Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Meet the "Rat Pack."
Short Dino Bio
Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti to Italian-American parents in the town of Steubenville, Ohio in 1917. His first language was Italian and didn’t learn how to speak English until the age of five.
He dropped out of school at age 15 to become a boxer under the name “Kid Crochet.” At the same time he began to work with local bands, calling himself “Dino Martini” after the Metropolitan Opera tenor Nino Martini. In the early 1940s he began to sing for bandleader Sammy Watkins, who later asked Dino to change his name to “Dean Martin”. He worked for various bands in the early 1940s, while also performing in various nightclubs.
Martin formed a friendship with Jerry Lewis and the act of Martin and Lewis eventually became an iconic comedy duo, and both eventually signed a deal with Paramount Pictures in 1949, for a radio show. The duo performed in many Hollywood films, but Martin and Lewis’s act eventually broke up in 1956, 10 years to the day of the first teaming.
Martin found some success as a Hollywood actor, while keeping up his singing career at the same time. Martin, along with other famous singers, such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., formed the The Rat Pack, they performed together while also appearing in movies, most famously Ocean’s 11.
He later hosted many television shows, such as The Dean Martin Show, and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast.
Martin continued his career for some years and was married 3 times to 3 separate women. He was a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in September 1993, and died at the age of 78 in 1995 from acute respiratory failure resulting from emphysema.
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Sunday's on the Dean Martin Show.
Watching Dean work back in 1966....working on his show was a breeze. He said..."I don't even breathe hard." "I go to the studio at 1 on Sunday afternoon and I'm out of there by nine. That's all there is to it."
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Friday, September 10, 2021
Dino
"So please meet me in the plaza near your casa
I am only one, and one is much too few
On an evening in Roma
Don't know what the country's coming to
But in Rome do as the Romans do
Will you, on an evening in Roma."
Dom Deluise
"You're nobody till somebody loves you." Next to the women that idolized and loved Dean Martin, one man stands out that fell in the same category. Dom Deluise. He was Italian, proud of his heritage and loved being with Dean. Dom was as "Zany" on and off stage. He would kibitz with us during commercial breaks, and couldn't wait to do sketches with Dino. Since Dean wasn't a big fan of memorizing his lines, Dom would "ad lib" and the longer the skit, the more "off the wall" it became. They truly enjoyed each other's company. I was standing next to Dom before he did his entry, there was so much excitement on his face, I could feel the energy he was about to unleash on "old Dino." If the truth be told, Dom Deluise was one of Deans favorites. In my view, Dom would not have been as big a star without Dean's help. Two very funny men!
Monday, September 6, 2021
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
A funny Dean Martin moment. I was sitting in my chair watching the news a few days ago. As fate would have it, I lifted my right bottom and yes I "broke wind." Yes you read that right. It immediately reminded me of Dino story. It was a busy Sunday on the Dean Martin set during an afternoon taping in the late 60's. Dean did a short monologue then finished singing "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You," then we went to a commercial. I was standing within a few feet of Dean with the cue card and makeup guy, Dean scooted up on his bar stool, we heard "squeak," Dino "cut one." I looked at the cue card guy, and the makeup guy, they looked at me, then I looked at Dean, and he winked. "The King of Cool" and the three of us "burst in laughter." "Let's have a Vino for Dino!"
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Dean Martin Bio
Playboy called him “the coolest man who ever lived.” Elvis Presley worshipped him. “He was the coolest dude I’d ever seen, period,” recalled Stevie Van Zandt, adding, “He wasn’t just great at everything he did. To me, he was perfect.”
That man is Dean Martin. Simply put, he was a great singer. The warm sensuality of his voice continues to beguile generations of music fans with a winning style and a touch of mystery.
Born Dino Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, his early autobiography is as gritty as that of any hip-hop star. He delivered bootleg liquor, served as a speakeasy croupier and blackjack dealer, worked in a steel mill and briefly ruled the ring as boxing phenom Kid Crochet. Winning his share of bouts earned him little apart from a broken nose, but Dino’s speakeasy experience put him in contact with club owners, resulting in his first singing gigs.
With a fixed nose and a boost from his pals in the nightclub underworld, he became Dean Martin, styling himself after the top male vocalist of the time, Bing Crosby, and met Frank Sinatra in New York.
Martin released his first single, “Which Way Did My Heart Go?” and was first paired with comic Jerry Lewis. The two shared a bill at the 500 Club in Atlantic City, but the night they combined their acts into a combo of manic comedy and debonair music saw the birth of a phenomenon. They were the hottest ticket around and parlayed their onstage success into a string of hit movies and television appearances.
During Martin and Lewis’ decade-long partnership, Dean had such hits as “Memories Are Made of This,” “That’s Amore,” “Powder Your Face With Sunshine,” and “You Belong to Me,” among others, all for the Capitol label. Yet when their partnership dissolved, showbiz pundits predicted Lewis’ star would continue to rise and Martin’s would fizzle.
The singer confounded the skeptics. As a solo act he was wowing crowds in Vegas, impressing critics and audiences in a series of dramatic film roles, scoring on TV with Dean Martin Show specials for NBC, and hitting the charts again with “Return to Me” and “Volare.”
