Dean and Me: (A Love Story)

Wow! Honest tribute by Jerry. Very fast and interesting read. If you like Martin and Lewis, you will love this book!

It's as if Jerry has kept these stories in a vault for 50 years and has finally taken them out to answer all the "inside" questions about Martin and Lewis. I couldn't put it down. It actually has SUBTLE humor (you laugh AFTER you think about what you just read), as well as some slapstick moments, and great insight into Dean and Jerry's characters and childhoods, plus stories about the Mob, and Sinatra, and everything you always wanted to know! Even if you are only interested in the world of show business in the 40s and 50s, it totally transports you there. What's strange is that part of the appeal of Martin and Lewis is they are role models for being socially at ease in America, they represented American youth in the post-war period, symbolizing and celebrating the male comaraderie of the soldiers overseas who finally came home (this is my own observation), yet Martin kept almost everyone at arms' length to keep part of himself hidden (although he enjoyed partying and acted warmly toward people on a more superficial level). They both were intensely "alone" in their youths, and mainly only had each other as young adults (plus wives and children they rarely saw), but to me as a viewer they were always symbols of outgoing, relaxed people who are never alone and always at ease. (This contrast is not totally explicit in the book but is my observation comparing the book to watching them on TV, etc.) Also, in the early days both really needed to become stars or they would have a sad life of low-paying gigs and bad hotel rooms forever. There's a great scene of Dean revealing, for the first and only time, his secretly intense determination and need to succeed after they see Sinatra at the Paramount for the first time. And there's obviously lots about the Dean and Jerry relationship. A weird effect of the book is how I temporarily started looking at everything in my life partly as me and partly imagining I am one of them in a hotel room or in NYC before or after a performance. For example, I had been sick and wondered what I would do if I had to go onstage later that day. (In the book, Jerry gets the mumps at one point, and crabs at another point). In the end the book even puts a lump in your throat, it is a moving tribute to the fascinating character of Dean Martin and to a close friendship that was needlessly cut short.

I was a bit skeptical when I saw this book, wondering if Mr. Lewis could put aside his ego long enough to give Dean his due. Perhaps time and age have softened his perspective beause this is an amazingly fine book and Lewis seems to speak honestly about the ups and downs in his relationship with Dean Martin, as well as his own shortcomings. There is a bittersweet quality to his reminiscences as well as a wistful, yearning tone. I got the sense that if he could do it over, he'd have reconnected with Dean more often before Martin died. Now it is too late for that and Lewis's sadness is palpable. The book should satisfy fans of the two, as it covers everything from their very first days working together to the rockier moments when the magic no longer held and they went their separate ways. I've read numerous interviews of both Dean and Jerry but this is the most honest and open account thus far. Admittedly, it IS a one-sided perspective, as Dean is no longer around to add his opinion. But Lewis is quite open, not glossing over the pros and cons of show business, about the overnight change from being relative unknowns to a heady life of parties, celebrity and the perks that came with that fame- adoring fans, plenty of women and their "bad boy" image that occasionally surfaced, since they could call the shots and set their own terms. It didn't always bring out the best in them. Also, as successful as they were, both partners were constrained by their roles - Lewis as the perennial clown and Martin as the singer who served as the straight man alongside Lewis. While each one highlighted the others' talents, neither one got the opportunity to fully express their other talents...at least, not until they parted. In the years to come, both Lewis and Martin would reveal that they could stand on their own as actors and Lewis seems to have come into his own particularly late in life, appearing in cameos and lead roles in some excellent movies. It is unfortunate that they could't succeed in their separate careers while maintaining a close friendship. But they could not...at least, not until Martin appeared on one of the annual telethons hosted by Lewis. It was a bit awkward but the affection between the two was clear. This book fills in the blanks and details up until that moment - and even beyond.

I am not a professional reviewer, but on this book, DEAN AND ME (A Love Story), I am compelled to speak up! Having loved the comedy of Martin and Lewis all my life, I bought this book the very day it was released and enjoyed reading it so much that I am already reading it for the second time. (This is NOT like me!) Oh, it is not great literature, to be sure, but, my oh my, it is a wonderful story! And it really is a love story... It is a story of two regular guys who achieved the great American dream. It is, in fact, American History. It is also the story of a deep and abiding friendship and the realization that the friendship was a treasure far greater than the achievement of the childhood dreams of fame and fortune. That is not all. It is also quite an entertaining read. Jerry Lewis, with James Kaplan's expert assistance, has written it as though he is sitting in your living room telling the story; he includes little sidebars and interesting tidbits about the times, the fashions, the mob, the rat pack, and many other celebrities. One of the most wonderful surprises of this book is that Mr. Lewis does not beat his readers over the head with the silliness we might have expected from him. He has, instead, written this story to honor his partner and the partnership and friendship they shared. He engages his readers from the first page and escorts them on a sentimental journey - from Martin and Lewis' humble beginnings and how they got their start in the big time to their infamous break up and some of what came thereafter, up to and including Dean Martin's broken heart (over the loss of his son, Dino, Jr. in a plane crash) which ultimately led to Dean's own death. Mr. Lewis includes parts of the story of their reconciliation and of their last encounter, only a short time before Dean passed away. While he is clearly not telling this as a comedy, Jerry Lewis is, after all, the consummate classic entertainer, always conscious of what this audience is feeling. This shines through in his generous peppering of the book with stories of their early years and their mischievous antics, and the predicaments into which those antics led them on more than one occasion. He recounts it all in such a way that it consistently evoked remarkably vivid memories of their hilarious routines that had me laughing out loud throughout the entire read! I cannot remember when I have had so much fun reading and then re-reading a memoir, a tribute! I never say this type of thing, but... if you have ever been a fan of this greatest of the great comedy team, do yourself a favor and purchase this book! In my opinion, you will not be spending your hard earned money; you will be investing it. It is my belief that among the benefits and returns with which you will be delighted are: the wonderful memories, the discussions, the laughs, the conversations, and the out-and-out fun it will inspire within your heart, your home, and your social circle! You may even find yourse

