Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Jerry Fink: Martin’s story proves intoxicating

Dean Martin, who died in 1995 at the age of 78, has long been a Las Vegas icon.

Tuesday fans will be able to take a peek behind the image when "Memories Are Made of This" is released by Random House's Harmony Books ($24).

"Memories" was written by Martin's daughter, Deana, with the assistance of Wendy Holden. It will be available at most local bookstores.

In a forward to the 269-page book, Jerry Lewis (Martin's celebrated comedic partner) wrote:

"I loved reading what Deana wrote -- maybe because she bit the bullet, she was courageous, up-front, tenacious and so totally forthright."

Deana's book could be a companion piece to one written by her brother, Ricci, and released in 2002, "That's Amore."

"His story is very similar, but I have had a totally different life," Deana said during a recent telephone interview from her home in West Hollywood, Calif. "I started out in a whole different place."

Deana's late mother was Martin's first wife, Elizabeth (Betty), who is also the mother of older siblings Craig, Claudia and Gail. The couple divorced when Deana was a year old.

Ricci's mother was the actor/singer's second wife, Jeannie, also the mother of Dean Jr. (who died in a plane crash in 1987), Ricci and Gina. Another sister, Sasha, was adopted by Dean Martin.

Deana was raised by her birth mother until age 9, and then she moved in with her father and stepmother.

"It was a fascinating transition," Deana, 56, said. "People won't believe what I went through."

She said writing the book, dredging up long-forgotten stories, was both fun and scary.

"I had actually blocked out quite a bit of my younger years," she said.

Deana said when she was with her birth mother (who was an alcoholic), they moved around a lot. At one point she was left with an aunt and her mother disappeared for three days.

"When I first started living there I didn't understand living in a big, beautiful house with housekeepers," Deana said.

Deana's book begins with her grandfather immigrating to the United States from Italy and settling in Steubenville, Ohio, where Dean Martin was born and raised.

It contains many familiar names, including Las Vegan Sonny King, who roomed with Martin for several years early in their careers and introduced the two entertainers, launching their careers. King has remained a close friend of the Martin family.

Deana said her father raised his family to be levelheaded.

"We were not spoiled, it was a basic, down-to-earth childhood," Deana said.

She said her father taught the children to grow up to be independent and to take care of themselves, as he had done.

He wouldn't even use his influence to get them a job. She said he told them, "You have to do it yourself."

"I think it would have been a little better for me if he had called someone and said, 'Give my daughter the part.' But he had a tough life, and he had to do it all himself. I wasn't upset with him. It all made sense, the way he said things."

Deana still performs occasionally, but much of her time is taken up as spokeswoman for the Roosters -- A California-based organization that supports several children's charities.

And she works on the annual Dean Martin Festival in Steubenville. Proceeds from the festival help fund the Dean Martin Performing Arts Scholarships.

Deana said in a lot of ways the public image of her father was accurate.

"I'm sure he was happy with his life. He worked harder than anyone I ever knew," Deana said. "See the body of work, the movies, recordings, TV, nightclubs and stage -- he was a phenomenal entertainer.

"But he was kind of insecure about his education. He didn't think he could carry on an intelligent conversation with people. His favorite line was, 'No chitchat.' He didn't want to work that hard communicating with people."

She said Martin was a complicated man, "with a lot of fears."

Growing up in the Martin household, she naturally loved singing, dancing and acting.

"It was just in my blood," Deana said.

Contrary to popular belief, Martin was home a lot.

"He didn't like to travel," Deana said. "If he was not working on a movie, he was home almost every night. He would go to Vegas a couple of times a year, but he was home quite a bit. Frank (Sinatra) and Sammy (Davis Jr.) were the ones who partied."

She described her father's tastes as simple.

"He liked Wonder Bread sandwiches and watching TV," Deana said, "especially Westerns."

Vegas Expo-sed

It's easy to overlook the obvious, but one has to wonder why it was never done before.