Not soon after, Martin’s affiliation with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and the rest of the fabled Rat Pack supplanted his earlier rep. He fueled his image as a boozing playboy in onstage antics with his pals and ring-a-ding ensemble films like Ocean’s Eleven, yet Martin later claimed his cocktail-swilling persona was largely a pose.
Though he left Capitol to sign with Sinatra’s fledgling Reprise label, Martin capped his tenure there with a bang, releasing two classic singles, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” and “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You,” showcasing him at the height of his powers.
Even at the height of Beatlemania with the group topping the charts, Martin reasserted himself with typical aplomb knocking the Fab Four from their perch with the buttery anthem “Everybody Loves Somebody.” Several other hits, including “The Door Is Still Open to My Heart,” “I Will,” “Houston” and “Send Me the Pillow You Dream On,” followed during his years at Reprise.
Though he continued to perform, Martin’s visibility was greatest in films and on TV, where he nursed his lush-in-a-tux image with the long-running Dean Martin Variety Show and the hugely successful Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roast.
His effortless vocalizing has become a modern shorthand for cool, as evidenced by the use of his songs in films, television, and ad campaigns. Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, a recent collection of both the Capitol and Reprise eras, sold more briskly than any previous Martin recording, going gold within months and platinum within a year.
Biographer Nick Tosches (Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams) described Martin as a classic menefreghista, Italian for “one who does not give a f—.” The term, in Dean Martin’s case, conveys not indifference but a refusal to be beaten down by the world and a determination to greet life with an easy smile, a graceful melody and an aura of unflappable cool.
Sunday, August 15, 2021
Saturday, August 14, 2021
Barbara Eden still beautiful after all these years.
A Short Dean Martin Story
A DREAM, AN APPARITION, AND FATE
(or How And Why I Found Dean Martin)D.J. Starling (djstarling.com)
On March 23, 1987, I heard the horrible news. A fighter jet and its pilot, thirty-five-year-old United States Air Force Captain Dean Paul Martin, had disappeared from radar screens during a routine training mission two days earlier. My heart stopped. Not my Dino. It couldn’t be. From that moment on, I listened to all news reports, praying for his safety, feeling his family’s pain.
*I’ve been a Dean Martin fan since I was a child in the early ‘60s. Handsome and sophisticated, he lived a swinging show biz life that fascinated me.
By the age of 10 in 1965, my attention had turned to the world of teen idols. Paul McCartney was my favorite, but his allure faded when I discovered a new face in the teen fan magazines I read religiously. One look at one grainy photograph and I was in love with the blond, blue-eyed boy who played bass guitar for a trio new to the music world. They called themselves Dino, Desi, and Billy.
It was quite a surprise when I learned that the boy I was dreaming about, thirteen-year-old Dino, was the son of my earlier hero, Dean. Their unexpected family ties excited me, adding to the mystique of both father and son.
Little girl fantasies filled my mind, evolving into the private, personalized fairytales that helped me get through a troubled adolescence. Unlike reality, life was perfect in my imaginary world. Dean was king, Dino, my very own Prince Charming, and I was everything he wanted me to be in every scenario I created, each one ending with happily ever after.
Even after I married and started a family of my own, I found myself thinking about Dino every now and then, and he always made me smile. I had kept up with him over the years through magazine articles, and watched closely when he began an acting career. By then, he had dropped the nickname, Dino, in favor of his given name, Dean Paul. He’d always be Dino to me, though, and I clung to a lingering secret desire—the chance to meet him one day, if only to say thank you for some of my fondest childhood memories. Then I lost him before I found him. Dino was killed when his jet crashed. A piece of my heart, a part of my youth died too.
The shock of losing my fantasy prince hit hard. I mourned him and missed him as I would an old friend, while time, a husband, and two young daughters keeping me busy softened my grief. I would never forget Dino and hoped for a chance to somehow say a proper goodbye to him.
In 1989, my husband, Mark, and I decided to visit Los Angeles during our family’s summer vacation. We wanted to see the sights, and I would finally have the opportunity to pay my respects to Dino, two years after he died. I never could have imagined the events about to unfold.
When I called a travel agent in early May to arrange our trip, I learned that the hotel where we hoped to stay was full during the week we wanted to travel, so we agreed to go the following week. A few days later, while reading a jeweler’s trade magazine, Mark learned of a trade show to be held at our hotel, a week after our rescheduled visit. Once again, I called our travel agent, eager to take advantage of the chance to incorporate a little business into our plans.
“Changing your reservations would normally be no problem,” he told me, “but our airline computers are down at the moment.” It was a Saturday, and the agent was apologetic for the inconvenience as he reminded me that by 9am Monday, our flight schedule would be locked in, as per airline policy. The agent sounded much more hopeful when he added, “If we do get back on line before close of business today, I’ll make sure to take care of it for you.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I said. “And don’t worry about letting me know. I’ll call you Monday to find out.” Hanging up the phone, I wondered which week we’d be traveling, glad it really didn’t matter.
That night, I had a cryptic dream. Dino was there and I was telling him of my plans, and all the other things I wanted him to hear—how much he meant to me, how much I missed him.
“I know,” he assured me, flashing the smile I so lovingly remembered. “But you have to tell him.”
“Tell who? Tell him what?”
“My dad needs to know how you feel. It’ll help.”
“Your father?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. “What are you talking about? How can I tell Dean Martin anything? Where? When?” Even in a dream, I knew the idea was ridiculous.
