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A&E Biography - Dean Martin - Everybody Loves Somebody [VHS]

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This is one of the best Biographys' in an outstanding series. It is done respectfully and yes, even lovingly. Using interviews from the likes of Jerry Lewis, Jeanne Martin, Ricci Martin, Greg Garrison and various show business acquaintences, an honest and moving portrait of Deans' rise from small town boy to legendary star is created.

That Martin was an imperfect human is no secret, but this bio shows him to be far less phony than the usual Hollywood star and definately NOT a drunk or playboy. He never embarrassed his family and was by all accounts quiet, reserved and even a little shy. This is a man who had the whole package; looks, great singing style, comedic talent and street smarts aplenty.

His decline into reclusiveness in his later years is well documented. Brought about by a number of things, among them addiction to prescription pills, the tragic loss of his son Dean Paul, his own ennui and failing health, Martin lived a quiet final five years of his life refusing public appearances and parties with old show business cronies in order to live alone with visits from his children, granchildren and former wife Jeanne (with whom he remained friendly with until the end).

While justifiably proud of his accomplishements, he did not appear to miss any of it after his retirement in 1992. He lived the life of a contented loner...this son of Italian immigrants. He never forgot who he was or where he came from. He possessed a hold on his fans unlike any other star. They loved him then and now in a way that defies description. Perhaps it was that behind all the booze and girlie jokes they saw a decent, genuinely likeable, nice guy. One with no phony pretensions. Just a good guy with talent and luck who in a way represented what many of us would like to be.

I thought I was the only one who enjoyed his music and his TV variety shows.This tape really points out what a fine talent he was. He never really blew his own horn, he just did his thing and let the chips fall where they may.Frank always took the center stage but he didn't have the timing Dean had and I also felt Dean sang much better, altho Frank did okay with some songs. I think he got much more publicity, but Dean didn't care.I really miss the guy, thankfully there are still some great CD's out there to listen to.

If you don't have this tape in your collection it is an absolute must! It's one of the finest in the Biography series. Dean was one of the most entertaining figures of the 20th century and this tape is a fantastic look at his life, from beginning to lonely end. I met Dean on numerous occasions and this tape will make you feel like you've met him yourself. A classy look at a classy guy! Enjoy!

I think this version is just a transfer from VHS to DVD without any updating, and that would explain the lack of information about Dean's passing on Christmas Day 1995. The reviews about the VHS version are very good so I'll touch on just some of the highlights here. The DVD doesn't have any "special features" like most do, but that doesn't take anything away from the great stuff in it. It only has 6 "scene selection" choices but this program is so good that you won't want to "pick up the action" anywhere but at the beginning. The greatest comments and insights about Dean come from Jerry Lewis. I always thought that he & Dean hated each other when they broke up in the 1950's but Jerry reveals otherwise. Greg Garrison, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Jeannie Martin and even Dean himself share some great information about Dean's life. (No Sammy Davis comments but I think he died before this came out.) Narrated by Peter Graves, he comments on Dean's life from his Dad coming to America in 1914, through Dean's struggle to find work in the depression years to his becoming the highest paid entertainer of that time. The 2 greatest scenes in the program are the reuniting of Dean & Jerry on the 1976 Labor Day telethon and Dean's 72nd birthday surprise in 1986. Each one got a surprise! First Jerry on the telethon, then Dean on his birthday. The reason; they hadn't spoken for 20 years when the telethon aired and after that meeting, they didn't speak for the next 10 years until the birthday surprise! There are clips from The Vegas Rat Pack shows, Dean's TV shows, one from the "roasting" of Jack Benny and scenes from a couple of Dean's movies. The sound & picture quality are excellent and I only wish the show was longer and included more show clips.

I watched many of the Dean Martin shows when they first aired, listened to his songs when they were hits and have watched most of his movies. But, until I watched this tape, I did not appreciate how talented he really was. The stage routines that he carried out with Jerry Lewis are amazing. Unlike most other comedy teams, they are on stage interacting primarily with each other. They spent the majority of their time talking to each other, only rarely turning their heads to the audience. Jerry Lewis has long been given the majority of the credit for their joint success, but Martin was clearly just as talented in making people laugh.
Martin was also a much better actor than he had been given credit for. There are only a few clips from his movies, but he brought the same ease to the screen that he did to the comedy stage. Where he was most amazing was as a singer. His song, "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" was the first song to knock the Beatles from number one on the charts. When I was young and going to construction sites with my uncle, the hard working, hard drinking laborers were walking around singing the lyrics to this song. It amazed me to hear that it was added to the album at the last minute, as a replacement for a song Martin didn't like.
Unlike so many other entertainers, Martin was genuinely a nice and decent man. His producer of thirty years said that they formed their partnership by agreeing to work together and sealed it with a handshake. Nothing more was ever needed. Despite his entertainment persona as a wild living, hard drinking man, Martin was a devoted family man. His wife said that he was always home for dinner and the death of his son Dino in a military jet devastated him.
What is probably the most incredible aspect of his career is that he did not rehearse for his television show. He showed up the day it was being taped or being performed live and carried out his role. Perhaps that explains why he was so underrated as an entertainer. He made everything look so easy; people didn't take him as seriously as they should have.
Finally, Martin was also a true tough guy. He fought professionally, although poorly as a youth. When he ran out of money, he and a friend would charge a group of people fifty cents each to come to their room and watch them punch each other until one was unconscious.
This is one of those tapes that show you positive sides of a person that you never knew he had. Unlike so many of the self-centered prima donnas that exist now, he never, ever seemed to believe that he was above being made fun off. He also seemed to genuinely be having a good time when he was performing.

when you think of the term "one of a kind",it truly applys to dean martin. he was the king of cool throughout his career,and had the talent to back it up.from his partnership with jerry lewis to his singing and solo acting years,it's all here for everyone to enjoy,and remember,or to finally realize what a true talent this man was. we may have lost him christmas day 1995,but he will be with us forever.

if you like to see a man, who has made it to the top, but has never forgotten where he has come from, a real person just like you and I, then you will love this video, THANKS DEAN

Broadcast shortly before Dean Martin's death in December 1995, this A&E "Biography" provides an excellent overview of the singer-comedian's life and career during its 50-minute length. Good interviews with Jerry Lewis, Jeanne Martin and producer-director Greg Garrison - plus a generous selection of clips from Dean's classic NBC variety show. An insightful and fast-moving program that compares favorably with the 1983 BBC documentary "Wine, Women and Song."

Fantastic biography, a must for any Dean Martin fan. While including life with Jerry and the Rat Pack, this story steps back and focuses on the man himself, including both his business and private life. From card shark to prize fighter this was a man of the ages. There will never be another Dean.