Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis - Martin and Lewis
Aug 18, 2024 3:32:38 GMT
topbilled, cmovieviewer, and 4 more like this
Post by christine on Aug 18, 2024 3:32:38 GMT
I have researched Dean Martin for many years, and part of that research - part of his life - personal and professional - includes Jerry Lewis.
When Dean and Jerry met, Jerry was 19 years old and Dean was 29. There are different versions as to how they met, even from Jerry himself. In Jerry's biography, 'Dean And Me A Love Story', he talks about meeting Dean for the first time on a street corner in New York and being introduced by mutual friends. However, in interviews on YouTube, Jerry talks about meeting Dean at a lunch counter while eating an egg salad sandwich. Still, there are other accounts of them knowing each other before and playing baseball in central park. Whichever account is correct - they met.
They proved to be a stronger entertainment force together than separate in those early years. Upon meeting, Jerry was a struggling comedian and Dean was singing with night club bands but not really getting anywhere. Their paths kept crossing and Jerry was drawn to Dean. Dean had fun with Jerry but was not interested in a duo act, until - it happened accidentally one time - mostly through Jerry's antics.
It happened at 'The 500 Club' in Atlantic City that they tried their act for the first time and the response to combining Dean's singing, Jerry's antics, and the two of them simply throwing caution to the wind was like putting dynamite and a match together. Their night club act became simply Dean and Jerry having fun - almost as if they didn't care whether the audience was there or not. The audience was simply pulled in watching these two men having such fun! Within just a few weeks every one of their shows was sold out with lines around the block to get in.
They played larger and more upscale venues until they played the 'Copacabana' nightclub - where 10 years later they would give their last performance.
They then had a very successful radio program and TV show - on the 'Colgate Comedy Hour' from 1950 to 1955. Their popularity kept growing and eventually studio talent scouts from Hollywood came to watch their stage show.
Paramount was one of the studios and Jerry was the one that wanted to sign with them because he had worked as a teen in a Paramount theater which brought good memories to him.
When they went to Paramount for their screen tests - the producers liked Dean's screen test but not Jerry's. Hal Wallis put it very bluntly to Jerry as to what kind of part he would be cast in for their first film - Jerry didn't like it but took it. Martin and Lewis' first movie was MY FRIEND IRMA 1949.
Dean and Jerry's next film was the sequel - MY FRIEND IRMA GOES WEST 1950
They made 14 more movies until 1956.
In 1951 they had become the most popular comedy act and highest paid in the country.
During the 10 years Martin and Lewis were together - increasingly it became less fun.
Dean's personality lived for the moment. He wanted to enjoy life each day and not deal with things he felt were unimportant but only the things that brought joy into life. He had come from a loving Italian family and until he was 6 years old only spoke Italian. Dean's first glimpse of hardship was when he entered school and was made fun of for not being able to speak English. He loved to watch Westerns because he loved animals and horses - it was also a way for him to learn English. Later when he had his solo career and was able to pick the projects he wanted - he loved to make Westerns and sing country music. So in his school days Dean entertained the other kids instead of fighting with them. He choose to make friends instead of being revengeful. He would be like that the rest of his life. Dean didn't spend energy on looking back or being angry at someone.
Jerry was an only child with vaudevillian parents. He spent much of his childhood at relatives homes because his parents were on the road so much. When he met Dean he finally felt a connection. Dean became a big brother to him. He finally knew the feeling of being wanted and loved.
As Dean and Jerry's partnership continued, Jerry wanted to plan more and more of what went on - this gave him the feeling of power over his life that he'd been lacking. Dean however, still was taking things as they came and trying to enjoy them.
Eventually the people in Dean's life - Jeanne his wife and Mack Gray (Dean's close associate for 34 years), were persuading Dean to move on with his own career. Even though Mack Gray was a friend of Jerry's too at the time, it was said that he didn't like the way Jerry treated Dean at times - and Jeanne felt that Dean should be getting more of the credit for the act than he was. Finally, in 1954 Dean also came to realize that he wanted more than he was able to do at Paramount. Although it would take him another two years to demand Paramount to let him out of his contract, he knew it was something that had to be done.
Paramount wanted Martin and Lewis to make pictures until 1960 - instead they settled for 4 pictures from each Dean and Jerry as solo performers. This way they felt like they still would get 8 movies.
Dean and Jerry's last movie is HOLLYWOOD OR BUST 1956.
Martin and Lewis also had to finish their contract playing at the 'Copacabana'. So on July 25, 1956 they performed their last show.
After the last show - Jerry told Dean that he loved him and would always carry him in his heart - Dean said - I love you too Jer.
It is not true that they never spoke again for 20 years. A couple years later for example, Jerry was booked for a show in Las Vegas, got ill and Dean filled in for him. Their paths would also cross at the NBC studios. Of course it was never again two guys having fun and performing for each other. When they split Dean was 39 years old and Jerry was 29. Those 10 years of maturity had mattered in how Dean saw the world. It usually does. I know I viewed things different when I was 39 than when I was 29.
The world of entertainment was a better place because Dean and Jerry had spent those ten years together - lots of film and entertainment history!
By the way - they even had their own Martin and Lewis comic books!
Biographies I can recommend are - 'Dean And Me A Love Story' by Jerry Lewis
'Memories Are Made Of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes' by Deana Martin
'That's Amore - A Son Remembers Dean Martin' by Ricci Martin
and 'Backstage At The Dean Martin Show' by Lee Hale
Each of these authors have a different piece of the puzzle and knew Dean in a different way. Excellent reading.
