It became the brand of choice for hep cats and wise guys, usually fixed with ice and soda, and it became a central feature of a Dean Martin performance. Martin’s nightclub act was legendary.
Rat Pack legend and comedian extraordinaire Dean Martin was a Hollywood staple. His witty antics and voice made him one of the most popular entertainers around, and he rubbed shoulders with Tinsel Town’s finest. Here are some facts you may not have known about him. What’s In A Name? He wasn’t always known as Dean Martin.
It was a stipulation that he have a room on the first floor when staying at hotels to ensure he never had to enter an elevator. Dean Martin was a heavy smoker for most of his life. By 16, he was chain-smoking, and he often couldn’t go on stage without a drink in one hand and a cigarette in another.
He Had Shady Fans When he became a singer, Dean Martin left his shady past as a bootlegger and bare-knuckle boxer behind—but that life still stalked him at every turn. His pal Frank Sinatra had mob connections all across the country, and the Rat Pack often performed for these kinds of disreputables.
The series ran for five years, from 1952 to 1957.
For nearly 50 years, Dean Martin was America’s ambassador to the world of wine, women, and song. Martin rose to stardom as one half of the duo Martin and Lewis, and then secured himself a position as Frank Sinatra’s consigliere and charter member of the Rat Pack. Martin’s sly sense of humor and boozy charm won him the adoration of millions of fans, but offstage, he was a quiet loner who preferred golf to martinis—ain’t that a kick in the head? Here are 42 intoxicating facts about Dean Martin.
He changed it once again to Dean Martin to avoid confusion with Italian opera singer Nino Martini.
After Martin’s death, the city council of Steubenville assembled a permanent Dean Martin Committee, chaired by Dean’s daughter, Deana. The committee guides walking tours of Martin’s old haunts, fundraises for a Dean Martin Scholarship, and organizes the city’s annual Dean Martin Festival.
Let’s Take a Walk. No one can deny Martin was a multi-talented entertainer. He is, in fact, the only person to have ever been given three separate stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one each for film, television, and music. Flickr, Christian Haugen.
No Need to Practice. In 1968, Martin signed a three-year extension on The Dean Martin Show. Not only was he paid $34 million, making him the highest-paid entertainer in the world at that time, the contract also stipulated that he did not have to attend rehearsals.
It wasn’t just that Martin loved golf, he also just hated parties. He once called the cops, posing as one of his own neighbors, to complain about a party “at Dean Martin’s house.” The police dutifully arrived and shut down the party, which was being hosted by Martin’s wife.
In this Sunday's Classic Hollywood, I sit down with Diane Ladd, a three-time Oscar nominee and mother of fellow Oscar nominee Laura Dern, about her 50-year-plus career and her latest role as Jennifer Lawrence's warm, loving grandmother in David O. Russell's film "Joy."
For fans of Marxist comedy, the New Beverly is offering a triple bill of Marx Brothers comedies on Christmas Day: 1932's "Horse Feathers"; 1935's "A Night at the Opera"; and 1930's "Animal Crackers.". All I can say is "Hooray for Captain Spaulding.".
Dean Martin. 16 May 2017 by Iain Russell. Part of Frank Sinatra’s famous ‘Rat Pack’, Dean Martin made a name for himself as a loveable ‘drunk’. Whether on stage in Las Vegas or on the big screen in numerous films, the singer and actor was seldom seen without a Scotch in hand. Iain Russell reports.
And one brand is forever associated with his name: J&B Rare. Dino Crocetti (1917-95) was born in Ohio, the second son of Italian-American parents.
J&B Rare had become one of the US’ favourite Scotches during the 1950s, when the country acquired a taste for light-coloured, lightly flavoured whiskies. It became the brand of choice for hep cats and wise guys, usually fixed with ice and soda, and it became a central feature of a Dean Martin performance.
Film star: Martin played Dude in Rio Bravo in 1959, directed by Howard Hawks. Ricci emphasised that his father was not a great drinker in private either. ‘There are good drinkers and bad, and dad was one of the good. He would be just as calm, loving and funny at home when he had a drink as when he hadn’t….
Dean had his usual drink and cigarette sitting next to George Gobel, another great comedian, was telling Carson a story about his air force career and he was also holding a drink. While Gobel was not looking Dean flick ashes into Gobel’s drink and Carson and the crowd loved it, Gobel was none the wiser.
Continue Reading. Dean Martin was an underrated talent in many areas. As a vocalist he never got his due (“Volare” and “Canadian Sunset” are sublime recordings).
Dean Martin was not an alcoholic. In fact, he was usually the first one to bed so he could rise early to play golf. It would have been pure idiocy for NBC-Universal to invest millions into a lazy drunkard. During his years with NBC 1965–1985, he continued to perform live, record, and star in major films.
Yes but not a lot and never while working. Every show, I would introduce him “And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, direct from the bar - Dean Martin”, he would pour Mott’s Apple Juice into his glass, fake a drunk walk and come on stage.
Others begged to differ, including his singing and drinking buddy Frank Sinatra, who said, “If we ever develop an Olympic drinking team, [Dean’s] gonna be the coach.”. But how much Martin actually drank is beside the point. He always seemed bombed, and that was what mattered.
And during his heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, it sometimes seemed as though everyone did. Some, including Martin’s son, said it was really apple juice in the rocks glasses Dean Martin brought onstage.
Martin was one of the top draws in Las Vegas for decades, and The Dean Martin Show was a TV-ratings giant for most of its nine seasons, starting in 1965. Sinatra went down in history as the greater artist; Martin’s records haven’t passed the test of time nearly as well.
He always seemed bombed, and that was what mattered. Dean Martin got his start as the straight man for Jerry Lewis—they were the most popular comedy act in the country in the early and mid ’50s. After they split up, Martin became a full-time crooner and developed the drunk act to go with it.
With his dark good looks, mellifluous voice, hilarious one-liners, and ever-present rocks glass, Dean Martin was a walking, talking, singing advertisement for getting soused. He was a one-man cocktail party, and all of the United States was invited to pour a stiff one and join in the fun. And during his heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, it sometimes seemed as though everyone did.
Dean Martin was a beloved actor, singer, and comedian, best known for his songs “Volare,” Everybody Loves Somebody,” and “That’s Amore” as well as his self-titled 1960s TV variety show.
Dean Martin Died on Christmas Day in 1995. Martin’s life came to an end on December 25, 1995, two years after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and emphysema, per the Hartford Courant.