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| Dear DMFC : I wanted to tell everyone that I once got to play golf
with Dean in LA. I was there on vacation and was lucky enough to be called
by the country club that there was an opening for two to play on a Tuesday
morning. My brother and I got there, and low and behold, the people right
in front of us were Dean Martin and his golf friends, one being a doctor.
The doctor faced a dilemma because he was paged for an emergency, and that
left them one person short, so they asked if either my brother or I would
like to join them. After both jumping for the opportunity, they agreed to
let us BOTH join them by taking turns. After the game, they treated us to
breakfast and we even got our picture taken by the club's photographer for
our memory. It was something I will never forget, and that's always the
topic of conversation whenever my brother and his family and my family get
together. I just wanted to share my story with you.
(Ken Harbor - Arizona)
Dear DMFC : Great article in the Los Angeles Times today about
the movie "Kiss Me Stupid" and Dean's role in it. I am sure that
you will have a mention of it in your next fan center magazine.
(Gwen Newland - California)
Dear DMFC : I am the biggest Dean Martin fan in the world! Well,
at least I thought so until I came upon your website. W-O-W.
(James Triot - Canada)
Dear DMFC : Please feel free to email me with info. I just totally
dig Dino. Not that you folks care, I'm sure, but I started listening to
Dino when I was 16. My grandparents celebrated there 50th anniversary, and
my mother got the bright idea that I should sing Memories are Made of This.
Needless to say, I botched it. But then again who sings it as good or better
than Dean? (Denver Cortez - California) Dear DMFC : I have a query about a book that I cannot remember the title of, some years ago I was told about a cookery book that contained recipes of the stars and Dean had one in this particular book can you tell me the name of this book? (John McCrea - UK) Dear DMFC : Hello to whomever is reading this mail. I'm a young chap who admires Dean Martin. Now, I like him as a cultural figure and a singer. I myself take reasonable similarity to Dean, not in the sense of appearance. Here's my story: I'm a lounge singer at a local Marriot Hotel in my small lil city in which I reside in. I wear vintage clothing and have my own principles on style. I now want to upgrade to some formal suites and ties. Now, I already have some, but it's only for stage. I'm looking for some nice everyday wear that is also suite and tie material. Dean Martin is my idol, however, I don't sing because of him and I don't try to be him, yet I do sing many of his songs. I'm just asking you if you know where I can get some pictures, or if you personally know, what types of clothing he wears on a casual basis. Remember, I'm a young kid, so dressing like I hope to, is somewhat foreign to my tastes. I am aware that he got much of his clothing at Sy Devore, but my monthly check wouldn't even be enough for a down payment on a suite from there. Thank you, and your good people for hearing out me and others. (James Carcich) Dear DMFC : Dean is,was, and ever shall be the King of Cool! He remains such an incredible performer that it's hard to put in a few words. One of the greatest of all time. (Winston Clark - Indiana) Hello, Just heard that Brit actor Jeremy Northam has signed on to play Dino in the biopic due out in November with Sean Hayes as Jerry. Actually, not a bad choice. He bears a slight resemblance (more than Tom Hanks does, anyway!) and he was terrific in Gosford Park. How he'll manage Dean's laconic style will be a real test of his acting ability. Cheers. (Andrew Mair - Canada) Dear DMFC : While in Los Angeles, I took time out to visit the gravesite of Dean Martin. It was very calm and peaceful. I noticed one thing that people had done, and whenever someone new walked in, they asked about it. People would leave pennies, nickels and dimes on the headstone-plaque and all around. I had to tell them that it was only suppose to be a penny. It is an old tradition to leave a penny as a gesture of deep love and missing. It also means 'rest-in-peace' for those who have left our world. Basically, it is a sign of good will and respect. One that Dean seems to have earned from everyone that had visited. (Mary Loomis - Indiana) Dear DMFC : No one could jump on a piano and smash it like Dean Martin. So much talent and such a funny guy. Thanks (Jerry Maliszewski) Dear DMFC : Hi, You have a great site and I will visit it often. God bless Dean Martin. He was a great singer, funny as hell and an all around good guy. He made bad times good and good times great. -Thanks (Steven Pearl) Dear DMFC : I really love Dean's contribution to music and life....I have been a fan for many years, and this website helps me to touch base with this wonderful person, who I admire so much. I am a musician myself, and really appreciate Dean's artistry,as well as his