single largest minority shareholder of RCA stock.
Comedy & Music -1965 To 1974 – Special Highlights – “The Best Of The Dean Martin Show”
Now comfortable financially, Martin began reducing his schedule. The final (1973–1974) season of his variety show was retooled into one of celebrity roasts….which required less involvement…..for in the roasts, Martin and his panel of pals made fun of a variety of popular athletic, entertainment and political figures. After the show’s cancellation, NBC continued to air The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast as a series of TV specials through 1984.
Comedy – 1977 – Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Of Frank Sinatra – With Don Rickles + Jonathan Winters + Milton Berle + George Burns + Orsen Wells + Rich Little + Jimmie Stewart Et Al
Comedy – 1973 – The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Of CA Governor Ronald Reagan – With Jack Benny + Phyllis Diller + Dom DeLuisse + Nancy Reagan Et Al
Comedy – 1978 – The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Of Dean Martin – With Host Don Rickles + Bob Hope + Gene Kelly + John Wayne + Muhammad Ali + Joey Bishop + Foster Brooks + Howard Cosell Et Al
For nearly a decade, Martin had recorded as many as four albums a year for Reprise Records. Martin recorded his final Reprise album, Once in a While in 1974….which was not issued until 1978. His final recordings were made for Warner Bros. Records. The Nashville Sessions were 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….while making a respectable showing on the country charts. A follow-up single, “L.A. Is My Home” / “Drinking Champagne”, came in 1985. The 1974 film drama Mr. Ricco marked Martin’s final starring role, in which he played a criminal defense lawyer. He played a featured role in the 1981 comedy The Cannonball Run….and its sequel, both starring Burt Reynolds.
Music – 1974 – Dean Martin – “(I Think I Wrote) My First Country Song”
Comedy & Music – 1972 – The Dean Martin Show With John Wayne – As Martin + Duke Sing “Don’t Fence Me In”
In 1972, he filed for divorce from his second wife, Jeanne. A week later, his business partnership with the Riviera hotel in Las Vegas dissolved amid reports of the casino’s refusal to agree to Martin’s request to perform only once a night. He joined the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, where he was the featured performer on the hotel’s opening night of December 23, 1973….and his contract required him to star in a film (Mr. Ricco) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios…..then with less than a month after his 2nd marriage had dissolved….that is when 55 yr. old Martin married 26-year-old Catherine Hawn, on April 25, 1973. Hawn had been the receptionist at the chic Gene Shacove hair salon in Beverly Hills…..and they divorced November 10, 1976…..when he was also briefly engaged to Gail Renshaw, Miss World–U.S.A. in 1969. Eventually, Martin reconciled with Jeanne, though they never remarried.
Comedy – 1969 – The Dean Martin Show Skit With Tim Conway In “The Oldest Man Diner”
Comedy – 1970 – The Dean Martin Show With Jonathan Winters – “Just Sitting Around And Ad Libbing”
Martin also made a public reconciliation with Lewis on his partner’s Labor Day telethon, benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association, in September 1976…..when Sinatra shocked Lewis by bringing Martin out on stage….and as the two men embraced, the audience gave them a standing ovation and the phones lit up….which resulted in one of the telethon’s most profitable years up to that time. Lewis later reported the event was one of the three most memorable of his life….as he quipped, “So, you working?”….to which Martin, playing drunk, replied that he was appearing “at the ‘Meggum'” (meaning the MGM Grand Hotel). This, along with the death of Martin’s son Dean Paul Martin more than a decade later, helped bring the two men together. They maintained a quiet friendship, but only performed again once, in 1989, on Martin’s 72nd birthday.
Comedy & Music – 1976 – Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon – Featuring Reunion of Jerry Lewis + Dean Martin – As Sinatra and Martin Sing – “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”
Comedy – 1989 – Special – Jerry Lewis Surprises Dean Martin At Bally’s Casino For Dino’s 72nd Birthday Party
Martin returned to films briefly with appearances in the star-laden, critically panned but commercially successful The Cannonball Run….and its sequel Cannonball Run II. He also had a minor hit single with “Since I Met You Baby”….and made his 1st music video….which appeared on MTV….and was created by Martin’s youngest son, Ricci. On March 21, 1987, Martin’s son, actor Dean Paul Martin (formerly Dino of the 1960’s “teeny-bopper” rock group Dino, Desi & Billy), died when his F-4 Phantom II jet fighter crashed while flying with the California Air National Guard. Martin’s grief over his son’s death left him depressed and demoralized. Later, a tour with Davis and Sinatra in 1988, undertaken in part to help Martin recover, sputtered.
Music – 1987 – Dean Martin – “Since I Met You Baby”
Martin, who responded best to a club audience….as he felt lost in the huge stadiums they were performing in at Sinatra’s insistence….and he was not interested in drinking until dawn after performances. His final Vegas shows were at Bally’s Hotel in 1990…..where he had his final reunion with Lewis on his 72nd birthday. Martin’s last two TV appearances involved tributes to his former Rat Pack members….when on December 8, 1989, he joined stars in Sammy Davis Jr’s 60th anniversary celebration….which aired a few weeks before Davis died from throat cancer….then in December 1990, he congratulated Sinatra on his 75th birthday special.
