Fascinating Facts About Entertainment Icon Dean Martin
Dean Martin is one of the greatest legends of Hollywood entertainment. He made us laugh with his jokes, he made us fall in love with his music, and he entranced us on the big screen. Some people might remember him best as Jerry Lewis' straight man, but he was so much more than that.
Keep reading to learn some surprising facts about Dean Martin and his road to success. Did you know that the handsome star was actually quite the family man but a drinking problem almost ruined that for him?
That's Not His Real Nose
Dean Martin got a nose job when he was 27 years old. Some people think that he may have gotten plastic surgery in the aftermath of a boxing injury, although it's also possible that he just felt unsatisfied with the way his nose looked.
Martin's original nose wasn't all that different from how it ended up looking. The surgeons just straightened his nose out a bit and made it slightly narrower. Interestingly, comedian Lou Costello paid for Martin's rhinoplasty.
He Had A Fear Of Elevators
Dean Martin may have seemed like a fearless superstar, but this man was actually severely claustrophobic. He was so afraid of being in small spaces that he actually never took elevators if he could help it. When he stayed in hotels, he always made sure to ask for a room on the first floor.
Martin would call elevators "coffins," and once he even climbed up 18 flights of stairs in order to avoid taking an elevator.
He Was Friends With Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder
Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder was a famous Vegas bookie and sports commentator. Snyder had a rather tragic life. He and his wife lost three of their five children to cystic fibrosis. Before Snyder was famous, he and Dean Martin were friends. Both men grew up in Steubenville, Ohio, and were introduced to the underground world of gambling at a young age.
The two childhood friends eventually appeared in the movie The Cannonball Run together in 1981.
Another Name For The Rat Pack
You might know Sammy Davis Jr., PeterLawford, Joey Bishop, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin as the Rat Pack, but the name "Rat Pack" was actually originally used to describe another group of friends.
When Lauren Bacall talked about her husband, Humphrey Bogart's friends, she referred to them as a rat pack because to her, they looked like a group of rats when they came home after a wild night in Vegas. The name stuck, and the offshoot group of the pack referred to themselves as either the Clan or the Summit.
His First Movie Didn't Do So Well
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were a match made in heaven, but after their partnership ended, Martin found it difficult to make it on his own. The 1957 film Ten Thousand Bedrooms was Martin's first solo film. Unfortunately, it didn't do so well at the box office.
The film grossed around $955,000 in the United States and Canada and $750,000 elsewhere in the world, resulting in a loss of around $1,196,000. One reviewer said, "Ten Thousand Bedrooms has its place in movie history as Dean Martin's first solo effort without Jerry Lewis. It also nearly sunk his career."
Martin Was A Family Man
While the Rat Pack was known for their wild antics, Martin much preferred to stay in with his family on a Saturday night. While Frank Sinatra and the other crooners would spend all hours of the night drinking in clubs, gambling, and getting into trouble, Martin would stay home with his wife and children.
According to one of his daughters, Deana, Martin would always be home for dinner if he was in town and not away for a performance.
He Suffered from Kidney Problems
While Martin was on tour with his fellow Rat Pack members In 1987, he had some pretty severe kidney troubles. It was the first time that Martin had performed in front of a large crowd in a long while. Unfortunately, he didn't make it to all of the performances on the tour.
Out of 17 shows, Martin only performed in five. He ended up leaving the tour quite early to take care of his health.
His Famous Family
Dean Martin had a big family, and included in that big family are some pretty famous names.
Martin's daughter, Gina, wed Beach Boys singer Carl Wilson and they were married until Wilson's 1998 death. His son, Dean Paul, went on to marry actress Olivia Hussey, divorcing her in 1978. Dean Paul's second wife was Olympic gold medal figure skater Dorothy Hamill, of whom he divorced in 1984. Lastly, his other son, Craig, married Carole Costello, daughter of film comedian Lou.
A Boxing Champion
Dean Martin began welterweight boxing at the age of 15, using the name "Kid Crochet." Although Martin held his own in the amateur ring, he also once joked that he won 11 professional fights. The job didn't pay much, and Martin often didn't have enough money to afford tape to go around his knuckles, resulting in a lot of injuries.
