Career Dean Martin

1 career

1.1 teaming jerry lewis
1.2 solo career
1.3 rat pack
1.4 dean martin show
1.5 later career

career
teaming jerry lewis


martin , lewis in 1950

martin attracted attention of metro-goldwyn-mayer , columbia pictures, hollywood contract not forthcoming. met comic jerry lewis @ glass hat club in new york, both performing. martin , lewis formed fast friendship led participation in each other s acts , formation of music-comedy team. martin , lewis s debut occurred @ atlantic city s 500 club on july 24, 1946, , not received. owner, skinny d amato, warned them if did not come better act second show night, fired. huddling in alley behind club, lewis , martin agreed go broke , divided act between songs, skits, , ad-libbed material. martin sang , lewis dressed busboy, dropping plates , making shambles of martin s performance , club s decorum until lewis chased room martin pelted him breadrolls.

they did slapstick, reeled off old vaudeville jokes, , did whatever else popped heads. audience laughed. success led series of well-paying engagements on eastern seaboard, culminating in run @ new york s copacabana. act consisted of lewis interrupting , heckling martin while trying sing, 2 chasing each other around stage. secret, both said, ignored audience , played each other. team made tv debut on first broadcast of cbs-tv network s ed sullivan show (then called toast of town) on june 20, 1948, composers rodgers , hammerstein appearing. hoping improve act, 2 hired young comedy writers norman lear , ed simmons write bits. assistance of both lear , simmons, 2 take act beyond nightclubs.

a radio series began in 1949, year martin , lewis signed paramount producer hal b. wallis comedy relief movie friend irma. agent, abby greshler, negotiated 1 of hollywood s best deals: although received $75,000 between them films wallis, martin , lewis free 1 outside film year, co-produce through own york productions.

they controlled club, record, radio, , television appearances, , through these earned millions of dollars. in dean & me, lewis calls martin 1 of great comic geniuses of time. friends, well, lewis acting best man when martin remarried in 1949. harsh comments critics, frustration similarity of martin , lewis movies, producer hal wallis refused change, led martin s dissatisfaction. put less enthusiasm work, leading escalating arguments lewis. martin told partner nothing me dollar sign . act broke in 1956, 10 years day first teaming.

solo career

martin in film ada (1961)

martin s first solo film, ten thousand bedrooms (1957), box-office failure. still popular singer, rock , roll fore, era of pop crooner waning. martin wanted become dramatic actor, known more slapstick comedy films. though offered fraction of former salary co-star in war drama, young lions (1958), part marlon brando , montgomery clift. tony randall had part, talent agency mca realized film, martin become triple threat: make money work in night clubs, films, , records. martin replaced randall , film turned out beginning of martin s comeback. martin starred alongside frank sinatra first time in vincente minnelli drama, came running (1958). mid-1960s, martin movie, recording, television, , nightclub star. martin acclaimed dude in rio bravo (1959), directed howard hawks , starring john wayne , singer ricky nelson. teamed again wayne in sons of katie elder (1965), cast brothers. in 1960, martin cast in film version of judy holliday stage musical comedy bells ringing. won golden globe nomination performance in 1960 film comedy lady? continued seek dramatic roles, portraying southern politician in 1961 s ada, , starring in 1963 s screen adaptation of intense stage drama, toys in attic, opposite geraldine page, in 1970 s drama airport, huge box-office success.

sinatra , teamed several more movies, crime caper ocean s 11, musical robin , 7 hoods, , western comedies sergeants 3 , 4 texas, rat pack pals such sammy davis, jr., peter lawford, , joey bishop, romantic comedy, marriage on rocks. martin co-starred shirley maclaine in number of films, including came running, artists , models, career, in night s work, , way go! played satiric variation of own womanizing persona las vegas singer dino in billy wilder s comedy kiss me, stupid (1964) kim novak, , poked fun @ image in films such matt helm spy spoofs of 1960s, in co-producer. in third matt helm film ambushers (1967), helm, executed, receives last cigarette , tells provider, ll remember great beyond, continuing sotto voce, somewhere around steubenville, hope.

in rio bravo

as singer, martin copied styles of harry mills (of mills brothers), bing crosby, , perry como until developed own , hold own in duets sinatra , crosby. sinatra, not read music, recorded more 100 albums , 600 songs. signature tune, loves , knocked beatles hard day s night off number 1 in united states in 1964. followed door still open heart , reached number 6 year. elvis presley said have been influenced martin, , patterned love me tender after style. martin, elvis, influenced country music. 1965, of martin s albums, such dean tex martin rides again, houston, welcome world, , gentle on mind, composed of country , western songs artists such johnny cash, merle haggard, , buck owens. martin hosted country performers on tv show , named man of year country music association in 1966. final album of recording career 1983 s nashville sessions.

the image of martin vegas entertainer in tuxedo has been enduring one. ain t kick in head? , song martin performed in ocean s 11, did not become hit @ time, has enjoyed revival in media , pop culture. 3 decades, martin among popular acts in las vegas. martin sang , 1 of smoothest comics in business, benefiting decade of comedy lewis. martin s daughter, gail, sang in vegas , on many tv shows including his, co-hosting summer replacement series on nbc. daughter deana martin continues perform, did youngest son ricci martin until death in august 2016. eldest son craig producer on martin s television show , daughter claudia actress in films such think young. though thought of ladies man, martin spent lot of time family; second wife jeanne put it, prior couple s divorce, home every night dinner.

the rat pack


ocean s 11 buddy lester, joey bishop, sammy davis, jr., frank sinatra, , dean martin.

