Dean Martin (1917-1995)

DEAN MARTIN (1917-1995)

Birth Name: Dino Paul Crocetti Place of Birth: Steubenville, Ohio

Career Highlights: Though Martin, the son of an Italian immigrant, did not speak English until he started school, he went on to become one of the most successful singers, actors, and television stars of the postwar world. Martin’s big break in show business came when he teamed up with comedian Jerry Lewis in 1946; the two would go on to make 17 movies together between 1949 and 1956. His first big hit as a recording artist came with “That’s Amore” in 1953, which hit No. 2 on the pop charts. Martin went on to become a successful Las Vegas performer as part of the “Rat Pack,” which included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., and hosted his own television variety show, “The Dean Martin Show,” which ran for nearly ten years on NBC. Through it all, Martin was known as a dashing and sophisticated performer; his daughter has said that Elvis Presley told her, “They call me the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll. But your dad is the king of cool.’”

Recording: “That’s Amore” (1953)

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Questions to Consider:

 What image does Martin present in the picture above?  Why do you think Martin changed his name when he entered show business?  What does Martin’s success as both an actor and singer suggest about attitudes toward Italian-Americans in the postwar period?  How did television and movies help advance Martin’s career?  How would being perceived as “cool” help advance a performer’s career?  What is the overall theme of “That’s Amore”? Would only Italian-Americans have been interested in listening to this song? Why do you think it was so successful?

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