Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Martin and Lewis were an American comedy team, comprising singer Dean Martin (as the "straight man") and comedian Jerry Lewis (as his stooge). The pair first met in 1944; their debut as a duo occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24, 1946.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti, June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an Italian American singer, film actor, and comedian. ... This article is about the comedy duo. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A stooge is generally defined as a person that is under the control of another. ... Map of Atlantic City in Atlantic County Coordinates: , Country United States State New Jersey County Atlantic Incorporated May 1, 1854 Government  - Mayor Bob Levy Area  - City  17. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

They worked together in nightclubs, on radio (starting in 1949) and in television and films. The team was billed not by their surnames but by their full names: "Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis." These separate identities helped them launch successful solo careers in later years. A nightclub (often dance club or club, particularly in the UK) is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... Film may refer to: photographic film a motion picture in academics, the study of motion pictures as an art form a thin skin or membrane, or any covering or coating, whether transparent or opaque a thin layer of liquid, either on a solid or liquid surface or free-standing Film...

Nightclubs

In 1944, Martin met a young comic named Jerry Lewis at the Glass Hat Club in New York, where both men were performing.^{[citation needed]} Martin and Lewis' official debut together occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24, 1946, and they were not a hit. The owner, Skinny D'Amato, warned them that if they didn't come up with a better act for their second show later that same night, they would be fired. Huddling together out in the alley behind the club, Lewis and Martin agreed to go for broke, to throw out the pre-scripted gags that hadn't worked and to basically just improvise their way through the act. Dean sang some songs, and Jerry came out dressed as a busboy, dropping plates and more or less making a shambles of both Martin's performance and the club's sense of decorum. They did slapstick, reeled off old vaudeville jokes, and did whatever else popped into their heads at the moment. This time, the audience doubled over in laughter. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... Map of Atlantic City in Atlantic County Coordinates: , Country United States State New Jersey County Atlantic Incorporated May 1, 1854 Government  - Mayor Bob Levy Area  - City  17. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Their success at the 500 led to a series of well-paying engagements up and down the Eastern seaboard, culminating with a triumphant run at New York's Copacabana.^{[citation needed]} Club patrons were convulsed by the act, which consisted primarily of Lewis interrupting and heckling Martin while he was trying to sing, and ultimately the two of them chasing each other around the stage and having as much fun as possible. The secret, they have both said^{[citation needed]}, is that they essentially ignored the audience and played to one another. Aerial view of Copacabana from the Sugarloaf Mountain For other uses, see Copacabana (disambiguation). ...

Radio and television

A radio series commenced in 1949, the same year that Martin and Lewis were signed by Paramount producer Hal Wallis as comedy relief for the film My Friend Irma. Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Hal B. Wallis (September 14, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American motion picture producer. ... Marie Wilson as Irma My Friend Irma, created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard, was a top-rated, long-run radio situation comedy, so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated to films and television, while Howard scored with another radio comedy hit, Life with Luigi. ...

Martin was thrilled to be out of New York City, a place he had developed a lifelong hatred for.^{[Who says this?]} He liked it that California, because of its earthquakes, had few tall buildings. Suffering as he did from claustrophobia, Martin almost never used elevators, and having to climb multiple flights of stairs in Manhattan's skyscrapers was not his idea of fun. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder that involves the fear of enclosed or confined spaces. ...

Their agent, Abby Greshler, negotiated for them one of Hollywood's best deals: although they received only a modest $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 had complete control of their club, record, radio and television appearances, and it was through these endeavors that Martin and Lewis earned millions of dollars.

Although there had been a number of hugely successful film teams before, Martin and Lewis were a new kind of team. The fun they had together set them apart from everything else being done at the time. Both were talented entertainers, but the fact that they were such good friends on and off stage took their act to a new level.

Martin and Lewis were the hottest act in America during the early '50s, but the pace and the pressure took their toll. Dean usually had the thankless job of the straight man, and his singing had yet to develop into his unique style of his later years. The critics praised Lewis, and while they admitted that Martin was the best partner he could have, most of them claimed that Lewis was the real talent of the team and could succeed with anyone. It is worth noting that Lewis always praised his partner, and while he appreciated the attention he was getting, he has always said with complete conviction that the act would never have worked without Martin.^{[citation needed]} In the book Dean & Me Lewis calls Martin one of the great comic geniuses of all time.

After five years at Paramount Pictures, Dean Martin was tiring of scripts limiting him to colorless romantic leads while the stories centered on the antics of Jerry Lewis. Martin also noticed that Lewis was being more ambitious, playing comedy scenes for pathos and staging more of the action himself. The last straw came when Look Magazine gave Martin and Lewis a cover photo -- and cropped Martin out of the picture. Martin dutifully fulfilled the rest of his movie contract, but put less and less enthusiasm into his work, leading to escalating arguments with Lewis. The two finally couldn't possibly work together, especially when Martin told his partner that he was "nothing to me but a f***ing dollar sign."^{[citation needed]} Martin left the act at his first opportunity, on July 24, 1956 (10 years to the day after the first official teaming). Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ...

