Teaming with Jerry Lewis in 1950 Martin attracted the attention of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and
Columbia Pictures, but a Hollywood contract was not forthcoming. Martin met comic
Jerry Lewis at the
Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City in August 1944. According to Lewis, the two men met initially in the lobby, where Martin approached him and said, "Hey, I saw your act, you're a funny kid."
Martin and Lewis formed a fast friendship which led to their participation in each other's acts and the formation of a music-comedy team. Their debut together occurred at
Atlantic City's
500 Club on July 24, 1946, and they were not well received. The owner,
Skinny D'Amato, warned them that if they did not come up with a better act for their second show that night, they would be fired. Huddling in the alley behind the club, Lewis and Martin agreed to "go for broke", they divided their act between songs, skits, and ad-libbed material. Martin sang and Lewis dressed as a busboy, dropping plates and making a shambles of Martin's performance and the club's decorum until Lewis was chased from the room as Martin pelted him with bread rolls. They performed
slapstick, reeled off old
vaudeville jokes and did whatever else popped into their heads; the audience laughed. This success led to a series of well-paying engagements on the Eastern seaboard, culminating in a run at New York's
Copacabana. The act consisted of Lewis interrupting and heckling Martin while he was trying to sing, with the two ultimately chasing each other around the stage. The secret, both said, is that they ignored the audience and played to each other. The duo made their television debut on the first broadcast of CBS-TV network's
The Ed Sullivan Show (then called
The Toast of The Town) on June 20, 1948, with composers
Rodgers and Hammerstein also appearing. Hoping to improve their act, the two hired young comedy writers
Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to write their bits. With the assistance of both Lear and Simmons, the two would take their act beyond nightclubs. A
radio series began in 1949, the year Martin and Lewis signed with
Paramount producer
Hal B. Wallis as comedy relief for the movie
My Friend Irma. Their agent, Abby Greshler, negotiated one of Hollywood's best deals: although they received only $75,000 between them for their films with Wallis, Martin and Lewis were free to do one outside film a year, which they would co-produce through their own York Productions. They also controlled their club, record, radio, and television appearances, and through these they earned millions of dollars. In
Dean & Me, Lewis calls Martin one of the great comic geniuses of all time. They were friends, as well, with Lewis acting as best man when Martin remarried in 1949. But harsh comments from critics, as well as frustration with the similarity of Martin and Lewis movies, which producer Hal Wallis refused to change, led to Martin's dissatisfaction. He put less enthusiasm into the work. Martin soldiered on during the production of the Martin & Lewis feature
3 Ring Circus (1954), when a publicity photo of Martin, Lewis, and actress
Sheree North was published on the cover of
Look magazine. Martin was shocked to see Lewis and North pictured but Martin cropped off the page. The team's publicity manager, Jack Keller, remembered Martin walking on the set "with a copy of
Look and he threw it right in my face and called me every vile name he could think of." Lewis recalled Martin "saying he was fed up to the ears playing a stooge. One morning he arrived an hour late on the set and stared daggers at me. 'Anytime you wanta call it quits, just let me know.'" Martin was chagrined by the situation: "Why the hell should I come in on time? There's not a damn thing for me to do." In later years, Martin reflected on the working conditions during
3 Ring Circus: "There was no sense of me being in that picture at all. The picture was on 35 minutes before I sang one song. Then it was an old one, 'It's a Big, Wide Wonderful World', and I sang it to animals." Martin lived up to his contract and remained with Lewis until the agreement expired on July 25, 1956, ten years to the day from the first teaming.
Solo career in
Rio Bravo (1959) Martin's first solo film,
Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957), was a box-office failure. Although "
Volare" reached number 15 in the U.S. and number 2 in the UK, the era of the pop
crooner was waning with the advent of
rock and roll. Martin wanted to become a dramatic actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama,
The Young Lions (1958), Martin's part would be with
Marlon Brando and
Montgomery Clift.