terrific sense of humour. I'd really love to meet American DM fans sometime. (Nick Williams - New South Wales, Australia) Dear DMFC : I went to see Martin and Lewis at the Copa in New York with my older brother way back in those good old days. It was one of the only things that I can remember doing at that age. I must have been all of twelve, but looked a lot older. My older brother was a lot older, and he was able to get us in and managed to get us seats very close to the front. First, Jerry Lewis came out and did some jokes and some slapstick comedy. He did a pratfall right in front of us, and fell on our table. Whew, I wasn't expecting that, and was enjoying every minute of it. Dean came out then, and helped pick Jerry off the table, so the first glimpse I got of Dean Martin was only a foot away from our table. Gosh, he was so handsome and took so long to look at him, that I froze up. I remember asking my brother if that was really Dean Martin, the one that I use to hear on the radio, and he said yes. Sure enough, Dean sung a couple of lines of the song "Gimmie a Little Kiss", and I felt chills running down my spine. Of course, I never heard anyone sing outloud in a club before, so everything was new to me. Later that evening, after the show, we took a long time to leave the theater, and as curious kids, overheard a couple of the musicians say that they were all meeting at this hotel's dining room for a quick bite to eat. I asked my brother, and he said that the hotel was only down the block, and we could see if they are going to be there. I remember leaving the Copa, with my program clinched in my little hand, and running with my older brother (it seemed forever) to a hotel (can't remember the name of it). We went to the door and peeked in, and it was empty except for a table to the side that had about seven of the musicians seated and standing around it. There was no one at the door, so we wandered in, and at the same time, Dean and Jerry emerged from another entrance. They were laughing and carrying on, and I remember Jerry walking over to the table and grabbing food from someone else's plate, and the other man slapping him telling him to go get his own. Dean had spotted us, and said "Hey, we've got company. You guys hungry? I gotta get out of here, but you're welcome to have my dinner!". I didn't know why he even asked us. Did we look homeless and hungry? I think he saw that I was only twelve, and maybe thought my older brother was real young too. Nevertheless, as we approached him, he saw the programs that we had under our arms, and asked if we wanted them autographed. He asked one of the other gentlemen for a pen, and signed his name real big on the front. I remember thanks him, and he reached out and rubbed my head. Then he said, "Sign the kids books, guys" as all the other musicians, and Jerry signed the pages. We didn't stay and eat anything. I think we were more anxious to get out of there with our treasured autographed programs. I didn't even know that people signed autographs back then, but learned that night all about it. We managed to get home by the bus that we took, and met my Dad where we told him that we would be. He nearly died when he heard our story, and wasn't mad that we got into the Copa and saw Dean and Jerry. He told us not to do that again, and stay out of the city... but I think he was impressed that we got to meet Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis by ourselves. Thank you for such a wonderful website and tribute to Dean Martin. I would love to join his fan club. I still have my prized possession - program, and would gladly share it with your readers if you are interested. Sincerely, (David Hodgson - New Jersey) Dear DMFC: Living in the small Bedfordshire market town of Biggleswade I was introduced to Dean's music and charisma by my mother over 30 years ago and have been a fervent fan ever since. I have a large LP collection from personal purchases and those inherited from my mother when passed away several years ago. Whilst on holiday in LA 3 years ago my husband took me to visit Dean's grave which I found a very moving and yet enjoyable experience being near the man I had admired for so many years. "Everybody loves somebody sometime" (Lynne Woodward - United Kingdom) Dear DMFC : I grew up with my mom listening to Dean Martin... as a kid I loved watching Martin & Lewis movies. I am a young fan, compared to most but I feel like I have a deep connection. When in college I really started to listen to his music and found that it really made me feel warm and at home inside, even during lonely times. I have forever since had a deep love for Dino. I hoped one day to catch a glimpse of him as I was planning on moving to Los Angeles. Sadly, he passed away just two short months before I made my move. I ended up living five minutes from the Westwood Memorial Cemetery where he is now buried. Away from home again and feeling lonely, I found comfort in paying Dino a visit and taking him a flower on his birthday, holidays