But Dino gave me an answer. “August twelfth,” he said. “At eight o’clock.” Then he faded away.
Seemingly so real, the image remained clear in my mind when I woke up the next morning, and I immediately checked the calendar. If my family and I went to Los Angeles for the jewelry show, I’d be home in Fort Lauderdale on August twelfth. But if a computer breakdown forced us into going the week that was now our third choice, I’d be in L.A. on that date. Suddenly recognizing the hands of fate at work, dictating the dates of our vacation, I was now certain I’d meet Dean Martin. Somehow. Somewhere.
When I told my husband about my dream, and my seemingly impossible expectations, he laughed. But I knew I was right. I felt it.
As expected, we were in L.A. on August twelfth. That morning, at quarter to eight, I left my sleeping family in our hotel room and drove off to visit Dino’s grave. Having learned the location of the cemetery through news reports, I stood alone at his graveside for more than twenty minutes, hoping for further instructions while thinking back to the endless, wondrous hours Dino and I had happily shared in my childhood fantasies and dreams.
When I returned to the hotel, I called my family in our room from the lobby. Ready to get started on another day, they promised to come right down. While I waited, I checked the hotel bulletin board. I read about a wedding to be held there that night, and a fund-raising dinner at eight o’clock to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital.
The announcements meant little to me, and as we were driving back to the hotel after another day of sightseeing, my husband had some questions for me.
“What are we doing tonight?” Mark asked. “Where are we supposed to be at eight o’clock?”
His tone was sarcastic and I didn’t have an answer. If my dream had really meant something, as I firmly believed it had, I was certain I’d be led to the right place. That’s when it hit me. The information I’d read earlier finally registered in my brain. The fund-raising dinner at our hotel . . . would it be a star-studded affair? I was absentmindedly thinking out loud and my daughters jumped on my words.
“What celebrities? Where? When? Will we see them?”
When we arrived back at our hotel, my nine-year-old daughter, Lori, flew from the car and raced to the concierge desk, asking questions.
“Several celebrities are expected,” she was told. “They should start arriving in about two hours.”
The four of us rushed to our room, showered and changed, and hurried back downstairs to the entrance with our camera and my daughters’ autograph books in hand. Once the guests began arriving around seven o’clock, my daughters kept busy collecting signatures while their dad snapped pictures at a furious pace. We were surrounded by major celebrities, the dreams of a starstruck tourist in Los Angeles fulfilled.
After a half hour or so, I began trembling and glanced at Mark. “If Dean Martin gets out of a car at eight o’clock,” I said breathlessly, “I think you’ll need to take me home in a straitjacket.” My premonition was suddenly frightening me.
At the same time, Lori had started a conversation with a friendly young girl named Susan, a professional photographer who made a living tracking celebrities around town. My daughter was asking her if she knew which celebrities were expected that night, mentioning several she hoped to see. When Lori brought up Dean Martin’s name, Susan couldn’t hide her surprise.
“You’re interested in Dean Martin?” she asked, her wide eyes staring at the nine-year-old in front of her.
“Sure,” Lori answered. “My mom’s always been a big fan and I love Martin and Lewis movies!”
Standing nearby watching them, I walked closer.
“You want to meet Dean Martin?” Susan asked.
“I’d love to,” I responded quickly, intrigued by her tone that implied she had reliable information. “Do you know how I could?”
That’s when Susan told me about La Famiglia, an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills that Mr. Martin frequented, adding he usually arrived there about 7:30. When I checked my watch, my pulses raced. This bit of crucial information had come to me at exactly 8pm, on August twelfth.
As soon as that shock subsided, I called the restaurant for reservations. Because the establishment was closed the next day, I chose the night after that, which would be our last night in L.A.
We arrived on schedule and, as Susan had suggested, we asked the parking valet if Mr. Martin was expected that night. He was, and at any moment. I knew he would be, and I could feel Dino with me as the tuxedoed maître d led us to our table. And I trembled when Lori questioned him about the possibility of our meeting Mr. Martin while we were there.
“I’ll ask him,” the maître d replied. “He usually doesn’t mind, but sometimes, he’s just not in the mood.”
When I glanced at the large front window of the restaurant, I spied Mr. Martin getting out of his car. My knees knocked together as he entered the room, and my heart skipped a beat when he sat alone at a booth, steps from our table. My confidence strong, I anxiously awaited the okay to fulfill my mission. It came within minutes.
My husband, daughters, and I apprehensively approached Mr. Martin and introduced ourselves. Happily for all of us, he was most affable, engaging the girls in friendly conversation while my husband and I began our own conversation in glances over our daughters’ heads. His eyes pleaded with me not to mention Dino as he knew I wanted. My eyes told him I had to.
Dino had told me to come, and in a sense, had led me to the opportunity. I only wished he told me what to say as my husband took the girls back to our table, leaving me alone with Dean. I didn’t know how to go further, and I felt shaky as I stared into his sad brown eyes. Finally, I stammered, “I wanted to tell you, Mr. Martin, that I was a big fan of Dino’s.”
He returned my stare as I went on, trying to explain how much Dino had meant to me during the twenty-four years since I first saw him. When I noticed tears in Dean’s eyes, my heart broke for him, and I was overcome by guilt, feeling totally insensitive. I had hoped to comfort him somehow, but it wasn’t working out that way. Quivering, I searched for the proper words to end this meeting. “I just wanted you to know,” I said, “that there are people who still think about Dino, and miss him, and will always remember him. He was special and I just wanted to tell you that. Thank you for your time.” Silently, I added: Thank you, and Dino, for a lot of great memories. You’re both wonderful.