Tony Randall already had the part, but talent agency MCA realized that with this film, Martin would become a triple threat: they could make money from his work in nightclubs, films, and records. Randall was paid off to relinquish the role, Martin replaced him and the film turned out to be the beginning of Martin's comeback. He starred alongside
Frank Sinatra for the first time in the
Vincente Minnelli drama,
Some Came Running (1958). By the mid-1960s, Martin was a movie, recording, television, and nightclub star. He was known as Dude in
Rio Bravo (1959), directed by
Howard Hawks and also starring
John Wayne and singer
Ricky Nelson. Martin teamed again with Wayne in
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), cast as brothers. In 1960, Martin was cast in the film version of the
Judy Holliday stage musical comedy
Bells Are Ringing. He won a
Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the 1960 film comedy
Who Was That Lady?, but continued to seek dramatic roles, portraying a Southern politician in 1961's
Ada, and starring in 1963's screen adaptation of an intense stage drama,
Toys in the Attic, opposite
Geraldine Page, as well as in 1970's drama
Airport with
Burt Lancaster, a huge box-office success. Sinatra and Martin teamed up for several more movies, the crime caper ''
Ocean's 11, the musical Robin and the 7 Hoods, and the Western comedies Sergeants 3 and 4 for Texas, with their Rat Pack pals such as Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop, as well as a romantic comedy, Marriage on the Rocks. Martin also co-starred with Shirley MacLaine in a number of films, including Some Came Running
, Artists and Models, Career, All in a Night's Work, and What a Way to Go!'' He played a satiric variation of his own womanizing persona as Las Vegas singer "Dino" in
Billy Wilder's comedy
Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) with
Kim Novak, and Martin poked fun at his image in films such as the
Matt Helm spy
spoofs of the 1960s, in which he was a co-producer. In the third Matt Helm film
The Ambushers (1967), Helm, about to be executed, receives a last cigarette and tells the provider, "I'll remember you from the great beyond", continuing
sotto voce, "somewhere around Steubenville, I hope". As a singer, Martin copied the styles of Harry Mills (of the
Mills Brothers),
Bing Crosby, and
Perry Como until he developed his own and could hold his own in duets with Sinatra and Crosby. Like Sinatra, Martin could not read music, but he recorded 35 studio albums and over 550 songs. His signature tune, "
Everybody Loves Somebody", knocked
the Beatles' "
A Hard Day's Night" off number one in the United States in 1964. This was followed by "The Door is Still Open to My Heart", which reached number six that year.
Elvis Presley was said to have been a fan of Martin, and patterned his performance of "
Love Me Tender" after Martin's style. Martin, like Elvis, was influenced by
country music. By 1965, some of Martin's albums, such as
Dean "Tex" Martin Rides Again,
Houston, Welcome to My World, and
Gentle on My Mind, were composed of country and western songs by artists such as
Johnny Cash,
Merle Haggard, and
Buck Owens. For three decades, Martin was among the most popular acts in
Las Vegas, where he sang and was a comedian, benefiting from the decade of comedy with Lewis. Martin's daughter, Gail, also sang in Vegas and on many TV shows including his, co-hosting his summer replacement series on NBC. Daughter
Deana Martin continues to perform, as did youngest son
Ricci Martin until his death in August 2016. Eldest son Craig was a producer on Martin's television show and daughter Claudia was an actress in films such as
For Those Who Think Young. Though thought of as promiscuous, Martin spent much time with his family; as second wife Jeanne put it, prior to the couple's divorce, "He was home every night for dinner."
Rat Pack As Martin's solo career grew, he and Frank Sinatra became friends. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin and Sinatra, along with friends
Joey Bishop,
Peter Lawford, and
Sammy Davis Jr., formed the Rat Pack, so-called after an earlier group of social friends, the
Holmby Hills Rat Pack centered on
Humphrey Bogart and
Lauren Bacall, of which Sinatra had been a member (The Martin-Sinatra-Davis-Lawford-Bishop group referred to themselves as "The Summit" or "The Clan" and never as "The Rat Pack", although this has remained their identity in popular imagination). The men made films together, formed part of the Hollywood social scene, and were politically influential (through Lawford's marriage to Patricia Kennedy, sister of President
John F. Kennedy). The Rat Pack was legendary for its
Las Vegas Strip performances. For example, the marquee at the
Sands Hotel might read "DEAN MARTIN—MAYBE FRANK—MAYBE SAMMY". Their appearances were valuable because the city would flood with wealthy gamblers. Their act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets and trios, along with seemingly improvised slapstick and chatter. In the socially charged 1960s, their jokes revolved around adult themes, such as Sinatra's womanizing and Martin's drinking, as well as Davis's race and religion. Sinatra and Martin supported the civil rights movement and refused to perform in clubs that would not allow black American or Jewish performers. Posthumously, the Rat Pack has experienced a popular revival, inspiring the
George Clooney/
Brad Pitt ''
Ocean's Trilogy''.
The Dean Martin Show on
The Dean Martin Show (1968) In 1965, Martin launched his weekly
NBC comedy-variety series,
The Dean Martin Show, which ran for 264 episodes until 1974. He won a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1966 and was nominated again the following three years. Martin rebelled against the idea of hosting a weekly TV series but the NBC network was persistent. To put a stop to the pressure, Martin laid down a number of conditions that he was certain the network would refuse: he wanted an exorbitant amount of money; he would show up at the studio only on Sundays; he refused to rehearse during the week, leaving special-material creator
Lee Hale to stand in for him and block the action with the celebrity guests; he agreed only to one dress rehearsal on Sunday afternoon before taping began at 7:00 p.m.; he declined to memorize any scripts, leaving the production staff to prepare cue cards for him to read during the taping; and he even reserved the right not to sing if he didn't feel like it. NBC consented to Martin's conditions. "They should have thrown them in my face, but they agreed to it all," said Martin. "So what the hell, I had to show up!" The show exploited his image as a carefree boozer. Martin capitalized on his laid-back persona of the half-drunk
crooner, inappropriately hitting on women, and making snappy if slurred remarks about fellow celebrities during his
roasts. This relaxed behavior was an element of Martin's breezing through the taping; he knew that if he stumbled over a cue-card reading or was momentarily confused by something, he could simply stay in character, cover the mistake with an offhand remark, and move ahead. Colleague Lee Hale insisted that Martin was always professional and prepared.