or anytime I just needed to feel "at home". He had that power over people. He projected happiness. Dino, you are dearly missed but always in my heart. Love, Carrie (Carrie A. Hoopes - California) Dear DMFC : Thanks for updating the TV listings. I visit your site every other week to catch the updates. (Cathy Camarillo - Texas) Dear DMFC : I met Mike, your fan center's merchandise administrator, while he was on vacation in New York. He gave me his card and told me to look up your website. Wow - this is better than I thought! I never knew there was a place like this for all the Dean Martin fans to get the official news and updates. Please tell Mike thank you for me. He was a nice man who put up with a lot of my questions, and was very happy to talk with me. (Jean Anderson - New York) Dear DMFC : Hi I'm 37 and I have been a big Dean Martin fan since I was about 5. I can remember waching the Dean Martin Roasts with my father. I love his wonderful voice and will never forget his movies. (Tom Moore) Dear DMFC : Hi there. My and a few friends have started to organize an annual Dino Skiing trip. The reason we have adopted the man himself is that our first year (last year) we went to Italy, and "That's Amore" came to mind, and well, it just stuck. (Jason Dainty) Dear DMFC : I just got back from Las Vegas and wanted to let everyone know that the "Rat Pack Is Back" show is not going to be at the Sahara Hotel anymore. I was so sad to hear this, and I know that other Dean Martin fans are going to be too. They didn't say if they were going to have it back or not. (Vivian Howard - Pennsylvania) Dear DMFC : It was so sad to read of Rosemary Clooney's passing. She was a great lady of song who had a rough life. I know that she sang at Dean's funeral (Everybody Loves Somebody). She is greatly missed, but now sings with Dean up in heaven. (Roger Carbou - England) Dear DMFC : I just finished reading the biography that Tony Curtis wrote about ten years ago, and it was very interesting. Dean is mentioned in many places throughout the book. I knew that they were good friends and did things together, so it was a must read when I spotted it at the library. (Carol Hauver - Oregon) Dear DMFC : Since the fourth of July is coming, I have decided to have a Dean Martin themed party for all of my friends and co-workers. Dean is always part of ANY celebration, especially one with fireworks! (Nancy Ogner - Wisconsin) Dear DMFC : My name is Julie, I write from Montreal, Canada. I am not perfectly bilingual, so please excuse my English if my e-mail is not perfectly good. I am better in French. I am only 30, but I do love crooners. Dean Martin was born in 1917, the same year as my grand-father who is still alive but he is very sick right now, he has a cancer and I am afraid he has not very long to live. So, when I listen the cd's of Dean Martin, it makes me feel better, it helps me to go through. I feel really bad that Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra are not here anymore, but they left us a great present...their songs, their movies. Thank you ! (Julie - Canada) Dear DMFC : I have been a Dean Martin fan for over forty years now and am glad to have found your bulletin board to let everyone know that he has another fan in Canada. I wish they would bring back his TV show so we could all see those magic moments once again. (Gary Hogess - Canada) Dear DMFC : I have been a huge Dino fan since I was a young girl. My family always had record albums of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. I would put those record albums on and just day dream about Dino like a lot of women, young and old, I'm sure. Anyway I have a pretty nice "shrine" to Dean in my office. Every year on his birthday I have a special tribute to him, (my co-workers thought I was crazy at first, but have gotten use to it) anyway last Friday June 7 for Dean's birthday I increased my shrine of Dean which included balloons, candles, pictures, cake and of course Dean singing on the CD. One of my co-workers thought my dedication and tribute to Dean was really pretty cool, so without me knowing it, she called the TV station and told them about me and my love for Dean and asked them to come and see it. Well I was so SURPRISED when the camera man and anchor man from Channel 5 walked through my door. They were very impressed with my "shrine" and they also told me they really liked Dean too,( who doesn't like or love Dean), so they took pictures of all my photos, I also had a bottle of wine with Dean on it. Well to my surprise they aired me & my Dino collections on the 11pm news that night June 7. I am so thrilled, many of my friends, neighbors have been calling to tell me they saw the clip on TV. Maybe you can pass this along to the editor of the Dean Martin Fan Center since I am of course a proud member. Thanks , Sincerely, (Toni Ann Petti) Dear DMFC : HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINO! Dear DMFC : As June 7th arrives, I am always reminded of the birthday of the greatest singer