Valley's Own Dean Martin Dies at 78

Home , 500 Club, Artists and Models, Jerry Lewis, Martin and Lewis, Pardners

'HE INTELLIGENCER -Wheeling, W.Va. -Tuesday, December 26, 1995

AP Photn DeanMartinleft, sings alonp with fellow "Rat Pack" members Frank Shlatra,right, and Sammy Davis Jr., at a fund-raising reunion in Santa Mimica, Calif., May 22, 1978. Martin died at his Beverly Hills home Monday of acute respiratory failure, according to his agent. He was 78. Valley's Own Dean Martin Dies at 78 (Continued from Page One) bctorhecause of those two things." Hlis smooth baritone on stuch songs as "That's Amore" and "Volare" made him a favorite with record-buyers, He was one of the few non-rockers to top..41 charts-in 1964. when his "Everybody Loves Somebody" hit No.

liedescribed his singingslyle wlil (vpi(;lhliumor: "I copied Bing Cros- by I00 percent." ' Theln.lieconquered television. In 1965, N13Cfirst presented "The Dean Martin Show." a musical variety hour through which Martin ambled with customary ease, often pretending to he soused. The spontaneousappearance of (lie show was for real. Martin's contract stilpulatedthat lie would appear onlyon the day of the show and then have themost rudimcntary or rehearsals. "TIhleD)call Martin Show" was high-rated for most ofits eight years. It was followed by -rheDean Martin Comedy Hour" in (he1973-74 season and Ilhena series of celebrity "roasts." More recently. a 1992 book by Nick Tosches. "Dino: Living High in the DirtyBusiness of Dreams," portrayed Martin as an ailing alcoholic who dined outalone everynight. Vinci- his manager, countercd: "I-e loves to go out torestaurants. What liedlr.sn't like is to be with alot of lpeople or attend parties, "As far as his health is concerned. Dean is perfectly capable; his mind is all right. He simply decided last year that he didn't want to work for a while, Dino Paul Crocetti was bornJune 17. 19 17.in Steubenville, the son of an Italian immigrant barber. For the first five yearsof hislife, the boy spoke only lIlilian. Martin worked in the steelmills, fouLghtas a welterweight and at 16 delivered bootlegliquor aroundStcubherville. He also dealtcards in a gam- blingroomn behind a cigar store and hegan singing in clubs. A bandleader named Saminy Watkins hired the young singer and renamedhim Dean Martin. He eventually was booked into New York where his loose. mellow style beganto catchon. Inl1946, Martinwas booked into the 500 Club in Atlantic City, N.J. at $500 a week. Sharing the bill was a so-socomedian named JerryLewis who did a "record act" - mouthing the lyrics to records by famous sIngers. 'Westarted horsing around witheach other'sact," Martin recalled. "We'd(lo anything that came to ourminds, anything at all." t The znniness caught on,and soon Martin and Lewis were playing New York's Copacabana at $5,000 a weck. Nightclub and television offers followed, alongwith a movie contract. They starred in a string of comedies, including "At War With the Army," "That'sMy Boy, '"Sailor Beware," "Jumping Jacks," "The Stoo)ge, "Scared Stiff," "Artists and Models" and "Pardners." By the timeof their last film,"lollywood or Bust" in 1956, thetwo were(quarr-eling in print, Martin quitihe act. "I was doing nothingand I was (cnting niv heartout." he said. "I sang a song and never gotto finish it. The camera would switch to Jer doing funny things. Fverything was Jerry Lewis. Jerry Lewis, and I was the straight man, The two feudedfor years,but Lewis surprised Martin at his 72nd birth- day party in Las Vegas in 1989. "Why we ever broke tip I'll never know," Lewis said. Martin replied: "I love you, and I mean it," Lewis, 6(),was reachedin Seattleon Monday and told of Martin's death. HIewas completely shatteredan(d grief-stricken". said Lewis' manager, In(he 1970s and '80s,as Martin' s film) and television careers waned he conlinucd(o he a top attraction inLais Vegas. Atlantic City and other high- roller venutes. Onslage,le oftensipped from a highball glass, adding to his long reputation asa boozer. "I always wvatchDean Martin's show." James Stewart once remarked "just tosee if heCalls down." Sinatra and otherintimates clliried that Martin's drinking was exaggerat- ed torjoke purposes. Mar-tin himself said he never drank toexcess: "I never get drunkbecause I can't face theconsequences. I don't like to be sick." After a lifetime of good health, Martinran into troubles in his 70s. In 198, hliedropped out ofa touerwith Sinatra and Davis because of a kidney condition. In 1991,he canceled an Atlantic City engagement because of what was described asintestinal flu. Martinmarried three timnes.In I 940(he married BettvMcDonald; they divorced after nineyears and four children. His second nm)arriage,to Jeanne Ricgger, lasted 23 years before it cnded indivorce. Among theirthree children was D)canPaul -Dino- Martin, member of a '60s teen pop group Dmio Desi and Billy, and later an ;iclor("Players"). Young Martill was killed in;i National Guard jet crashin] 198 7.