Some of those injuries included a broken nose, scarred lip, busted knuckles, and a bruised body. Thankfully, Martin later had his nose straightened out. Who knows what a crooked nasal passage would have done to his singing voice!
He Reported His Wife To The Cops
Surprisingly, Dean Martin really wasn't a party guy. He'd turn in early when he was out with friends, and if his wife had people over he would go to their bedroom and watch television, leaving the party-goers downstairs. One night, a party his wife was throwing became too loud for Martin, so he called the cops!
He posed as one of their neighbors, complaining about a party going on "at Dan Martin's house." The police complied and drove over to shut down the party that was being hosted by Martin's wife at the time, Jeanne.
English Isn't His First Language
Dean Martin didn't actually speak English until he was five years old. Martin's real name was born Dino Paul Crocetti, and he grew up in a very Italian household. His father was an Italian immigrant and his mother's parents were Italian immigrants. Both his parents spoke Italian at home.
When he first attended school, he didn't know any English and he was teased by his classmates. Even when he started learning the language, kids would make fun of him for the way he pronounced certain words.
A Supportive Bunch
The members of the Rat Pack were famous for showing up at each other's performances unannounced. A thing that only the best of friends would do. They would do this so much that it was expected that one or more members of the Rat Pack would end up on stage at some point during the night.
Whenever Dean Martin performed in Vegas the marquee would usually read "DEAN MARTIN - MAYBE FRANK - MAYBE SAMMY." We all deserve friends who are more than happy to share the spotlight!
A Major Bomb
Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin formed a fast friendship during their initial meeting at the Glass Hat Club, where they were both performing in New York City. They decided to do a show together, and during their debut on July 24, 1946, at Atlantic City's 500 Club, they bombed.
It was so bad that the owner of the club, Skinny D'Amato, told them that if they did not come up with something better for their second act of the night then they would be fired. The two regrouped and the second show was divvied up between Martin singing, and the two doing skits and ad-libbed material.
The End Of The Dynamic Duo
From 1949 to 1956, the dynamic comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had great success in movies. They were also a very popular live act, touring the country and making nightclub appearances. So, it begs the question, why did the two break up? There are a few different explanations, as no one knows for sure.
The common reason was their respective work ethics. Lewis was a self-proclaimed workaholic while Martin enjoyed only working "so much." Another rumored reason was that Jerry was taking over the spotlight, reviewers not even mentioning Martin's performances. The last reason was their wives. Jeanne Martin did not care for Lewis.
What's In A Name?
After Dean Martin gave up amateur boxing, he began working as a roulette stickman in an illegal casino behind a tobacco shop. At the same time as the casino, he started to sing with local bands, calling himself "Dino Martini," after the Metropolitan Opera singer Nino Martini. Eventually, he began to sing in the lounge of the casino.
In 1940, bandleader Sammy Watkins suggested "Dino" change his name to Dean Martin to avoid confusion with the opera singer. Little did they know that Dean Martin was about to gain a whole lot of fame without the help of another performer's last name.
His First Acting Role
In 1958, Dean Martin stole the role of Michael Whiteacre from Tony Randall in the dramatic war movie The Young Lions. The talent agency MCA realized that by hiring Martin they would have a triple threat on their hands, something that they'd be able to capitalize on. They'd be able to make money from his work in nightclubs, films, and records.
So, the role of Michael Whiteacre was recast, leaving Dean Martin with his first dramatic film role. The film also gave Martin two good friends, Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando.
Elvis Thought Martin Was The King Of Cool
The King of Cool was Dean Martin's nickname at the height of his career, due to his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance. Deana Martin, one of Dean Martin's daughters, said that she remembers the night she heard the nickname, most likely because a rock legend said it!
"Elvis [Presley] idolized my dad," she explained. 'I remember meeting Elvis, and he was the one who told me my dad was the king of cool. I'll never forget that." Considering it was a young girl being told her dad was "cool," she probably rolled her eyes a little bit.