and actor in the world. Dean would have been 85 years old this year. It's such a shame that he could not make it to see the affection that we all have for him. There are a lot of celebrations in various locations this year, and for me... I'm going to the big gala in New York at the Contential Plaza. Just a day of listening to Dean music and remember how good he was! (James Lancaster - New York) Dear DMFC : Happy Birthday to our hero... Dean Martin! Dear DMFC : I want to wish our dear Dino a very happy 85th birthday tomorrow 6/07/02! I know he and the angels on high will have a good time. I will be lighting a candle and saying a prayer for our Dino, hope you all will too! (Marie Macchiarella - Florida) Dear DMFC : I once ran into Dean Martin at a store in Beverly Hills. He was shopping for a present for his wife at the time, and didn't seem a bit interested in what he really wanted. He asked the clerk behind the counter to "pick out a little something she would like, but keep the package small" and then wrap it up for him. I remember that it was a pair of pajamas. He immediately pulled out his check book and wrote a check for it. How I wish I were the clerk. I would have exchanged the check for cash and kept the check for myself. He was so tan and handsome, and he just oozed this commanding presence wherever he walked to, totally oblivious to it all. This was my encounter with Dean Martin, and to this day I'll never forget seeing him in person, and that was many years ago. Thank you. (Patricia Katlin - California) Dear DMFC : I heard your website address given on the radio, but missed the dedication show on Dean. I hope to join your fan club and read all there is on my favorite hero. (Kay Umber - Canada) Dear DMFC : All of us here in Layton, Texas are going to be celebrating Dean's birthday this June with a big block party in his honor. We are having an impersonator and playing Dean MArtin music all weekend long. The door prizes will be Dean Martin cd's and book and video's. We even have a rare motorcycle that was once owned by Dean on auction. Dean's the Man! (Wendy Simons - Texas) Dear DMFC : I have been a big fan of Perry Como's all of my life (I'm 63 years old), but recently I have stopped and listened to Dean Martin more than I have in the past. My gosh, is he a good singer. I never gave him much credit since he was in all of those silly shows with Jerry Lewis in the early fifties, but his recordings are very good. For those who haven't taken the time to give Dean Martin a listen, I invite you to go beyond the "hit songs" and listen to some of his other material. You'll be surprised! (Bill Classic - Washington D.C.) Dear DMFC: Thanks for informing us of the Ricci, Desi and Billy Show in Las Vegas this weekend. We had such a good time and got to get their autographs. Also, thanks for giving us the fan club magazines and taking a few minutes to talk with us. Fans forever... (Mr. & Mrs. Crane - Arizona) Dear DMFC : What a surprise when I opened my copy of the latest fan center magazine and saw myself on the inside !! Thanks. I've lost another 20 lbs since that picture was taken. I only have 3 more to go until I reach my goal. I'll send a new one when I do!! It was hard work, but certainly well worth the effort. Thanks again to the inspiration I get from Dean. I'm up to 6 miles a day, and I run half of that !! I'll be 56 on June 23rd, so if I can do it anyone can! (Kate Meno - Connecticut) Dear DMFC : I remember seeing Dean sing "A Real Live Girl" once on TV (I think it was from his TV show) and it captured my heart. From that point on, I was hooked. Dean lives forever! (Michelle Cole - Arizona) Dear DMFC : We saw a short interview with your fan club president on the tele here and it was long overdue. He said that a lot of Dean's songs are now becoming available on cd, and upon searing the Internet, I have found your wondrous site. Dean Martin is still so much thought of, but not much news is often heard. Thank you for keeping his legendary talent alive, and thank you for a very informative interview. (Robert Baxter - England) Dear DMFC : Thanks for such a wonderful website. We don't get a lot of information here in Ireland, and your news is much appreciated! (Jeri McKnight - Ireland) Dear DMFC : I was born in 1950, and while growing up as a teenager, I was lucky to live through the Dean Martin TV years. When his show first started, I was just starting high school. His first show was the first day of school too. I was a bit shy and worried that I wouldn't make it around the other kids my age. To this day, I credit Dean Martin for giving me that extra something to look forward to on Thursday Nights. He took me away from reality for an hour, and would recharge me for the whole week. I think I developed a happy-go-lucky attitude like Dean from watching him have a good time, and it molded my shy personality to one of success and pride. I sure miss Dean today, but everytime I hear him sing or see an old movie, I get that wonderful feeling back again! (Danny