After the split

Martin's career arguably reached new heights after the team split up, as a movie actor (Rio Bravo, The Young Lions and the Matt Helm series), as a member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack (Ocean's Eleven, Sergeants 3, Robin and the Seven Hoods), and with his own hugely successful 1960s television variety series. Lewis made a succession of commercially successful films on his own (The Nutty Professor, The Bellboy) before his own film career declined in the mid-1960s. John Wayne as Sheriff John T. Chance in the opening scene. ... The Young Lions was novel by Irwin Shaw and a 1958 film based upon the book starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin. ... Matt Helm as depicted on the back cover of The Wrecking Crew, 1960 Matt Helm, a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton, is a U.S. government counteragent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary... “Sinatra” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Oceans Eleven is a 1960 heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring five Rat Packers: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. ... Sergeants 3 is a 1962 remake of Gunga Din (1939) set in the American West, featuring Rat Pack icons Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. ... Robin and the Seven Hoods is a 1964 musical film, starring the Rat Pack. ... The Nutty Professor, starring Jerry Lewis, was filmed from October 9-December 17, 1962. ... The Bellboy is a 1960 movie starring Jerry Lewis. ...

Apart from a surprise appearance by Martin on one of Lewis's annual telethons for muscular dystrophy 20 years later in 1976 (orchestrated by mutual friend Frank Sinatra) they reconciled privately in the later years of Martin's life. The 2005 Telethon on Seven Perth. ... Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of genetic, hereditary muscle diseases that cause progressive muscle weakness. ... “Sinatra” redirects here. ...

Another source^{[attribution needed]} claims that contrary to belief, the 1976 MDA telethon was not the first reconciliation of the legendary comedy team. In 1960, four years after they split, Martin & Lewis briefly reunited. Both were performing their own separate acts at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, a club they frequently played while they were together. Lewis caught Martin's closing act and Martin introduced his former partner to the audience, bringing him on stage. For about fifteen minutes, they joked a bit and sang a duet of "Come Back to Me". Unfortunately, the reunion was only a one-time thing. Later when Lewis was too exhausted to perform his act, Martin generously replaced him.

The animosity between Martin and Lewis after the split-up was legendary but Lewis published an affectionate memoir of his partnership with Martin called "Dean and Me - A Love Story" in 2006.

Filmography

See also: 1948 in film 1949 1950 in film 1940s in film 1950s in film years in film film Events Top grossing films North America Adams Rib Jolson Sings Again Pinky I Was a Male War Bride, The Snake Pit, Joan of Arc Academy Awards Best Picture: All the... My Friend Irma was filmed from February 22 through April 12, 1949. ... See also: 1949 in film 1950 1951 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events February 15 - Walt Disney Studios animated film Cinderella debuts. ... My Friend Irma Goes West was filmed from January 31 through March 18, 1950. ... See also: 1949 in film 1950 1951 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events February 15 - Walt Disney Studios animated film Cinderella debuts. ... At War with the Army (1950) Starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... Thats My Boy was filmed from December 6, 1950 through January 10 1951. ... // Events February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City). ... Sailor Beware was filmed from September 5, 1951 through October 12 1951. ... // Events February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City). ... Jumping Jacks was filmed from Decebmer 3, 1951 through January 23, 1952. ... // Events February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City). ... Road to Bali is a 1952 comedy film. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... The Stooge was filmed between February 19 and March 24, 1951. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... Scared Stiff is a 1953 comedy/musical horror movie directed by George Marshall and starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... The Caddy, starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis was filmed from November 24, 1952 through February 23, 1953. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... Money From Home was filmed from March 9 - May 1, 1953. ... The year 1954 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about the film. ... The year 1954 in film involved some significant events. ... 3 Ring Circus was filmed from February 17 - March 31, 1954. ... // Events November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts. ... Youre Never Too Young was filmed from October 18 - December 27, 1954. ... // Events November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ... The year 1956 in film involved some significant events. ... This was one of the last movies that Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin appeared in together. ... The year 1956 in film involved some significant events. ... This was the last movie that Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin appeared in together. ...

Further reading

• The Jerry Lewis Films by James L. Neibaur and Ted Okuda (Lewis is quoted throughout, including his account of the Martin and Lewis years). Jefferson, SC: McFarland, 1994, ISBN 0-8995-0961-4

Ted Okuda (b. ...

External links

• Three clips from At War With the Army, from pdcomedy.com