He Loved Golfing So Much He Put It In His Contracts
It's no secret that The Dean Martin Show was a huge success, earning Martin a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1966. The show was then renewed in 1968 for a three-year extension costing $34 million. Martin was suddenly the highest-paid entertainer in the world, at the time.
His contract also had other stipulations, such as he did not have to attend rehearsals. Instead, someone would stand in during his parts while Martin went to go play a round or two of golf, one of his favorite pastimes.
Bruce Lee Taught Him Martial Arts
During his time portraying the character Matt Helm, a U.S. government counter-agent who took out enemy agents, in a series of spy-movie parodies, Dean Martin was taught martial arts by none other than Bruce Lee.
Lee choreographed the fight scenes for both Maritn and the leading lady, Sharon Tate. You can tell it's Lee's choreography because a few seconds into the movie, Tate and Nancy Kwan both perform the "Gin Lai." The Gin Lai is a bow which Lee always did before he opened and closed on of his Jeet Kune Do martial art and philosophy classes.
What Martin's Daughter Revealed About His Drinking
One of the traits usually associated with Dean Martin and the rest of the Rat Pack is their heavy drinking. A habit that most likely resulted in a few of their health issues later down the line. However, according to Martin's daughter, much of the adult beverages seen in Martin's hand while he was on stage performing, or even hanging out with his friends, was apple juice.
Honestly, the man was an actor, so it's not surprising that he was able to get away with drinking juice and acting silly with his friends. Maybe the act was just due to a very big sugar buzz.
He Loved Comic Books
Would you believe that Martin only read one book in his entire life, Black Beauty? Even though the singer didn't enjoy reading novels, he was a huge fan of comic books. The funny part is that Martin was too embarrassed to go into a store and buy the comics himself that he had his friend, Jerry Lewis, do it for him!
Ironically, Dean Martin's life has since been immortalized in various novels, memoirs, and biographies. Hopefully, the famous singer is okay with other people reading books about his life! Maybe someone can make a comic book about the Rat Pack.
He Wrote His Own Comic Series
In 1952, DC Comics released the first issue of The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The comic series ran for five years, publishing 40 issues during that time. Due to the break-up of the comedian team of Martin and Lewis, DC Comics had to rename the series in 1957.
The new title was The Adventures of Jerry Lewis, and the series published issues 41-124. As the title suggests, the new series only starred Lewis, with guest stars such as Batman, Bob Hope, Lex Luthor, Superman, the Flash, and Wonder Woman.
A Star On The Walk Of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame has more than 2,600 stars embedded into the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California. The stars are monuments awarded to musicians, actors, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, and even fictional characters who have made strides in the entertainment industry.
While most entertainers only earn one star in their lifetime, Dean Martin was awarded three separate stars on the walk. Martin was awarded a star for film, television, and music, each adorned with an emblem of a classic film camera, a television receiver, and a phonographic record, respectively.
Where He Met Frank Sinatra
Martin performed with several bands throughout the 1940s, trying to develop his own personality and singing style while on stage. Then, in 1943, he was hired to perform as the opening act at the Riobamba Nightclub in New York City. The club was doing poorly, financially speaking, so they needed to book people that weren't going to ask for a large payout.
The headliner the evening Martin was to perform was none other than soon-to-be Rat Pack member Frank Sinatra, of whom had been selling out the nightclub. Unfortunately, by all accounts, Martin's performance did not go so well.
The Toast Of The Town
Martin and Lewis made their television debut on The Toast of The Town, now known as the Ed Sullivan Show, on July 20, 1948. The on-screen time led the two to hire Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to help them write their comedy bits.
Eventually, the two decided it was time to turn away from the nightclub scene. They both wanted to focus more on radio and television. Their ambition landed them a radio series and a contract with Paramount!
The Efforts Of The Dean Martin Committee
Dean Martin passed away in 1995. After his death, the city council of his hometown Steubenville, Ohio, made a Dean Martin Committee. Martin's daughter Deana, and her husband, John Griffeth, run the committee.