Oakes - California) Dear DMFC : A big cheer for Entertainment Tonight Weekend Edition. Their piece at the end of the show about Dean was very nice. They showed clips from the Dinah Shore show that Dean was a guest on years ago, and also had many bits with Dean's son, Ricci Martin. They talked about Ricci's new book and showed a few clips from his TV show. Usually ET does a fast, tabloid version of story telling, but this was a few notches above their usual fluff and self congratulations. Good job ET! (Lucy Shaw - Michigan) Dear DMFC : I had watched on Sunday NBC´S 75th Show via Satellite here in Mexico....WOW!!! I was surprised to see that someone had remember Dean. With all the new shows on today. People forget the great past that NBC had. I am glad that Dean was mention so much. What gets me is that this is maybe the first time in 25 Years that "The Dean Martin Show" has been shown on National NBC. I know that most people were laughing in the background in the studio, I just wanted to cry, thinking what a waste of a great TV show, turning to dust on a shelf somewhere. I remember when I was 10 years old then living in Iowa, watching it on Thurs. night. I am now 35 years old and am still wishing that the Reruns will come back on the air. As time goes by, Most people who remember Dean are passing away and the shows are getting older and older. I have heard all the red tape that is involved. Copyrights, Why question is.....Why?? I feel after 35 years that the copyright limitation has ran out and the people who want to see him is NOW!!! If anyone who is reading this that can "PULL THE STRINGS" Greg Garrison, Please show DINO again so that people who are here now, can have a good time before we go....... (Mike Merryman - Mexico) Dear DMFC : I really enjoy reading the posts on this site. It's nice to know there are other people my age who were introduced to Dean Martin as children in the 1960s and still enjoy his music, movies and other material as much as I do. So far, I've ordered three of the Collectors' Choice Music reissues of Dean's Reprise albums and have enjoyed listening to them a great deal. I especially enjoyed his first two, "French Style" and "Dino Latino." Even though they didn't sell very well when first released in 1962, they convey the essence of Dean's immense talent, both his great sense of humor and romantic singing qualities. I like the way the songs of the first side of each album frequently feature him kidding around with the lyrics ("I love 'hoidin' cattle" on "El Rancho Grande") or even ad-libbing (as on "'Cest Si Bon"), while the second sides of both albums feature his romantic singing. Listening to his great interpretations of those songs makes me wish I could sing like that! I'm looking forward to ordering more of those discs soon. Dean's fellow rat packers Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. were great singers and overall entertainers and have received well-deserved recognition for their talents, but Dean Martin has always been kind of overlooked until fairly recently. I was more than a little offended last year when reading some of the material in the booklet accompanying a Sammy Davis, Jr. CD box set in which a writer, while covering Davis' Rat Pack years, acknowledged Sinatra's ample talent but essentially dismissed Dean as just a second-rate Bing Crosby imitator--has this person ever REALLY LISTENED to his recordings?! It's nice to see that he's finally getting some of the recognition he justly deserves. Even if he is no longer around to see and hear it given, at least his family can have that satisfaction. Sorry if I've been too long-winded. Just thought I'd offer a few thoughts on the Reprise albums. I'm so grateful to those of you at the Fan Center and CCM for making these recordings available again after so many years. Keep up the great work! Sincerely, (Brian Battor - Missouri) Dear DMFC : An extremely overdue thank you to your association, its president, the trustees of the Dean Martin Family Trust and everyone else who dedicated the time and effort that was required to get the ORIGINAL Dean Martin Reprise albums onto commercial CD. I was just about "compilationed" to death. So many of the original albums (such as "Dream with Dean" as compared against "Houston" or "Gentle on My Mind") have their own unique mood that there was simply no way to reproduce it. This is so long overdue, and I am personally very grateful. On a related note, I just read the article on Baker Knight in the current newsletter. I am probably better than many with taking note of the names behind some of my favorite songs, but I had never before tied this one individual to so many of my favorite Dean Martin recordings. As it turns out, my second favorite recording (next to #1 "Everybody Loves Somebody," of course) is "A Place in the Shade," a perfect Dean Martin song in my opinion. I will never tire of that cut. My third favorite? None other than "Somewhere There's a Someone." And I have always very much enjoyed "Not Enough Indians" and