Backstage at the Dean Martin Show

Rating:
Summary: This book won¿t be in anyone¿s waiting room...
Review: "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show" is a body of work with three bloodlines...

TV variety shows,talented stars, and Dean Martin. If you are a fan of any three, you will find how they mixed together through the 'heart' of the "Dean Martin Show", with the 'eyes and ears' of Lee Hale, musical director-turned-producer.

Starting his internship with the credit "Special Musical Material By...", Mr. Hale was responsible for every note that was heard on the series. He was also the one responsible for choosing every girl that provided the'skin' (Deanís Golddiggers and Dingaling Sisters), and later utilized his 'hands' at editing, which won Mr. Hale an Emmy nomination (one of many).

The 'guts' of the Dean Martin show had a lot of vital parts, and Mr. Hale tells us which ones were kept and which were operated on or replaced. Of course,the heart of the book is in the soul of Dean Martin, the body whom Lee Hale also stood in for six days a week, dancing, singing and joking with EVERY guest star that was admitted through those star crossed doors at NBC.

The whole operation was a phenomenal success and now you can see the itemized bill... from who was admitted, who paid their dues, to the life support and what led to everyone finally being discharged.

This book won't be in anyone's waiting room... it will always be in someone's hands reading it!

Rating:
Summary: This book won?t be in anyone?s waiting room...
Review: "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show" is a body of work with three bloodlines...

TV variety shows,talented stars, and Dean Martin. If you are a fan of any three, you will find how they mixed together through the 'heart' of the "Dean Martin Show", with the 'eyes and ears' of Lee Hale, musical director-turned-producer.

Starting his internship with the credit "Special Musical Material By...", Mr. Hale was responsible for every note that was heard on the series. He was also the one responsible for choosing every girl that provided the'skin' (Deanís Golddiggers and Dingaling Sisters), and later utilized his 'hands' at editing, which won Mr. Hale an Emmy nomination (one of many).

The 'guts' of the Dean Martin show had a lot of vital parts, and Mr. Hale tells us which ones were kept and which were operated on or replaced. Of course,the heart of the book is in the soul of Dean Martin, the body whom Lee Hale also stood in for six days a week, dancing, singing and joking with EVERY guest star that was admitted through those star crossed doors at NBC.

The whole operation was a phenomenal success and now you can see the itemized bill... from who was admitted, who paid their dues, to the life support and what led to everyone finally being discharged.

This book won't be in anyone's waiting room... it will always be in someone's hands reading it!

Rating:
Summary: Memories Are Made Of This
Review: "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show" took me back 30 years, when I watched Dino with my dad on Thursday nights. As a teen, I knew Dean looked relaxed, fresh and spontaneous...now I know why! The biggest surprise in this book is the stunning collection of color photographs, from hundreds of episodes of the show. All the showbiz heavies from the 60's and 70's are included. Let's face it, every man wanted to BE Dean Martin. Now we get an insider's look at the folks behind the scene who allowed "Dean to be Dean." You gotta give the Italian credit. How many of us do our jobs well with virtually no preparation! And in this era of over-rehearsed, mediocre "let's take out the mistakes" sitcoms, Dean's "show up on tape day and let's see who's on the show this week" mentality makes one wax nostalgic. I hope Lee Hale's fun book will encourage producer Greg Garrison to put Dean's variety shows (not just the roasts) back on the syndication or cable TV market. Thanks to TV Land, one can see Flip, Sonny and Cher, and the Smothers Brothers from time to time, but it sure would be nice to see Dino slide down that pole again!

Rating:
Summary: Book review
Review: Excellent but sad chronology of the end of the variety era. Very well written, insightful and seemingly accurate portrayal of the times. Worth it for the Dean Martin fan. It certainly was for me. Devoured it in a few days.

Rating:
Summary: Adding to the Dino Enigma
Review: I buzzed through this book and was completely fascinated by the backstage comedy/dramas of putting on "The Dean Martin Show." I'm still floored by a Jimmy Stewart quote on page 131 of the hardback edition: wow. Thank you, Lee Hale, for naming names.

If you were around to see Dino's shows or the roasts, this book will open your eyes to a lot of what happened behind the scenes and give you some insights into many celebrities who showed up on these stages.
And at the center is the enigmatic King of Cool himself, the star who breezed in and out only for the show's taping, kept a photo of himself with Cardinal Spellman over his dressing room bar, kept even the closest people guessing whether that was apple juice or liquor in his glass.
The more you learn about Dino, the less you knew him--and the cooler he seems for it.

Rating:
Summary: Adding to the Dino Enigma
Review: I buzzed through this book and was completely fascinated by the backstage comedy/dramas of putting on "The Dean Martin Show." I'm still floored by a Jimmy Stewart quote on page 131 of the hardback edition: wow. Thank you, Lee Hale, for naming names.

If you were around to see Dino's shows or the roasts, this book will open your eyes to a lot of what happened behind the scenes and give you some insights into many celebrities who showed up on these stages.
And at the center is the enigmatic King of Cool himself, the star who breezed in and out only for the show's taping, kept a photo of himself with Cardinal Spellman over his dressing room bar, kept even the closest people guessing whether that was apple juice or liquor in his glass.
The more you learn about Dino, the less you knew him--and the cooler he seems for it.