Rejoining my family, I gave them a condensed version of the mostly one-sided conversation. My husband quietly berated my intrusion into the Martin family’s personal tragedy, and I began to wonder if he was right as we finished our meal. Filing passed Dean’s table on our way out, we said goodbye as we moved along. He nodded and waved, and wished us a safe trip home the next day.
At my daughters’ request, we took a walk before we got our car, browsing the store windows lining the street. And then, as we were nearing the restaurant entrance on our way back, the parking valet we had questioned earlier called to us.
“Mr. Martin is getting ready to leave,” he said. “He should be right out if you’d like to see him again.”
We didn’t even have time to answer. Dean was suddenly standing by Lori, and she asked if I could take a picture of them together.
“It would be my pleasure,” he replied with a warm smile as he reached down and wrapped his arm around her.
When my husband noticed what was happening, he took the camera and pushed me and our younger daughter, Lindsay, into the picture.
Overwhelmed by all that happened, I somehow found the courage to ask Mr. Martin if I could give him a kiss after the photo had been snapped. With the same roguish smile I had seen so often on TV and in movies, he bent down and offered his cheek. I didn’t tell him part of that kiss was from Dino, but there was a true warmth in his embrace as his arm encircled me, as if he had sensed it. I wanted to believe he had. I wanted to believe he felt Dino’s presence between us as much as I did.
“Thank you,” I said to him. “We really appreciate your kindness. It was a special pleasure to meet you.”
“No,” he muttered softly. “Thank you.”
I was shaking as I watched Dean get into his car and drive away.
“Maybe you did do the right thing,” my husband admitted as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “The tone of that Thank You certainly sounded like he really appreciated what you said.”
I can only hope Mark was right this time. Still, for the rest of my life, I will fondly remember the evening, as well as both father and son, the king and my childhood prince. The only thing that could have made the night any more memorable or thrilling for me would have been having Dino there with us—healthy and alive . . . not just in our hearts.
Friday, August 13, 2021
Frank Montiforte
Frank Montiforte is a very funny man. After Sunday afternoons, working the Dean Martin Show, and weekdays on Hollywood Squares, Hope and Benny Specials, my fellow NBC Pages and I would drive off to Hollywood "Hot Spots" like PJ's and Whiskey A-Go-Go for an "adult beverage" before trekking home. Those were the Frankie Randall, Eddie Cano, Trini Lopez days. Little did I know Montiforte tended bar at Whiskey's. After the Hollywood bar scene, Frank opened a "swanky" dress shop in Beverly Hills. His clients included Sophia Loren, and the infamous Linda Lovelace to name a few. Years later, when I moved to Palm Springs, I bumped into Frank at weekly "lunch bunch" group of retired agents, screenwriters, and old movie legends. The room is always buzzing with stories about the "Golden Age of Hollywood." You'd love to be a fly on the wall! Now Frank is one of the stars on our Wise Guys Cooking Show here in Palm Springs on NBC. Check it out on WiseGuysCooking.com
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Dean loved comedians!
Friday, July 23, 2021
Mr. Charisma
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Friday, July 16, 2021
Let's Have a Vino for Dino!
Dean Martin was 49 when I finagled my way next to his bar stool on the Dean Martin Show. When I first saw Dean, slide down the "fire poll," my life flashed before me, a young kid in Chicago, w/my brother Frank, under the dining room table, watching Dean and Jerry on the Ed Sullivan Show. Fast forward, we moved to Long Beach, Ca. As a teenager I spent my spare hours, emulating Dean's moves and lip-sinking "Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket," " An Evening in Roma, " and all the "Pretty Baby" album songs in front of my bedroom mirror. I had the look and the sound! Father Hanson, who loved Italians, talked me into joining the St. Anthony Hi Glee Club. I could have been a teenage "heart throb" singing "Dark Town Strutters Ball, That's Amore and Hey Compare." Fogettaboutit! My family was proud. Especially my dad who sang during the 30's on Chicago's Italian radio hour. 4 years, two concerts each year before packed houses in our gym, were fun years. After graduating from Long Beach State, my old "Frat Bro" and later N.Y. Metro Media News Anchorman, John Roland got me an interview at NBC. I got my foot in the door. I was now an NBC Page, working on the Dean Martin Show. You're kidding me, I came a long way just to meet Dino Crocetti. It was worth it.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
The trip from Belmont Shore on Ocean Blvd. to the 710 Freeway to the Santa Ana Freeway to the Hollywood Freeway then off on Barnham. The Sunday morning trip took about 45 minutes in my 65' VW Beetle. I would pass Hanna Barbara and Warner Brothers Studios. I drove to NBC Studios and parked in the employees lot. I entered the Artist Entrance, checked my messages, then on to Studio 4, Dean's "digs," took about 2 minutes. I had to pinch myself walking past the "Days of our Lives, Tonight Show" studios, as I walked, on my left was the large warehouse where all the sets were built. I passed two large rehearsal halls to Studio 4. It seemed like a dream. A left turn then on to Studio 4's hallway. Midway was Dean's dressing room on the right, makeup was on the left. I took a deep breath and walked through the swinging doors. I just entered the world of the "Dean Martin Show." On my right was the set up for "Les Brown and his Band of Renown." To my left was Dean's bar stool and the famous stairway up to the "firepoll." Across the large studio was the library set w/Kenny Lane's piano and Dean's famous "Gouch." Later that morning the studio would come alive and rehearsal would begin. 
