BIOGRAPHY PART TWO

-----MARTIN & LEWIS YEARS----- -----THE TEAMS' BREAK UP----- -----DEAN GOES SOLO-----

It was in July of 1946, when the "500 Club's" owner needed a last minute replacement act.

 
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Jerry Lewis had worked with Dean before, and recommended him to the owner of the club, Skinny D'Amato. Dean didn't know what promises Jerry has made to Mr. Amato, and in fact, Dean had told writer Pete Martin in a interview, that he just happened to be on the same bill, and rejected the fact that Jerry had anything to do with his being there.

Nevertheless, Dean would go on first and sing, then Jerry would follow with his act. This went on for a couple of nights. After the third night, Skinny told his right hand man to ask Jerry where all of his "funny stuff with Dean" was. Well, to make a long story short... Jerry, afraid of being fired, (or worse... having his legs broken) sat down and wrote some material for the both of them to do together. When they went out the next night, things started coming together naturally. They didn't even use the material Jerry had written. They just started doing whatever came to their minds. Dean sang, Jerry interrupted. Dean started telling a story, Jerry threw things around the stage like a crazy man. The audience loved it! Word spread quickly, and within a couple of nights, it was standing room only! These two were hot!

 

 Even though they were now partners performing, Dean and Jerry were still billed separately. They would do their own routines, and join each other as a twosome in the last part of their shows.

It wasn't until January of 1947 that Dean and Jerry would perform legally as one team.

As the clubs got bigger... so did the money and things to come...

 During their ten years together as a team, Martin and Lewis not only performed in nightclubs around the country, but also ventured into radio with their own program, "The Martin and Lewis Show". the program was 30 minutes in length and was first broadcast over the NBC radio network on April 3, 1949. Also during their partnership, Dean and Jerry made 16 motion pictures together. They are perhaps best remembered for their work on television as stars of "The Colgate Comedy Hour". The show made its debut on Sunday, July 17, 1950.

For more information on these events, please cross-check our web-site's other pages such as "Movies", and so on...

Don't forget that the Dean Martin Fan Center also makes available many videos and CD's that have preserved the talents and presence that Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had as a team.

 Dean married for the second time on September 1, 1949 to Jeanne Biegger (former Orange Bowl Queen of Florida)

Over this time, Dean and Jeanne would have three more children...

 

 Dino Paul (Jr.) was born on November 17, 1951 Ricci James was born on September 20, 1953 Gina Caroline was born on December 20, 1956

Dean's recording career was now in full swing with Capitol Records. Hits like , "I'll Always Love You", "If", "When You're Smiling", "Oh Marie", "I'd Cry Like a Baby", "Sway", " Memories Are Made of This", and the ever loving, "That's Amore" are just a sampling of the monumental body of work that Dean was producing in the studio.

Outside the recording studio was a different story. After ten years of being half the team of "Martin and Lewis", Dean wanted out. The two were growing in different directions, and often didn't see eye-to-eye anymore. Dean was feeling more and more like the "second banana" to his partner. He was becoming tired of all the projects, wanted to spend more time at home, and less time filling demands made upon them as a team. Finally, ten years (almost to the date), the most successful comedy team of all time called it quits.

 

 Their last appearance together as an act... together as a team... was at The Copacabana in New York on July 24, 1956.

Dean was now flying solo. Without any time off, he went right into a movie called "Ten Thousand Bedrooms". The picture opened to lackluster reviews, and very little box office attendance. Little did he know that just around the corner, the next exciting chapter was going to unfold...

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