The committee organizes walking tours to all of Martin's old spots. They also built a fundraiser for the Dean Martin Scholarship, and they created the annual Dean Martin Festival. The festival features delicious Italian food, Dean Martin impersonators, and much more Dean Martin related fun.
A Real Accomplishment
Martin called his daughter, saying, 'I don't know who they are, but I think you and your sisters would want to come down and see these guys.’ The band was The Beatles. Their songs were gracing the Billboard Top 100 chart with no one coming close to knocking them down a notch. Well, until Dean Martin recorded, "Everyone Loves Somebody."
"That song knocked the Beatles [A Hard Day's Night] out of first place," said Deana. “Nobody else could do that. Not Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley. Dad sent two telegrams, one to Presley and another to Sinatra. And it just said, 'I did it.'
The Music Just Comes Out
Deana Martin knew she wanted to perform ever since she saw her dad on stage singing and making people laugh. Therefore she made sure to get lessons from the best: Frank Sinatra.
"Frank Sinatra was really the one who turned the light on for me," she recalled. “I said to Frank, 'How do you do it?' He said, ‘Oh, by taking a big breath, I push from the diaphragm, and I can tell before a note comes out if I'm going to be on pitch or not.’ Deana said, ‘Really, does my dad do that?’ He said, ‘No, he has no idea what he’s doing. He just does it.'”
A Country Music Moment
In 1959, Dean Martin was cast as Dude, alongside John Wayne and Ricky Nelson, in the American Western film Rio Bravo. The movie was based on the short story by B.H. McCampbell and revolves around the sheriff of the town who arrests a brother of a powerful local rancher.
In one scene, Martin and Nelson perform a duet called "My Rifle, My Pony, and Me." Later, the Western Writers of America named it one of the 100 greatest Western songs of all time.
A Big Songwriting Fee
The vastly popular song "That's Amore" was first performed in 1953 in Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis' movie, The Caddy. The movie's plot centers around Harvey Miller whose father is a famous golf pro and wants Harvey to follow in his footsteps. He becomes an instructor instead.
The song was actually secretly commissioned by Lewis in hopes that it would become a hit for Martin. He paid songwriter Jack Brooks and producer Harry Warren $30,000 to compose it. Eventually, "That's Amore" became a chart-topper and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1953, losing to "Secret Love" from Calamity Jane.
Martin And Lewis Didn't Always Get Along
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis worked really closely together. In fact, the pair would make 16 films with each other, but while they admired one another, jealousy and frustration crept into their relationship.
Things began to get testy over the years, but the last straw came when the pair were going to be on the cover of Look magazine. In the cover photo of the two, Martin ended up getting cropped out of the picture!
Viva Las Vegas
Sadly, all the heavy smoking Dean did resulted in him developing lung cancer in 1993. That's when he elected not to undergo treatment and he ended up passing away of respiratory failure on Christmas day in 1995.
Vegas loved Dean and he loved the city back. To honor his passing, Las Vegas decided to dim their lights that night along the strip. It was a fitting tribute for one of the best entertainers to live.
Dean Paul Martin's Death
Death doesn't pick sides or have feelings. It takes whomever it wants, in whatever fashion. Martin's son, Dean Paul Martin, piloted with the Air National Guard and died in 1987 after crashing into the San Gorgonio mountain.
In a coincidental twist of fate, another high profile family member passed away on the same mountain ten years earlier. That person turned out to be Sinatra's mother. May they both rest in peace.
An Emotional Character
Thanks to a referral from a friend, Dean Martin ended up cast alongside John Wayne and Ricky Nelson in the 1959 western, Rio Bravo. It was Montgomery Clift who suggested Martin for the part after he turned it down.
Martin's character was a drunken sheriff, but he found it to be quite difficult. It was hard for him because they expected him to cry on cue, so we're guessing that was something he wasn't that great at doing.
A Rough Childhood
Not everyone is fortunate enough to miss getting bullied as a child. It's something no kid should have to experience, but unfortunately, it still happens today. Dean Martin was one of those kids who went through it.
Martin went to Grant Elementary School in Steubenville, where the kids made fun of him due to his broken English. Martin would later take on drums as a hobby once he hit his teenage years.