Friday, July 9, 2021
Monday, July 5, 2021
Saturday, July 3, 2021
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Sunday, June 13, 2021
My Favorite Dean Martin look a like.
Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Dean Martin Show. Memories as an NBC Page.
Sunday morning, I arrive in Studio 4, open the two singing doors, I'm in awe of the Dean Martin set. There's action between the stage manager, camera men, boom mike, stage hands moving equipment, yep, I'm part of the Dean Martin Show. First the "blocking" begins. Greg Garrison stands in for Dean. The guys in the control room are following the production script. I could do a pretty good Dean Martin impersonation, since I memorized all of the lyrics on Dean's first album, I kept watching Garrison, hoping he would say "Mike" stand here and act like Dean. Never happened. A few hours later, excitement starts, Dean's in the building off to his dressing room. The morning moved quickly, the audience slowly comes in for rehearsal and taping. I'm glued to my spot next to Dean. Kenny Lane is traveling back and forth from "Les Brown and his band of Renown," "magic" is about to happen. Dean walks in, climbs the stairs, goes up to the "fire pole," the intro. Dean slides down holding a cigerette, bounces over to his stool, the audience is mesmorized, Dean," You know I slept like a baby last night, I woke up this morning with a bottle in my mouth." You know, the president of NBC sent me a present last night, Candy, the girl from the movie." "You know....of course you know, you would'nt be here unless you know, I might be married but I'm not a finatic about it." "I want thank the Mayor of Beverly Hills he changed the street signs on my block, to Crawl and Don't Crawl." The audence was hysterical. "Jeannie and I never took a honey moon, she's going in June and I'm going in July!" Every time he told a joke, he looked me and the makeup guy, to see if we got it. Dino, looking at me? Wow!!!!
Here are some of his famous quotes.
“When Jerry Lewis and I were big, we used to go to parties, and everybody thought I was big-headed and stuck up, and I wasn't. It was because I didn't know how to speak good English, so I used to keep my mouth shut.”
In a tuxedo, I'm a star. In regular clothes, I'm a nobody.”
-- Dean Martin
“Haven't got a girl, but I can wish. So I'll take me down to Main Street and that's where I'll select my imaginary dish.”
“I don't drink anymore... I take the juice of the the whisky bottle and I freeze it and eat it like a popsicle.”
“I know it's the gentlemanly thing to let the wife file. But, then, everybody knows I'm no gentleman.”
“If people want to think I get drunk and stay out all night, let'em. That's how I got here you know I drink because my body craves, needs alcohol. I don't drink, my body's a drunk.”
“Everybody makes mistakes; look at Hitler.”
“The reason I drink is because when I'm sober I think I'm Eddie Fisher.”
“There's a statue of Jimmy Stewart in the Hollywood Wax Museum, and the statue talks better than he does.”
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Friday, February 19, 2021
Friday, February 12, 2021
Friday, February 5, 2021
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Dean Martin
https://www.stitcher.com/show/hollywood-crime-scene/episode/episode-171-dean-martin-part-1-80343926
Listen Now
Hollywood Crime Scene
274 Episodes
62 minutes | Dec 22nd 2020
Episode 171 - Dean Martin Part 1
In the first part of this two part episode we talk Dean's early life and career, from his days as a card dealer, to his work and friendship with Jerry Lewis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Greg Garrison Producer Dean Martin Show
April 5, 2005
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., April 4 - Greg Garrison, a pioneering television director who worked with stars like Dean Martin, Jack Benny, George Burns and Lucille Ball in a 40-year career, died on March 25 at his home here. He was 81.
The cause was pneumonia, his wife, Judy, said.
Mr. Garrison directed nearly 4,000 shows in his career, but was probably best known for his work on "The Dean Martin Show" (which ran from 1965 to 1974) and Martin's popular "Celebrity Roasts." He also directed "Your Show of Shows," the comedy-variety program that starred Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris.
Mr. Garrison began his television career as a gofer for WFIL-TV in Philadelphia shortly after World War II. He was called to New York by the producer Max Liebman and the NBC executive Sylvester L. Weaver Jr. to direct "Your Show of Shows" from 1950 to 1952.
At the same time, Mr. Garrison was directing "The Kate Smith Evening Hour," a live variety show. He also had stints directing "The Milton Berle Show" and "Ford Television Theater" in the 1950's, as well as numerous television specials over the years starring Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Jack Benny, George Burns, Lucille Ball, Phil Silvers, Bob Newhart and Jonathan Winters.