When Dean and Jerry met, Jerry was 19 years old and Dean was 29. There are different versions as to how they met, even from Jerry himself. In Jerry's biography, 'Dean And Me A Love Story', he talks about meeting Dean for the first time on a street corner in New York and being introduced by mutual friends. However, in interviews on YouTube, Jerry talks about meeting Dean at a lunch counter while eating an egg salad sandwich. Still, there are other accounts of them knowing each other before and playing baseball in central park. Whichever account is correct - they met.
They proved to be a stronger entertainment force together than separate in those early years. Upon meeting, Jerry was a struggling comedian and Dean was singing with night club bands but not really getting anywhere. Their paths kept crossing and Jerry was drawn to Dean. Dean had fun with Jerry but was not interested in a duo act, until - it happened accidentally one time - mostly through Jerry's antics.
It happened at 'The 500 Club' in Atlantic City that they tried their act for the first time and the response to combining Dean's singing, Jerry's antics, and the two of them simply throwing caution to the wind was like putting dynamite and a match together. Their night club act became simply Dean and Jerry having fun - almost as if they didn't care whether the audience was there or not. The audience was simply pulled in watching these two men having such fun! Within just a few weeks every one of their shows was sold out with lines around the block to get in.
They played larger and more upscale venues until they played the 'Copacabana' nightclub - where 10 years later they would give their last performance.
They then had a very successful radio program and TV show - on the 'Colgate Comedy Hour' from 1950 to 1955. Their popularity kept growing and eventually studio talent scouts from Hollywood came to watch their stage show.
Paramount was one of the studios and Jerry was the one that wanted to sign with them because he had worked as a teen in a Paramount theater which brought good memories to him.
When they went to Paramount for their screen tests - the producers liked Dean's screen test but not Jerry's. Hal Wallis put it very bluntly to Jerry as to what kind of part he would be cast in for their first film - Jerry didn't like it but took it. Martin and Lewis' first movie was MY FRIEND IRMA 1949.
Dean and Jerry's next film was the sequel - MY FRIEND IRMA GOES WEST 1950
They made 14 more movies until 1956.
In 1951 they had become the most popular comedy act and highest paid in the country.
During the 10 years Martin and Lewis were together - increasingly it became less fun.
Dean's personality lived for the moment. He wanted to enjoy life each day and not deal with things he felt were unimportant but only the things that brought joy into life. He had come from a loving Italian family and until he was 6 years old only spoke Italian. Dean's first glimpse of hardship was when he entered school and was made fun of for not being able to speak English. He loved to watch Westerns because he loved animals and horses - it was also a way for him to learn English. Later when he had his solo career and was able to pick the projects he wanted - he loved to make Westerns and sing country music. So in his school days Dean entertained the other kids instead of fighting with them. He choose to make friends instead of being revengeful. He would be like that the rest of his life. Dean didn't spend energy on looking back or being angry at someone.
Jerry was an only child with vaudevillian parents. He spent much of his childhood at relatives homes because his parents were on the road so much. When he met Dean he finally felt a connection. Dean became a big brother to him. He finally knew the feeling of being wanted and loved.
As Dean and Jerry's partnership continued, Jerry wanted to plan more and more of what went on - this gave him the feeling of power over his life that he'd been lacking. Dean however, still was taking things as they came and trying to enjoy them.
Eventually the people in Dean's life - Jeanne his wife and Mack Gray (Dean's close associate for 34 years), were persuading Dean to move on with his own career. Even though Mack Gray was a friend of Jerry's too at the time, it was said that he didn't like the way Jerry treated Dean at times - and Jeanne felt that Dean should be getting more of the credit for the act than he was. Finally, in 1954 Dean also came to realize that he wanted more than he was able to do at Paramount. Although it would take him another two years to demand Paramount to let him out of his contract, he knew it was something that had to be done.
Paramount wanted Martin and Lewis to make pictures until 1960 - instead they settled for 4 pictures from each Dean and Jerry as solo performers. This way they felt like they still would get 8 movies.
Dean and Jerry's last movie is HOLLYWOOD OR BUST 1956.
Martin and Lewis also had to finish their contract playing at the 'Copacabana'. So on July 25, 1956 they performed their last show.
After the last show - Jerry told Dean that he loved him and would always carry him in his heart - Dean said - I love you too Jer.
It is not true that they never spoke again for 20 years. A couple years later for example, Jerry was booked for a show in Las Vegas, got ill and Dean filled in for him. Their paths would also cross at the NBC studios. Of course it was never again two guys having fun and performing for each other. When they split Dean was 39 years old and Jerry was 29. Those 10 years of maturity had mattered in how Dean saw the world. It usually does. I know I viewed things different when I was 39 than when I was 29.
The world of entertainment was a better place because Dean and Jerry had spent those ten years together - lots of film and entertainment history!
By the way - they even had their own Martin and Lewis comic books!
Biographies I can recommend are - 'Dean And Me A Love Story' by Jerry Lewis
'Memories Are Made Of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes' by Deana Martin
'That's Amore - A Son Remembers Dean Martin' by Ricci Martin
and 'Backstage At The Dean Martin Show' by Lee Hale
Each of these authors have a different piece of the puzzle and knew Dean in a different way. Excellent reading.