DEAN & ME (A LOVE STORY) is a no-holds-barred, painfully honest look at one of the most successful partnerships in the history of show business: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Dean Martin was a street-wise young Italian from milltown Steubenville, Ohio. Jerry Lewis was a gangly teenager from Newark, New Jersey when they met. Both were struggling to make themselves known; Jerry as a lip-synching comic and Dean as a singer. Who knew then that their unlikely pairing in July 1946 would take the entertainment world by storm? Dean and Jerry played off each other. Dean was the straight man for Jerry's brash and goofy antics. The two men rarely rehearsed --- they simply didn't need to. They had a sense of timing and a chemistry that their audiences saw and loved. In no time at all they went from playing to a handful of people in rather nondescript clubs in Atlantic City to the big time. Jerry always opened the act and warmed up the crowd with his jokes. Then Dean came onstage and sang a few songs. The rest of their act usually consisted of hijinks, singing, dancing and mayhem. Soon they were playing to packed audiences in famous nightclubs. If anything, their rise to fame was meteoric. Dean and Jerry made a series of comedic films and did radio and television spots. Their favorite venue was always nightclubs. People loved their fresh, somewhat wacky humor interspersed with a few romantic ballads sung by Dean. Along with fame came money. Lots of money. More money than they knew what to do with at first, though they quickly learned to enjoy the good life. Jerry handled the business end of things, and Dean was happy with that arrangement; it left him time to play golf. Their celebrity status opened many doors for them and gave them connections to such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Because of their work in nightclubs, they also became acquainted with a few Mob members. Dean loved to gamble and occasionally Jerry had to extricate his partner from rather sticky situations. Fame and fortune often have a downside, and Dean and Jerry had their share of difficulties. Dean's marriage ended in divorce. Jerry always got much better press than Dean did. The press credited Jerry as the brains behind the act, and Dean was considered "the pretty boy and lightweight." Both men had big egos. Dean became jealous of Jerry and tension built up between the two. Jerry thought of Dean as his big brother and was crushed when Dean became distant with him. Before long the press got wind of the partners' tension, which grew daily. Eventually Jerry insisted upon dissolving the partnership, no easy task since the men had legal contracts and years' worth of obligations. Many folks besides Dean and Jerry had a huge financial stake in the partnership, and ending it was very difficult. The last Martin and Lewis performance was on July 24, 1956 at the Copacabana. They had come a long way from their first appearance in Atlantic City exactly ten years previously to the da

Growing up working for an executive at NBC, I was lucky to have known Dean Martin myself. Now, years later, as founder of the "Dean Martin Fan Center", I have met and heard from so many people who were close enough to know both Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis when they were a comedy/musical team who took the world by storm. After entertaining the world for ten years through stage, radio, films, television and recordings, the public grew to love the team. Then, after a decade of burning up everything they touched, the duo became burned out themselves. Having to please the studio executives who wanted to keep the cash cow producing, their material became recycled. Martin and Lewis as individuals grew and saw beyond what they were doing. Those pressures and confining elements only led to animosity between each other, and finally wound up in divorce. As in any parting, not only did it hurt the two involved, but also their family and friends. The public was their 'extended' family-- and now each fan had to choose between taking Dean's side or Jerry's side, usually putting blame on the other partner for the breakup. The media took huge advantage of this. When I first heard that Jerry was a writing his memoirs of those partnership years, I was more than a bit apprehensive. After all, Dean has already left this world and what would Jerry say about him? Would Jerry take credit for everything? Would Jerry somehow put blame for their breakup on his partner somehow? I finally got my advance copy sent overnight from the publisher. Amazingly, it wasn't the size of the Gutenberg Bible that I expected. I finished it in one sitting, actually waiting for something I didn't like or would find inacurate to blast on about. Guess what? I WAS SHOCKED -- Shocked to find that this book is honest, sincere, unbiased and does not put either Dean or Jerry into the spotlight -- rather it lights up the stage. It is a well written, well balanced, easy to read history, focusing on the duo as a "team". Their excitement... their worries... their amazement... their ups and their downs... their freedoms and their obstacles. Jerry ties together anecdotes and facts many of us heard before, with more focus and information, to have it all finally make sense. I don't impress easily when it comes to stories told (no matter who writes them), but as for "Dean and Me : A Love Story," this is the real deal. Finally -- an honest inside look at the exhilaration and ever mounting pressures Martin & Lewis experienced, always having to please everyone around them, except themselves. James Kaplan, Jerry's co-writer, is absolutely marvelous in helping Lewis, not only get his message across, but making the reader feel the emotions inside along the way. He paints a picture with words. I would advise anyone wanting a first-hand look at Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, that this is the book to read. - Neil T Daniels (...)