Lee Hale and the Dean Martin Show
5.0 out of 5 stars Backstage secrets of the Dean Martin TV show
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2001
This is one of those books you will find difficult to put down once started. It is an entertaining account of what went on "behind the scenes" of the very successful Dean Martin TV show which ran for nine years. Well written by Lee Hale it is an authentic record of those years as Lee actually worked on the shows he writes about and therefore saw everything for himself first hand. The book is easy to read and is illustrated with many photographs - one particular section shown in the centre of the book in full colour is absolutely stunning. Everyone has heard the stories of how Dean disliked to rehearse but it was news to me that he only turned up on the day of the taping usually not even aware who the guest stars were!! In fact Lee Hale used to stand in for Dean at all the rehearsals so he had the opportunity to work with most of the guest stars personally - some were not too happy about this but you will have to read the book for more details! What fantastic guest stars appeared with Dean on those shows - it was virtually a "who's who" of Hollywood - Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, James Stewart, John Wayne, Gene Kelly, Alice Faye, Van Johnson, Lucille Ball, Frank Gorshin, Gordon MacRae, Ginger Rogers, Orson Welles, Goldie Hawn and many many more. No wonder the show was such a ratings winner!! The book is packed with many interesting anecdotes and stories about these famous guests and inside information of how the shows were made and some of the problems that were encountered too. Most of the stars were easy to get on with but a few were somewhat difficult according to Mr Hale. If you are a fan of Dean Martin or just interested in those wonderful entertainers of that era then buy this book without further delay - you will be pleased that you did.
Lee Hale, a five-time Emmy nominee who served as the musical director of The Dean Martin Show and produced the wildly popular celebrity roasts hosted by the entertainer, has died. He was 96.
Hale died May 10 at his home in Beverly Hills, Michael B. Schnitzer, editor and publisher of The Golddiggers Super Site, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had a leg amputated last year during a bout with cancer.
Recruited by director Greg Garrison, Hale joined NBC's The Dean Martin Show shortly after it debuted in September 1965 and remained with the program through its 1974 conclusion. He wrote songs, jingles and special lyrics and arranged hundreds of other tunes, drawing upon his vast knowledge of 20th Century popular music.
According to the Golddiggers website, Irving Berlin routinely gave Hale permission to use his music, "even while turning down other shows — a symbol of recognition in which Lee rightfully took enormous pride."
The Dean Martin Show featured celebrity roasts (Don Rickles, Jack Benny, Zsa Zsa Gabor, et al) in its final season. After it was canceled, Martin agreed to preside as roastmaster for a series of specials, with the first, featuring Bob Hope as the butt of the jokes, airing in October 1974.
Jackie Gleason, Telly Savalas, Angie Dickinson, Sammy Davis Jr., Muhammad Ali, Suzanne Somers, Mr. T and Martin himself would be among those grilled over the years.
Born on March 25, 1923, in Tacoma, Washington, Hale enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and left the service as a lieutenant.
He sang in a group called The Manhattans, then worked as choral director on the CBS variety show The Entertainers, which despite featuring Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, Dom DeLuise and Ruth Buzzi, lasted just one season (1964-65).
Hale also served as music director for five seasons of The Golddiggers — a spinoff starring the singing and dancing troupe from The Dean Martin Show — and worked on the syndicated The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters, three Bob Hope Christmas specials, a special that celebrated NBC's first 50 years and Emmy Awards telecasts.
Hale co-authored the 2000 book Backstage at The Dean Martin Show with his spouse, Richard Neely, who survives him.
Backstage
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Sunday, December 6, 2020
Jeannie
I read a few books about Dean. Jeannie was quoted in Nick Tosches book, "Dean was to beautiful, too handsome. The women had to accept that." That he was....
Friday, December 4, 2020
The Candy Man
The crashing Piano sketch
Jimmy Mahoney
Venus meets Volare
" Venus meets Volare." Frankie Avalon was guest on the Dean Martin Show. My dad always thought that Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Fabian Forte, Bobby Darin, Vic Damone, Johnny Desmond, Johnny Rivers all came from Italian roots that Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra planted. Frankie and Darin and Rydell, were the second coming. Not sure if they knew it. Decked out in our NBC Page Blazers, Bill Woodley and I, were on a lunch break at Bob's Big Boy in Sherman Oaks, around the corner from the studio. The place was packed. In walks Frankie Avalon and his w/his kids. The restaurant was packed, I asked Frankie if he wanted to join us. "Sure." They seated us in the back. Next thing we're chatting, having burgers at Bob's Big Boy. Fate, 53 years later, Frankie's sitting at crowded Fortunes in Old Town Laquinta. I walked up to his table, introduced myself, reminded him about Bob's Big Boy, back in the day, plugged my NBC Palm Springs TV Show WiseGuysCooking.com, "undaunting" I asked him if he would do a cameo. Still waiting. Mr. "Hey Venus" shocked my wife when we left, "Goodbye Mike." Great Guy. I'm sure singing with Dino was a thrill. A gracious guy, Mr. "Venus" shocked my wife when we left, "Goodbye Mike." Great Guy.
Publicist Charlie Barrett
The Artist Entrance and Floyd
Jim Mahoney
A Floyd story.....
Not too many years ago I was Sinatra’s PR guy and would accompany him on his infrequent “talk show” appearances. We arrived a bit early for a Carson guesting and I suggested we get a shoe shine to kill time.
Floyd wasn’t much of a talker but a good listener and a fine shoe shiner. “Floyd” Sinatra asked, “what’s the biggest tip you ever got?” “Hundred dollars” Floyd replied. “who’s the ass hole who did that?” Sinatra asked. “YOU” Mr. S.” Floyd smiled back. A man of few words but many friends.
