The Dean Martin Show
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The Dean Martin Show was a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974, for 245 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by legendary crooner Dean Martin. The theme song to the series was his 1964 hit "Everybody Loves Somebody."
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[edit] Development
Martin was initially reluctant to do the show, partially because he did not want to turn down movie and nightclub performances. His terms were deliberately outrageous: he demanded a high salary and that he need only show up for the actual taping of the show. To his surprise the network agreed, and Martin had to comply.
Martin believed that an important key to his popularity was that he did not put on airs. His act was that of a drunken playboy, although the ever-present old-fashioned glass in his hand had apple juice in it. The show was heavy on physical comedy rather than just quips. (He made his weekly entrance by sliding down a fireman's pole onto the stage.) Martin took his dialogue direct from cue cards. If he flubbed a line or forgot a lyric, he wouldn't do a retake, and the mistake — and his recovery from it — would remain in the show.
[edit] Regular segments
A regular segment had him singing while Ken Lane played the grand piano; Martin often tried to make Lane laugh hard enough to break his concentration. A continual gag on the show would have a knock from the closet door on the set, Martin opening the door to reveal an unannounced celebrity guest. Often, even Martin did not know who the guest would be to make it more of a surprise. In a recurring comedy sketch Martin played Dino Vino, a disc jockey who played old records. A vintage record would then be heard, with Dean and his cronies mouthing the words and pantomiming outrageously for comic effect.
Another regular segment would be a selection of songs from a popular MGM film musical. Clips from the film in question would be shown, but Martin and the guests on the show would also sing a medley of tunes from the films. Among the films saluted were Easter Parade, Words and Music, Till the Clouds Roll By, and the 1951 film version of Show Boat.
When the show was cancelled in 1974, a series of Dean Martin celebrity roasts was produced in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel (a tradition started on the variety series' last season).
[edit] Regular performers and frequent guests
In later seasons, many regular performers were added, such as Dom DeLuise and Nipsey Russell in sketches set in a barbershop (always ending with Dean and company singing "When You Were Sweet Sixteen"), Kay Medford and Lou Jacobi in sketches set in a diner, Tom Bosley, Marian Mercer, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Rodney Dangerfield. Bandleader Les Brown was also a regular, as were Dean's chorus-girl singers The Golddiggers (including Jayne Kennedy). Some of the Golddiggers were used in another group, the Ding-a-Ling Sisters.
Frequent guests on the show included Foster Brooks and Norm Crosby, Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, and fellow rat-packer Joey Bishop.
[edit] DVD
From 2003 until September of 2007, Guthy-Renker packaged a Best of The Dean Martin Variety Show collection via infomercials and a Web Site.
In mid-2007, NBC Universal filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court claiming copyright infringement, forcing Guthy-Renker to remove the DVDs from sale. The lawsuit was in regard to misappropriated rights by the packager of the DVD series, which featured material still under NBC copyright. The trouble was discovered when NBC Universal had plans on releasing their own DVD set. Also named as one of the defendants in the lawsuit was longtime Dean Martin Show producer Greg Garrison, who had bought the rights to selected episodes for the Guthy-Renker set, but used episodes still owned by NBC instead. (Garrison had died in 2005, before the lawsuit was brought forward.) [1]
There are additionally two other lawsuits currently pending over rights to material used in the Best of Dean Martin Variety Show series. Full details and ongoing updates of all three cases can be found on the educational, noncommercial website that broke the news about these suits: [2]
The lawsuit does not affect the Celebrity Roast specials, which continue to be marketed on DVD by Guthy-Renker.
[edit] Book
- Hale, Lee. "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show." Taylor Trade Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0878331700.