the Knight songs from the "I Take a Lot of Pride..." album. Thank you, Mr. Knight, and congratulations on finding the perfect entertainer to capture your music. (Brett C. Campbell - Texas) Dear DMFC : I didn't know about your Dean Martin Fan Center until I heard you on the Rob Pratte show talking about Dean. Rob said that he saw Regis show your magazine on his Live! with Regis and Kelly Show show and how Regis went on for about ten minutes describing how great the fan club is and showing the magazine. (That's the one thing that radio can't provide), but Rob's radio show does provide us with so many things that we just don't see on television in depth today. I especially loved the lady who called and gushed all over again like a little school kid, when she was recalling how Dean Martin made her hormones go crazy when she was back in high school. (Pete Sperduti - Ohio) Dear DMFC : Thanks for such a great hour on KDKA. I learned a lot from the things that Mr. Daniels said about Dean that I never knew before. I had always heard the same old stories about him being a lonely man, and how the death of his son made him go downhill. It's nice to have more input and vision into the real reasons. A lot of us fans of Dean saw him perform every week on TV, but none us really know much about him except for what the magazines have written (I'm talking the sleazy magazines that make stuff up). All of the television biographies seem to be like a train heading down the same track to the same destination. Nothing new is said, and nothing new is pursued in terms of research. One program just copies what the next program has done. Dean Martin gave a lot of joy and happiness to a lot of people. Mr. Daniels had it right, when he said every woman want to be 'WITH' Dean and every man wanted to 'BE' Dean. He seemed to have it all (but I'm sure he was a regular guy with problems just like the rest of us). People today want to analyze way too much. If they can't find anything, or it's too difficult to learn what they are seeking, they tend to make up stories. Thank you again for the very informative hour on the radio. I wish you could spend more time soon, because there is so much more to discover. Oh, P.S. You have now sparked my interest once again, and I'm going to visit my cd store this evening to check out the new Dean Martin releases. (Tony Guasti - Pennsylvania) Dear DMFC : I heard your fan club president, Neil Daniels, with Rob Pratte last night on KDKA. It was a wonderful insight listening to the two of them talk about Dean Martin. Thanks for keeping his legacy alive! (Jean Readon - West Virginia) Dear DMFC : After watching the NBC 75 Years Show, I was mesmerized by the clips of Dean Martin. I am only 24 years old, and had never had the opportunity to see his show. I don't think it's been in reruns or on cable. I was so impressed, and went on the Internet to find your official organization. Dean Martin has just now grabbed another new fan, even if I'm too young to have seen his TV show. (Lelani Young - Hawaii) Dear DMFC : NBC's tribute to itself in 3 hours and 15 minutes was very interesting. It's also amazing that most of the 75 years they included was spent in the late 1960's and 1970's. maybe this is what most of us can recall. At least they included a segment with Martin and Lewis hosting the Colgate Comedy Hour. Other people hosted the hour, but they chose Dean and Jerry. That was great, and also was the tribute to Dean Martin that Bob Newhart introduced. Wow, looking back, it sure seems that times were much more simpler and seemed to be more fun. I think the only low spot of the program was the segment of NBC's bad choices. They showed clips from shows that flopped. How terrible for the people on those shows involved. When I saw "David Cassidy - Man under cover", I felt so bad for David. Here he is, a superstar many times over, and who commands audiences in Las Vegas even today, but to embarrass him along with a few others was not appropriate, even if for a few laughs. Still, thanks NBC for everything. I loved it when William Shatner asked the president of NBC... "You canceled Star Trek!?!?!?". Maybe this show will be repeated so those who missed the star studded event can enjoy it. I was just thinking that when the Dean Martin show was originally on the air, NBC was celebrating it's 25th anniversary. (C. R. Winters - California) Dear DMFC : We just received the latest fan center magazine with a very nice picture of Dean on the cover. The article on Baker Knight was one of the most fascinating articles you have done. Keep up the good work, and we also love the stories on the different girls who were Dean's Golddiggers. Their stories are equally as fascinating! (Alyson and Dave McKee - South Dakota) Dear DMFC: Overall the 75th anniversary show was quite long and boring. However, they only selected a handful of segments that went longer than a couple of minutes. Most of these were large cast shows (Hill Street, Cheers, ER, Cosby et al). They only had three segments