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Saturday, November 28, 2020
The Dean Martin Show
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Dean Martin was 49 when I finagled my way next to his bar stool on the Dean Martin Show. When I saw Dean my life flashed before me, a young kid in Chicago, w/my brother Frank and I, under the dining room table watching Dean and Jerry on the Ed Sullivan Show. We moved to Long Beach, Ca. I'm still a big Dean Martin fan. Checking the mirror in my bedroom while I lipsink "Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket," trying to sing and look like Dean. Later I'm crooning Dean Martin songs in Father Hansons St. Anthony Glee Club before a packed house in our gym. I wind up graduating from Long Beach State, my old pal and later Metro Media News N.Y. Anchorman, John Roland get's me an interview at NBC. I wind up becoming an NBC Page, working on the Dean Martin Show. I came a long way just to meet Dino Crocetti. It was worth it.
Sunday, November 22, 2020
My NBC Page Days
Page
"Living the Dream"The first few weeks as an NBC Page were interesting. We worked on game show's w/ Dennis James, and Tom Kenndy. The real fun began when Hap Chamberlan, the "Big Page Kahuna" chose 6 of us to work on the Dean Martin Show. Hundred's of Dean's fans had waited more than 6 months for their tickets for either the rehearsals, or the taping. They were so excited to be in the midst of Dean's magic, fans actually asked us to take pictures with them and have us sign autographs. That's when I made my move. I excused myself from the rest of the guys, walked down the hallway between Studio 3 and 4. I saw Dean's dressing room. Wow! That's when I decided to enter studio 4's double doors, I walked over to Dean's set, it was like a dream, next thing I know, Greg Garrison is standing there, "Your job is to monitor Dean's guests." "Yes sir!" I am now standing like an immovable object, waiting for rehearsal to begin. Did I feel bad for not going back outside to check out ticket holders? Forgettaboutit! I'm waiting for my "gumba" Dean Martin to walk by. He did. Dean exuded charisma, he gave me a wink, and got ready for his morning rehearsal. I'm standing w/my fingers on my face wondering how in the hell did I ever get here!
Friday, November 20, 2020
"You otta be in pictures"
"You otta be in pictures." Dean comes in on a Sunday rehearses in the morning and tapes in the afternoon. Easy work if you can get it. The folks that worked on the Dean Martin Show always looked forward to Sunday's. The hall between Studio 3 and 4 were filled with everyone from Directors, Producers, the beautiful girls that made up the Show's Chorus, Greg Garrison walking in and out of Dean's dressing room, Les Brown supervising his "Band Of Renown's" warmup, Kenny Lane, making sure his piano was tuned to the "max." And the infamous "gouch" where Dean lit up a cigarette and "wooed" the audience with a song and charisma. It never occurred to us that Dean was working his "culo" off during the week and off season. Look up the movies and "albiums" he recorded during the first 2 years of The Dean Martin Show. "The Sons of Katie Elder, Marriage on the Rocks, The Silencers, Texas Across the River, Murderer's Row, Rough Night in Jerico, The Ambushers," Dino either was shooting or recording movies in between his "gig's in Vegas. He was a workaholic !!! We didn't share a lot of conversation, but the "winks" and "nods" were memorable. As soon as the Sunday taping was over, Dean was history. 
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Winters
Poem
Dean's Dad
Robert Goulet
Robert Goulet"Mr. Wonderful, that's Me!" Remember it like it was yesterday. Dino, sitting on his barstool during rehearsal, and Robert Goulet flitting around backstage. Goulet was such a "pretty guy." He and Dean did their "thing" and Goulet disappeared into the vast hallway between Studio 3 and 4. What made that show special was Deana Martin, lot's of affection between her and her dad. Then the two stars of Laugh-In did a guest shot, they both loved Dino. They tried their best to act as "cool" as Dean, but just couldn't get there. During the break there was commotion in the hallway between studio 3 and 4. Dean was in his dressing room, but gal singers, musicians on break, some of the crew, were laughing their "culo's" off, Johnathon Winters was doing "warmup." He's talking with "make believe" characters that were hiding in the hallway trash cans, funny thing, they were talking back. Loved working on that show!
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Joey Bishop
"Joey Bishop and I were together in my house about 2 weeks ago we were in my den one morning swimming and he mixed himself a peculiar drink, and I said what are you drinking down there Joe? He looked down at me and said "scotch and carrot juice." I said why? Joey said, "when I get drunk I can see real good." Dean
Our first season Joey Bishop appeared on the Dean Martin Show. One of the original members of the "Rat Pack." Joey was a tough cookie to approach. He did his sketch with Dino and disappeared. He was probably in Dean's dressing room imbibing an "adult beverage." Many years later, I played in a St. Bonaventure Golf Tournament in Huntington Beach. The room was packed, I recognized a familiar face sitting at a table in the back of the room. It was Joey Bishop. He was well in his 80's. Sitting chatting with some friends. Vegas performer, talk show host, Bishop looked great. I shot out of my chair, and when one of his buddies left the table, guess what? We had something in common. We both loved Dino, we talked about the Dean Martin Show, and their Rat Pack days. My opinion of Joey changed, he was a great guy. Lucky me, I had met every one of the "Pack" except for Peter Lawford. Mission accomplished.