Les Brown's orchestral accompaniments were recorded on cassette tape, so Martin could familiarize himself with the tempos while driving to the studio. During the first few shows Martin was mostly acting as the master of ceremonies of a variety show, in the manner of popular TV personality
Ed Sullivan. "After four of five shows," recalled Hale, "the show was in trouble, and director
Greg Garrison thought that involving Dean more might cure all ills." Martin responded with enthusiasm, and took part in the guest-star spots and the comedy sketches. The show reduced the number of variety acts, leaving more room for Martin. The show's loose format featured quick-witted
improvisation from Martin and his weekly guests. This prompted a battle between Martin and NBC censors, who insisted on more scrutiny of the content. He later had trouble with NBC for his off-the-cuff use of obscene Italian phrases, which brought complaints from viewers who spoke the language. The show was often in the top ten. Martin, in appreciation of the show's producer Greg Garrison, made a handshake deal giving Garrison, a pioneer TV producer in the 1950s, 50% of the show. However, the validity of that ownership is the subject of a lawsuit brought by
NBCUniversal. Despite Martin's reputation as a drinker—perpetuated via his
vanity license plate "DRUNKY"—his alcohol use was quite
disciplined. Martin was the first to call it a night and, when not on tour or on a film location, liked to go home to see his family. Martin borrowed the lovable-drunk
shtick from
Joe E. Lewis, but his convincing portrayals of heavy boozers in
Some Came Running and Howard Hawks'
Rio Bravo led to unsubstantiated claims of alcoholism. Martin starred in and co-produced four
Matt Helm superspy comedy adventures during this time, as well as a number of
Westerns. By the early 1970s,
The Dean Martin Show was still earning solid ratings, and although he was no longer a Top 40 hitmaker, his record albums continued to sell. He found a way to make his passion for golf profitable by offering a signature line of golf balls, and the
Dean Martin Tucson Open was an event on golf's
PGA Tour from 1972 to 1975. At his death, Martin was reportedly the single largest minority shareholder of RCA stock. Martin began reducing his schedule once comfortable financially. The final (1973–1974) season of his variety show was retooled into one of celebrity
roasts, requiring less involvement. In the roasts, Martin and his panel of pals made fun of a variety of popular entertainment, athletic, and political figures. After the show's cancellation, NBC continued to air
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast as a series of TV specials through 1984.
Later career '' (1961) For nearly a decade, Martin had recorded as many as four albums a year for
Reprise Records. Martin recorded his final Reprise album,
Once in a While, in 1974, which was not issued until 1978. His final recordings were made for
Warner Bros. Records.
The Nashville Sessions was released in 1983, from which he had a hit with "(I Think That I Just Wrote) My First Country Song", which was recorded with
Conway Twitty and made a respectable showing on the country charts. A follow-up single, "L.A. Is My Home"/"Drinking Champagne", came in 1985. The 1974 film drama
Mr. Ricco marked Martin's final starring role, in which he played a criminal defense lawyer. In 1972, Martin filed for divorce from his second wife, Jeanne. A week later, his business partnership with the
Riviera hotel in
Las Vegas dissolved amid reports of the casino's refusal to agree to Martin's request to perform only once a night. Martin joined the
MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, where he was the featured performer on the hotel's opening night of December 23, 1973, and Martin's contract required him to star in a film (
Mr. Ricco) for
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. Martin also made a public reconciliation with Lewis on his
partner's Labor Day telethon, benefiting the
Muscular Dystrophy Association, in September 1976. Sinatra shocked Lewis by bringing Martin out on stage and as the two men embraced, the audience gave them a
standing ovation and the phones lit up, resulting in one of the telethon's most profitable years up to that time. Lewis later reported the event was one of the three most memorable of his life. Lewis quipped, "So, you working?" Martin, playing drunk, replied that he was appearing "at the 'Meggum (meaning the MGM Grand Hotel). This, with the death of Martin's son
Dean Paul Martin more than a decade later, helped bring the two men together. They maintained a quiet friendship, but only performed again once, on Martin's 72nd birthday in 1989. Martin returned to films briefly with appearances in the star-laden, critically panned but commercially successful
The Cannonball Run and its sequel
Cannonball Run II. He also had a minor hit single with "
Since I Met You Baby" and made his first music video, which appeared on
MTV and was created by Martin's youngest son, Ricci. On March 21, 1987, Martin's son, actor
Dean Paul Martin (formerly Dino of the 1960s "
teeny-bopper" rock group
Dino, Desi & Billy), died when his
F-4 Phantom II jet fighter crashed while flying with the
California Air National Guard. Martin's grief over his son's death left him depressed and demoralized. Lewis stated in an on-stage interview in 2005 that subsequent to his son's death Martin became a reclusive alcoholic. Later, a tour with Davis and Sinatra in 1988, undertaken in part to help Martin recover, sputtered. ==Personal life==