Comedy & Music – 1976 – Dean Martin + Frank Sinatra Sing A Duet Medley And Have Fun Doing It
In 1997, Ohio Route 7 through Steubenville was rededicated as Dean Martin Boulevard…..as road signs bearing an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Martin’s likeness designate the stretch with a historical marker bearing a small picture and brief biography in the Gazebo Park at Route 7 and North Fourth Street. An annual Dean Martin Festival celebration is held in Steubenville…..with impersonators, friends and family….as well as entertainers, many of Italian ancestry, appear. In 2005, Clark County, Nevada, renamed a portion of Industrial Road as Dean Martin Drive. A similarly named street was dedicated 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….which also hit the iTunes Top 10….and in 2006 it was certified “Platinum”.
Music & Comedy – 1968 – The Dean Martin Christmas Show – With Bob Newhart + Dennis Weaver + Dom DeLuisse
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…..as it also went to # 36 on the R&R Country chart….for 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…..which featured Martin’s voice with Kevin Spacey, Shelby Lynne, Joss Stone, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Robbie Williams, McBride and others. His footprints were immortalized at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 1964…..as Martin has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame….with one at 6519 Hollywood Boulevard for movies…..the 2nd at 1617 Vine for recordings….and a 3rd at 6651 Hollywood Boulevard for television. In February 2009, Martin was honored with a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award…..as four of his surviving children, Gail, Deana, Ricci and Gina accepted it on his behalf. In 2010, Martin received a posthumous star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Music – 2006 – Dean Martin + Martina McBride Duet – “Baby It’s Cold Outside”
A number of Martin songs have been featured across popular culture for decades. Hits such as “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head”, “Sway”, “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You”, “That’s Amore”, and Martin’s signature song “Everybody Loves Somebody” have been in films…..such as the Oscar-winning Logorama, A Bronx Tale, Casino, Goodfellas, Payback, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Sexy Beast, Moonstruck, Vegas Vacation, Swingers, and Return to Me….along with television series such as American Dad!, Friends, The Sopranos, House MD and Samurai Jack….plus video games such as The Godfather: The Game, The Godfather II, Fallout: New Vegas, and Mafia II….and fashion shows such as the 2008 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Movie & Music – 1964 – Clip From “Robin & The 7 Hoods” – With Frank Sinatra + Bing Crosby + Dean Martin Singing “Style”
Danny Gans portrayed Martin in the 1992 CBS miniseries Sinatra. Martin was portrayed by Joe Mantegna in the 1998 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. British actor Jeremy Northam portrayed the entertainer in the 2002 made-for-TV movie Martin and Lewis, alongside Will & Grace’s Sean Hayes as Jerry Lewis. Martin is the subject of Dean Martin’s Wild Party and Dean Martin’s Vegas Shindig…..which are a pair of video slot machines found in many casinos. The games feature songs sung by Martin during the bonus feature….and the count-up of a player’s winnings. A compilation album called Amore! debuted at # 1 on Billboard magazine’s Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in its February 21, 2009, issue. In 1998, The MTV animated show Celebrity Deathmatch had a clay-animated fight to the death between Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis….as Martin wins by whacking Jerry out of the ring. The Rat Pack: Live from Las Vegas has been a successful tribute show, featuring Martin impersonators, on stage in Europe and North America since 2000. The walk-up song for Francisco Cervelli, a catcher for the Atlanta Braves, is the Dean Martin tune “That’s Amore”. In DePatie-Freleng’s animated theatrical cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, the Ant’s voice was performed by John Byner as an imitation of Martin. Martin appears as Matt Helm in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 period piece Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) goes to a cinema to see The Wrecking Crew.
Comedy & Music – 1975 – The Frank Sinatra Spectacular – “The Rat Pack Live” – Featuring Dean Martin
As I come to the point of finishing this story about “The King of Cool”….which ia name befitting the man, as evidenced by the videos we shared herewith….for I have come to the realization after viewing those videos that Dean Martin was an exceptional talent….who like so many of the Greatest Generation were in a special way…..multi-talented….for this generation created entertainers who could sing, dance, act, make people laugh, capture imaginations….and all the while, give the impression that he was “a lil bit tipsy”. Dean Martin was something special…..while setting the gold standard for being “The King of Cool”…..and he could do it all as a comedic genius (it is tough to play the straight man)….for he could sweep a beautiful woman off her feet and directly to the boudoir…..cuz Barry White doesn’t have nuthin’ on Dino….so, when you attempt to define Dean Martin…..you realize just how talented this man was….and we here at ImaSportsphile are “tickled pink” to have such a wide collection of videos to show just how talented he was….as there is no doubt that he deserves his story being told.
Comedy – 1965 – The Tonight Show With Host Joey Bishop – Featuring Frank Sinatra + Dean Martin