Saturday, November 14, 2020
A Page from the Past
https://www.facebook.com/michael.v.snowden.3/videos/10158783406137625/
" You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You.."An NBC Page in the 60's, made about $65 dollars a week. Most of us were college grads chasing different dreams. Johnny Carson was a Page so we had something to hang our hat on. We all looked for the day when we would become future Directors, Producers, maybe entertainers. We learned fast, the only people that made money in TV starred before camera's or worked in sales. Another became an NBC Foreign News Correspondent. Deans Producer Greg Garrison learned Page Bob Chic was a scratch golfer, next thing Chic's playing with Dino at Riviera. We were all very jealous. Chic moved quickly, managing big shows like the Dean Martin Roasts. The moral of the story, palling w/ "The Movers and Shakers" is how you got ahead.
"Let's Have a Vino For Dino!"
"Let's have a vino for Dino, better yet, a JB and water."Some of Dean's fans have been very dismissive of "The King of Cool's" habit of holding a drink in his left hand and smoking a Kent in his right hand. One of his fan's remarked "Dean never drank, it was always a show." Some of his fans would have it no other way. "Apple juice or tea. " that's it, PERIOD !It's Sunday and we're taping. I have planted myself next to the coveted spot, off stage, a few feet from Dean's stool, standing next to the makeup man. During a commercial break, our makeup man always held Dean's drink. During one of shows, he noticed Dean needed a little touchup on his forehead, makeup man say's to me, "here hold this, I've got to take care of Dean for a second." He hand's me Dean's drink. Ok, here's my chance. If I take a sip, and Greg Garrison sees me, I'm done. Finito! While "Mr. Makeup" powders Dean's forehead, I bring the glass up to my nose, just for a whiff! Jack and water? Later, I find out it was a splash of scotch and water. J&B Rare, to be exact. Beside's working on the Dean Martin Show, my real "claim to fame," I held Dean's drink. Since then I've been a big fan of J&B Rare and water. 
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Joey Bishop
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Glad to be Italian
"We're Glad that We're Italian"Frank Sinatra was the man! When Frank and Dean performed together they fought for laughs. Their appeal was different, They adored each other. Charisma exuded from their veins. Frank was the King, and Dean was the "Court Jester." One Sunday afternoon, Greg Garrison shut down Studio 4, Sinatra and Dean would tape, it was closed to the public. Two "pros" in a world of their own. "Kibitzing, " man, did they have a good time. I was part of the privileged few, watching the back and forth was legendary. In my view, Frank's humor was a little strained, laughs were easy for Dean. Dean's facial expressions, his "off the wall" quotes, "I might be married, but I'm not a fanatic about it!" I often "daydream" about my old NBC Page days. That vivid memory of standing next to Dean, In my book, I was standing next to one of the greatest performers of all time.
Monday, October 26, 2020
Behind the Scenes
"Behind the scenes," during my days on the Dean Martin Show, my pals Jim Mahoney, and Charlie Barrett were former publicists for Sinatra, Dino, Carson, and Daily Variety. In the early 70's I was working in NBC News Production. But I would visit Studio 4 on Sunday's to revisit my days as an NBC Page on the Show. Stand in the same spot. during breaks. and recall all the wonderful times of the 1st and 2nd Seasons standing next to Dean. I digress. We often talk about our NBC days on three of the most popular shows in the history of Television. One story....at an L.A. meeting NBC affiliates cited a Life Magazine article that a handful of viewers expressed concern that Dean's Show was "too suggestive and lacked taste." Dean was probably thinking,
"Che cazzo dici?"
NBC took the article seriously. Of course they did! They CC'd Greg Garrison and he warned the show's writers and staff to clean up scripts for the upcoming season. Supposedly the negative letters were from "young people!" My view, it was BS! Typical NBC censor crap! Probably some NBC "big wig's" goofy wife. Another negative review was "The Dean Martin Show," was a "cheap, disgusting production." Dean was a "dirty old man" (BS), one viewer stooped low to describe the show as "a disappointing display of garbage." Some viewers, claimed that Dean's jokes about sexual orientation, ethnicity and the opposite sex had become to "risque to enjoy!" More BS! So, 14 to 16 million watched the "The Dean Martin Show," every Thursday night, and a few "stunads" wrote letters of objection. Big Deal!!! In my view, these were the seeds of what we now, call "Political Correctness."
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Dom Deluise
Bob Chic
"Super Page Bob Chic." Golf, who had time for Golf back in the day? I didn't think much of golf at "old St. Anthony Hi" in Long Beach. One of my NBC Page pals, Bob Chic was a low handicap golfer. We worked together on Dean's Show. Greg Garrison heard about Bob and he immediately became one of Garrison's favorites. Next thing we know, he's playing golf at Riviera with Dean. You bet we were jealous! Then Bob catapulted to bigger and better shows. Stage Manager on the Dean Martin Roasts, and tons of other shows. Golf paid off for Bobby Chic. What's the old adage, "it's who you know."
The Summer Wind
"The Summer Wind?"
One Sunday, during taping of the Dean Martin Show, as usual, I was planted next to the stage, we went to a commercial break. Dean was sitting on his bar stool, "kibitizing" with the audience, he paused for a second, quickly lifted up his right side, and low and behold Dino "makes a scorreggino." Since I was the closest, I heard it, he knew I heard it, and he winked. My claim to fame. I heard Dean "break wind." Was that too much information?
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