that I recall that were devoted to single individuals (longer than ten seconds), these were to Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, and Dean Martin. Though the clips were one's seen before, it was very nice to see that much time given to Dean. It was also nice to see it coming in the first hour, when maybe a lot of younger people were up to see it. I appreciated the comments by Bob Newhart also prefacing the salute. In addition to the tribute section, there was also the Colgate Comedy Hour spot with Martin and Lewis. Considering they could have selected any of the numerous hosts of that show, they decided on two clips of Martin and Lewis. Obviously, someone at NBC likes Dean Martin. Hopefully, they can put together a retrospective show like the recent ones on other shows. In terms of the Bravo show, it was more well-rounded, I thought, then the A&E one a couple of years back. It seemed to be broken down into clear segments, with a nice variety of musical selections you normally don't hear on other retrospectives. Even though it was produced a couple of years ago, it still was very worth seeing. Nice to have two coast to coast shows in one night!! (Anonymous) Dear DMFC : I caught the Bravo special on Dean Martin and was a bit disappointed. It seemed to rehash all the things we have already seen. It was nice to see the interviews with family members, except it's like talking about the same football play over and over again. Why do the editors all choose to leave in the same stories? The worst part were the interviews of people who claim they knew Dean over 70 years ago. It's so amazing that Dean Martin was just an ordinary kid who left his hometown right after his late teens, and then sought out a career and became noteworthy. Why is the town where he grew up an important part of anything to do with Dean Martin other than he wanted to get out and never glance back (except for a few jokes that writers had him mention years later). Where are all the interviews with the few who knew him best when he was Dean Martin and not forgotten Dino Crocetti? I thought the music throughout was probably the best part because it was pure Dino... nothing retold, twisted or conjured up. I guess the mystery of the real Dean Martin stays part of a hidden past as far as documentaries are concerned. They seem to spend all of two weeks on working out one documentary, then it's on to the next person's bio. Like other fans, I think Dean Martin deserves better. At least that's my opinion. (Hugh McGregor - New York) Dear DMFC : On NBC's 75th Television Anniversary Show, they devoted a whole segment to the Dean Martin Show, along with playing his theme song "Everybody Loves Somebody" by their live in-house band that sounded EXACTLY like Les Brown's rendition from the old series. I am glad that in a three hour special, they devoted so much time to Dean. Many people forget that he was not only the highest paid person on TV at the time, but also had his own variety show for nine years besides all the Celebrity Roasts that followed, as well as his numerous specials at Christmas time and through out the years. Maybe someone smart at NBC will recognize the fact that Dean was so immensely popular, and do a special retrospect on him and his show, like they are doing on the other networks for Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, etc. Even the attempts of bringing together stars from past shows such as the Brady Bunch or Gilligan's Island to be contestants on their own games shows (Who Want's to be a Millionaire, Weakest Link, etc.) must shoe the network executives that there is a need for this type of programming that can earn big ratings. Why have they overlooked their biggest show... The Dean Martin Show? Dean could be bigger than Elvis Presley or the Beatles today, if the planning were right. Come on NBC, wake up - PLEASE! (Robert Dunhill - New York) Dear DMFC : The TV special that was viewed on your BRAVO cable was the same special that was produced by the BBC and aired over here a couple of years back. I was told that Bravo had bought the show for airing in the United States. That is probably why it looks familiar and is not filled with any new stories or news. Dean Martin is highly regarded here in the U.K. ever since he came and performed at our fabulous Apollo Theatre. (William Newshire - England) Dear DMFC : Okay, I'm relieved. NBC redeemed itself last night. They spotlighted Dino and Bob Newhart's comments about how talented Dino was is very appreciated by this Dino fan. It's nice to hear someone say such things on nationwide TV. Who knows, maybe this will spark some more interest in Dino from the young ones out there looking for quality entertainment. Thank you NBC for a job well done. (Marie Macchiarella - Florida) Dear DMFC : I just watched the latest TV-bio on the Bravo Channel, and wanted to say that it's really nothing new. Same old stuff that we have seen in so many other programs. I actually learn more about Dean Martin from your website, and