Rating:
Summary: What a treat to read
Review: I met Hale at a book signing here in Tacoma,WA. He is from my fine city, and I had been a Dean fan for years, so I went to meet him, and bought this wonderful book he wrote. I was great! What a lucky guy he was to have been able to sort of work with him on The Dean Martin Show. Dean would'nt show up untill taping day, and he was out of there by the time the credits were rolling down the screen. Dean was probibly the best proformer that ever walked the earth, because he just got paid for being himself. How many people can claim that? I wish Dean would have been able to entertain us forever, but all great things must come to an end I guess. This book is worth buying if just for the great pictures that there is on almost every page. I think Dean worked with just about every star of the 60's and 70's on his show. Those were very lucky stars if you ask me. Buy it, you'll like it.

Rating:
Summary: Learn more about the Dean Martin Show than Dino Knew!
Review: Lee Hale lived, breathed, and helped run the Dean Martin Show for its duration, even when the variety show was no more, replaced by the Dean Martin Roasts. Lee actually played Dino during rehearsals, so got to meet and know all of the stars that guested on his show. If you loved the show, as I did growing up, you will be fascinated by this inside look (Dino's wife Jeannie loved it, as she knew nothing about it either! )into one of the most successful variety shows of all history. A warning, however, is: don't expect to learn a lot about Dino; his manager didn't let Lee (or anyone else) get especially close to him, just small talk from time to time; the only extraordinary insight from Lee regarding Dino was that YES, that WAS scotch in his glass! Actually, Lee, an observant man, made several interesting observations of this legenday performer as he drifted away from his wife and pursued what can only be describecd as a mid-life crisis, "Rat Pack Style", which in the end, he seemed to highly regret. To wrap it up, the book was a lot of fun, its a good read; its chock full of photos of the likes of Duke Wayne, Orson Welles, etc, so you can't lose! Give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable look at Dino's TV career
Review: Lee Hale, who staged most of the musical portions of Dean Martin's TV variety shows, takes pains to explain that the show's relaxed, effortless charm was really the result of shrewd pre-planning by the production team, so the star seldom had to worry about anything. Hale takes us through these intricate logistics and the miraculous results, telling us which celebrity guests were solid professionals, and which were less so. There are a few surprises here -- one seemingly sweet and humble comedian appears to have been a Class-A jerk offstage. Hale also touches on the Dean Martin summer shows (not enough information about this two-season hit, unfortunately) and the Dean Martin celebrity roasts (which ultimately eclipsed the variety series). The text is at its best when the author describes "The Dean Martin Show" at its height; Hale's enthusiasm soars and anecdotes flow when the show is going like gangbusters. The later chapters are more distant, reflecting the author's disappointment; we never quite know why Martin went into decline personally and professionally, and the author's memory is hazy at least once (second-banana Lou Jacobi is misidentified as Abe Vigoda). Readers expecting a no-holds-barred expose will be disappointed that Hale seldom shoots from the hip; his overall tone is affectionate and restrained. Fans who recall "The Dean Martin Show" will like this book most, but there are enough show-biz tidbits and photos to intrigue the casual reader. All in all, a very enjoyable book.

Rating:
Summary: The Magic of Dean Martin
Review: This book is a great testimony to how many quality people truly loved Dean Martin. Lee Hale's book is very touching, funny, and revealing. I feel that I know Dean Martin better through this book. What really set Dean Martin apart from other stars was his understanding of the genius of the unrehearsed moment, the humor in the accidental goof-up, the unpremeditated comment. Martin made everything look so easy. He was funny without even trying; funny without being overbearing; and in this book, every time Hale quotes Dean with saying something, it is always hilarious. Hale covers so many giants who worked with Dean: Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Dom Deloise, Paul Lynde, Orson Wells whose respect Dean earned as a "right-now" type of performer. It's really remarkable that a great actor like Wells would unhesitatingly call Dean an on-stage genius and a maverick in the entertainment industry. In addition to the real classy personnel on the show, Lee talks also about the stinkers, the difficult people, and an unforgettable observation of Jimmy Stewart's on Raquel Welch; also unforgettable is the scantily-dressed dancers ganging up on and tackling a rather bashful Pat Boone as part of the Director's little jokes. Hale gives a balanced account in his observations of the good and the bad guests who came on the show. Backstage, we meet Director Greg Garrision, the man who, alongside with Hale, really put the wheels on the Dean Martin Show and made it go. Despite it's weekly triumphs, there were Women's Groups and Religious groups who criticized the show. The humor, the booze and the broads jokes, while some viewers thought there was no harm in them, others saw them as degrading; Hale talks about the pressure some of these groups exerted on the format of the show and the changes they reluctantly made. In a rather poingnant wind-up, Hale wistfully talks about the good old days when television variety shows with real singers, dancers and comedians entertained America; when booze and broad jokes were still politically acceptable, are they a forever lost medium, lost to a generation that found them entertaining? And, lest I forget, there are quite a few pages of extremely beautiful women with Dean found throughout the book.