The Dean Martin show was one of the last variety television shows. Martin was a master entertainer and full of charm even when his show was often politically incorrect and sometimes sexist. He had a very relaxed attitude on stage and this helped bring out the best in his guests. The show had a set formula as well as people knew what to expect i.e. a song or two from Martin, his mystery guest, his appearance as the aging DJ ending with a duet of some description with this guests.

He didn’t appear to take himself too seriously as evidenced by the fact he did everything in one take. This went back to his initial refusal to come to any rehearsals when he was hoping to persuade the TV Company not to go ahead with the idea for this show.

So regardless of the fact he often made mistakes probably as he wouldn’t rehearse and insisted on ready cue cards, nothing was redone. He did make life difficult for the people who worked on the show with them as although they had rehearsed together as Martin never joined them, they never knew quite what to expect.
But using his charm, he recovered from any obvious mistakes and just kept going with his charming smile carrying him through. Most of the big names of the day appeared on the show which goes to prove how popular it was. Often Martin didn’t know who his mystery guest was. He liked it this way as it kept him on this toes.

The show was politically incorrect but that didn’t harm its popularity. Aired at the height of the Vietnam War, at a time America was in political turmoil, it was seen as a safe haven. A guaranteed laugh at a time when everyone could do with laughing as real life was so depressing. Martin sent himself up, making fun of his drinking, his large Italian family and his friends the Rat Pack. He acted as if he was drunk when often his glass contained apple juice. But the image America had of him was as a womanizing drunk and he played up to this. He didn’t mind the fact that he was often at home with his wife and six kids when the press suggested he was out on the town with Sinatra or Sammy Davis Jr.

Each guest did their own solo number and where else would you find Sinatra singing or Orson Wells practicing Magic but on the Dean Martin show. John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart also starred as did anyone who was already somebody in the world of show business and included a few who were just getting started. All guests sang a duet with Martin unless they couldn’t sing a note then they would mime!

When the Dean Martin show finally ended it had more to do with the decline in popularity of variety shows rather than Dean Martin’s personal popularity. America still loved him and continues to do so to this day.

The Dean Martin show was a comedy which first aired in 1965 and continued until the early 70’s. Martin was a very well known entertainer by the time he got his own show. Not only had he already starred in hit films, he had also released a number of records and was a leading member of the Rat Pack.

The Rat Pack was made up of the stars of the time including Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr, Martin and Joey Bishop. Although the group had a reputation as womanizing drinkers, they did have some female members in the shape of Lauran Bacall, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Shirley MacClaine.

Dean Martin’s career began like most people of his day, on the stage. He often shared the same line up as Sinatra but in the early days didn’t share his popularity. Martins star rose when he teamed up with another comic, Jerry Lewis and together they collaborated on many different shows including a TV series.

Martin wanted to be seen as a “real” actor and wasn’t too keen on having his own comedy show. He came up with some outrageous demands including the fact that he refused to turn up for rehearsals in the hope that the TV Company wouldn’t go ahead. But it didn’t work. Instead they compiled, gave him the salary he wanted and the rest is history.

In the Dean Martin show, the main character was a send up of Martins public image as a womanizing drunk. He played the part to perfection and often slurred his lines to keep up the image. The audience didn’t know that his glass contained apple juice and assumed he was drinking alcohol. The format of the show was one laugh after another with Martin providing a mixture of physical humor combined with various sketches. He usually had a guest star that appeared after Martin knocked on the door. The mystery was a surprise to everyone including Martin which helped aid the spontaneity and humor.

Another famous skit was his role as Don Vino, the aging disc jockey who when playing records would mime along to them. Martin often roped his guest stars into doing the same and his aim was said to be to make his piano player laugh so much he would miss his notes.

The show was extremely popular although martin occasionally upset his own roots by cursing in Italian which caused complaints to flood in from the conservative Italian community. There were rumors that the mafia had wanted to kill martin as they felt he was ungrateful as he wasn’t willing to do much to help their cause. Whether this is true or an assumption based on the fact that Martin came from an Italian family, one will never know.

During the final series of the show, the production was based around many of the popular films of the day including Easter Parade and Show Boat.

When Martin stopped appearing in the Dean Martin show in 1974, his daughter Gail took over as one of the co-hosts. The show continued for a while with various guest stars.

The Dean Martin show first aired in 1965 and ran until 1974. The theme tune was Martins hit 1964 single, Everyone Loves Somebody.

By the time he got his own show, Dean Martin was already a famous American singer, comedian and actor. He was one of the leaders of the Rat Pack and had a very successful career in the 1950’s and 60’s. He worked the same circuit as many other famous men of that time i.e. Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis. In fact it was meeting Jerry Lewis that pushed Martin into the big time. Jerry was a comic and together they appeared in each other’s acts eventually winning TV deals. They were good friends both on and off the stage and great entertainers and worked together for ten years. Martin always played the straight man and critics thought Lewis was the star of the show but Lewis maintained that Martin’s comic genius was unrecognized.

Martin also starred in films such as The Young Lions, Some came running, Rio Bravo and The sons of Katie Elder when the dark swarthy Martin was chosen to play John Wayne’s brother! He also continued singing and was influenced by Harry Mills and Bing Crosby. Elvis Presley said that Love me Tender was based on Martins style of singing.

In 1965, the Dean Martin show was first aired. Martin wasn’t too keen on having his own show and famously asked for a very high salary and said he would only turn up for the actual taping of the show with the intention of putting the producers off. But they loved the idea and despite his outrageous demands the show was born.

Martin, who was never afraid of sending himself up, exploited his public image of being a carefree drinker, although his glass on stage usually contained apple juice. He played a role of a drunken charmer successfully using lines on the ladies that would have got someone else their face slapped. Although he famously played an alcoholic and was very friendly with Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, he often preferred to go home early to spend time with his family.

The Dean Martin show was often very funny but occasionally he would curse in Italian prompting angry letters from the Italian community. He used a lot of physical comedy, entering every show via a fireman’s pole onto the stage. He didn’t learn his lines preferring to read them straight from cue cards. If he messed up, the show would still be taped. His mistake and rapid recovery would go out on air.

For one Christmas episode of the Dean Martin Show, he invited his and Frank Sinatra’s children onto the stage. This was a huge hit with the viewers. On the show, a regular slot was filled by surprise guests who answered the knock on the closet door. Most of the time even Martin didn’t know who the guest would be. This ensured his reaction would be more normal and spontaneous.

Check out this Dean Martin video:

…and One More For The Road

Here is a Dean Martin Variety Show item:

Martin & Lewis Colgate Comedy Hour V.2

Here is a Dean Martin Variety Show item:

The trimming of DescriptionGreg of the product presents/displays to Dean Martin the roasted meats of the celebrity, man of the hour: Frank Sinatra Dvd! . More & gt; & gt;

Greg Garrison Presents The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts:Man of the Hour: Frank Sinatra