as martin s solo career grew, , frank sinatra became friends. in late 1950s , 1960s, martin , sinatra, along friends joey bishop, peter lawford, , sammy davis, jr. formed rat pack, so-called after earlier group of social friends, holmby hills rat pack centered on humphrey bogart , lauren bacall, of sinatra had been member (the martin-sinatra-davis-lawford-bishop group referred summit or clan , never rat pack , although has remained identity in popular imagination). men made films together, formed part of hollywood social scene, , politically influential (through lawford s marriage patricia kennedy, sister of president john f. kennedy).

the rat pack legendary las vegas strip performances. example, marquee @ sands hotel might read dean martin—maybe frank—maybe sammy. appearances valuable because city flood wealthy gamblers. act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets , trios, along seemingly improvised slapstick , chatter. in socially charged 1960s, jokes revolved around adult themes, such sinatra s womanizing , martin s drinking, davis s race , religion. sinatra , martin supported civil rights movement , refused perform in clubs not allow african-american or jewish performers. posthumously, rat pack has experienced popular revival, inspiring george clooney/brad pitt ocean s trilogy.

the dean martin show

martin , florence henderson in dean martin show (1968)

in 1965, martin launched weekly nbc comedy-variety series, dean martin show, ran 264 episodes until 1974. won golden globe award best actor - television series musical or comedy in 1966 , nominated again following 3 years. show exploited image carefree boozer. martin capitalized on laid-back persona of half-drunk crooner, hitting on women remarks else slapped, , making snappy if slurred remarks fellow celebrities during roasts. during interview on british tv documentary wine, women , song, aired in 1983, stated, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, had record them on cassette tape listen them. tv show success. show s loose format featured quick-witted improvisation martin , weekly guests. prompted battle between martin , nbc censors, insisted on more scrutiny of content. show in top ten. martin, appreciative of show s producer, friend greg garrison, made handshake deal giving garrison, pioneer tv producer in 1950s, 50% of show. however, validity of ownership subject of lawsuit brought nbcuniversal.

despite martin s reputation drinker – perpetuated via vanity license plate drunky – alcohol use quite disciplined. first call night, , when not on tour or on film location, liked go home see wife , children. borrowed lovable-drunk shtick joe e. lewis, convincing portrayals of heavy boozers in came running , howard hawks s rio bravo led unsubstantiated claims of alcoholism. martin starred in , co-produced 4 matt helm superspy comedy adventures during time, number of westerns. 1970s, dean martin show still earning solid ratings, , although no longer top 40 hitmaker, record albums continued sell. found way make passion golf profitable offering signature line golf balls , dean martin tucson open event on golf s pga tour 1972–75. @ death, martin reportedly single largest minority shareholder of rca stock.

now comfortable financially, martin began reducing schedule. final (1973–74) season of variety show retooled 1 of celebrity roasts, requiring less involvement. after show s cancellation, nbc continued air dean martin celebrity roast format in series of tv specials through 1984. in 11 years, martin , panel of pals made fun of stars in order: ronald reagan, hugh hefner, ed mcmahon, william conrad, kirk douglas, bette davis, barry goldwater, johnny carson, wilt chamberlain, hubert humphrey, carroll o connor, monty hall, jack klugman & tony randall, zsa zsa gabor, leo durocher, truman capote, don rickles, ralph nader, jack benny, redd foxx, bobby riggs, george washington, dan rowan & dick martin, hank aaron, joe namath, bob hope, telly savalas, lucille ball, jackie gleason, sammy davis, jr., michael landon, evel knievel, valerie harper, muhammad ali, dean martin himself, dennis weaver, joe garagiola, danny thomas, angie dickinson, gabe kaplan, ted knight, peter marshall, dan haggerty, frank sinatra, jack klugman, jimmy stewart, george burns, betty white, suzanne somers, joan collins, kent mccord, martin milner, , mr. t.

later career

for decade, martin had recorded many 4 albums year reprise records. stopped in november 1974, when martin recorded final reprise album, once in while, released in 1978. last recordings warner brothers records. nashville sessions released in 1983, had hit (i think wrote) first country song , recorded conway twitty , made respectable showing on country charts. follow-up single, l.a. home / drinking champagne , came in 1985. 1975 film drama mr. ricco marked martin s final starring role, in played criminal defense lawyer. played featured role in 1981 comedy cannonball run , sequel, both starring burt reynolds.

in 1972, filed divorce second wife, jeanne. week later, business partnership riviera hotel in las vegas dissolved amid reports of casino s refusal agree martin s request perform once night. taken mgm grand hotel , casino, featured performer on hotel s opening night december 23, 1973, , signed three-picture deal mgm studios. less month after second marriage had dissolved, martin married 26-year-old catherine hawn, on april 25, 1973. hawn had been receptionist @ chic gene shacrove hair salon in beverly hills. divorced november 10, 1976. briefly engaged gail renshaw, miss world–u.s.a. 1969. eventually, martin reconciled jeanne, though never remarried.

he made public reconciliation lewis on jerry lewis mda telethon in 1976. sinatra shocked lewis bringing martin out on stage. martin , lewis embraced, audience cheered , phones lit up, resulting in 1 of telethon s profitable years. lewis reported event 1 of 3 memorable of life. lewis quipped, so, working? martin, playing drunk, replied @ meggum (meaning mgm grand). this, death of martin s son dean paul martin more decade later, helped bring 2 men together. maintained quiet friendship, performed again once, in 1989, on martin s 72nd birthday.