am thinking about a subscription to your fan club to get your magazines. I wonder if anyone else feels the same as I do? (Jim Aspen - Illinois) Dear DMFC : I have always been a fan of Dean Martin's and am so happy to have found you. I remember seeing him in Las Vegas when he first appeared at the MGM Grand. He was such a charming performer, and the way he kidded around with his piano player kept us all in tears, he was so funny. Out of all the entertainers and shows that I have seen, Dean Martin's show was the only one that has had a lasting impression over the years. (Vicki Tyson - Maine) Dear DMFC : I cannot imagine the challenge of editing 75 years of entertainment history into a single evening program, but, for what it's worth, here's some additional advanced input from yet another long time viewer: As a young boy, it was NBC that brought to my attention the entertainer that has brought (and STILL brings) more music, laughter, and genuine easy-going fun to my life than any entertainer could ever hope to achieve. I do hope that your show Sunday evening will grant adequate attention to entertainer Dean Martin and to "The Dean Martin Show" which established and solidified a Thursday night dominance by your network that has continued ever since. What to focus on in particular? You should primarily focus your limited time on two segments from the show that emphasized just Dean: (i) the beginning where Dean introduced the show with a quick "Everybody loves somebody sometime..." and slid down the pole to sing the opening up-tempo song, and (ii) the show's wonderful mid-point segment where Dean would hop on the piano in his appropriate den setting, joke through changed lyrics to well known songs, deliver a so-called "famous" quote and check out who the surprise guest was in the "closet," and sit down on the couch and sing through a ballad with one of the most underrated (but tremendously successful) voices in show business. A quick focus on the incredible guest list that would join Dean on his show would be great as well, but the above two sample segments will best demonstrate what this fun entertainer was all about and why he is still so missed to this day. I will greatly enjoy your cuts of Carson, Cosby, Hope, and the rest (and enjoy explaining to our two teenagers what they were and are about), but please do not underestimate how very special Dean Martin was and still is to so many millions of households. Congratulations on all of your hard work and your special anniversary. (Brett C. Campbell - Texas) Dear DMFC : Is it me or does it seem NBC is completely ignoring Dino's variety show in their 75th Anniversary promos? I went to their website and there is only one small mention of his show on a picture that you can barely see Dino in. What gives? If they are going to ignore Dino, then I'm not going to bother watching their show on Sunday. Do you have any insights to this? (Marie Macchiarella - Florida) Hi Marie - The NBC 75th anniversary is still being edited (probably up to the last minute). They have divided the show into many segments and assigned many different people different to them, so it's hard to know how much "Dean" will be included. It's hard to compact 75 years into a couple of hours. Everyone will have their favorites! As a note... did you know that Lee Hale (producer/director of the Dean Martin Show and author of the book "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show") was the producer for the 50th NBC Anniversary Special twenty-five years ago? He won an Emmy nomination for it! I'm sure that the people who are producing the 75th would have looked at what Mr. Hale did in the past. (Web Director - Dean Martin Fan Center) Dear DMFC : I heard the news about a movie made for TV on the life of Martin and Lewis. I had a thought that Dean's son, Ricci could play the role of his father. After all, Sean Hayes who has been cast as Jerry is much older than Jerry's characture should be, and Ricci sure doesn't look his age at all! (Greg Murphy - Arizona) Dear DMFC : It took me a few days, but I have found the fan organization that Regis Philbin mentioned on his TV program a few days ago. He was so impressed with your fan club magazine and showed a copy of it on the screen. I would love to become a member. Can you tell me what to do? (Linda Freytag - Michigan) Hi Linda - It's easy... just go back to our main page and click on "CLUB" . as a matter of fact... just click HERE and you should be able to go right there instantly. (Web Director - Dean Martin Fan Center) Dear DMFC : Hi I have finished reading Ricci's book , let me tell you normally it takes me about 6 months to read a book, but I was so intrigued with what was happening as a boy growing up with Dean Martin as your farther I finished it in 5 days. I had just finished reading about the Rat Pack but I wanted more of an in-depth about Dean and Riccis book hit the spot. Cheers (Have an Outstanding Day) (John Imbrogno - Australia) |
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