Las Vegas, the self-proclaimed Entertainment Capital of the World, is a hotbed of entertainment.

There is a legion of entertainers pounding the pavement looking for work.

There are lots of entertainment buyers looking for entertainers to hire.

It took Callback publisher Minnie Madden and her associates Randy Urgola and Gina Yenser to come up with the idea to put the two groups together.

By all accounts the first Entertainment Expo at the Golden Nugget last week was a success. It wasn't huge, but encouraging enough that Madden is already planning an encore.

"The feedback has been tremendous," Madden said.

There were 44 exhibitors at the expo, mostly entertainers and producers. In a separate room was a stage that showcased different performers every 10 minutes for seven hours.

Some 500 visitors attended, including entertainment directors and others responsible for hiring entertainers.

"We'd like to see a day when we'll have a thousand booths," Madden said. "We're just getting started."

According to Madden, whose Callback publication is the trade paper for entertainers in Vegas, about 20 performers got jobs as a result of the expo.

She says she wants to hold two more expos early next year -- one for adults in April and one for children in February.

"For the one for the kids we are going to fly in, hopefully, a minimum of 10 agents out of the Los Angeles area that work with kids in modeling and acting," Madden said.

She described the expo as an extension of Callback, formerly known as Dirt Alert.

"The intent of the newspaper has always been to get people jobs," Madden said. "That's been the focus of my attention. This town growing so fast and furious people don't realize so much talent is out there."

McCain is a pistol

Young Mark McCain, son of Lucas "The Rifleman" McCain, is all growed up now.

The young 'un didn't follow in his pa's footsteps and become a homesteader in North Fork -- instead he put together an orchestra and started playing swing music.

Former child actor Johnny Crawford co-starred with the late Chuck Connors in "The Rifleman" from 1958 to 1963, after spending two years as a Mousketeer on "The Mickey Mouse Club."

Crawford's Vintage Dance Orchestra, an 11-piece big band featuring swing music, will perform for free from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. Nov. 12-13 on the 3rd Street Stage on Fremont Street.

It's all part of the Fremont Street Experience's 10-day Patriot Party that begins tonight and continues through Nov. 14. It is in conjunction with Veterans Day and Aviation Nation activities, the two-day Nellis Air Force Base/Las Vegas Air Show slated to take place on Nov. 13-14.

Saucy Aussies

"Aussie Angels," touted as the female version of "Thunder From Down Under," debuts Wednesday at the Las Vegas Hilton's Shimmer Cabaret.

Shows are at 10 p.m. Tickets are $39.95. For more information call 732-5755.

Lots of trombones

The 20th annual "76 Trombones + 4" concert will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the University of Nevada Las Vegas' Ham Hall.

A trombone choir of more than 100 will perform light classics and jazz standards.

Featured performers include Bill Reichenbach, who has performed on the soundtracks of such films as "Chicago," "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2" and "Bourne Supremacy."

Also performing will be Oklahoma University professor Irv Wagner, who will conduct the premiere of a piece he wrote specifically for the concert.

All proceeds will support the Abe Nole Music Scholarship Fund at UNLV.

Advanced sale general admission tickets to the concert are $10; tickets for students, seniors and military are $7, and are on sale at the Performing Arts Center Box Office. For more information, call 895-2787.

Vegas international

Las Vegas Broadcast Center, a radio and television news service that feeds news, sports and entertainment reports about Las Vegas to national networks, is expanding its reach into international Hispanic markets.

The company has announced that it recently began providing ongoing feeds to Radio Marti, a Miami-based network that broadcasts directly into Cuba and has affiliated stations in more than 100 markets in Central and South America.

The company also announced that broadcast journalist Renato Orellana has joined Las Vegas Broadcast Center as its lead Spanish-speaking reporter, responsible for interviews with prominent Hispanic entertainers, athletes and other newsmakers in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Broadcast Center was founded in 1999. The company also corresponds for three English-speaking radio networks that feed more than 2,000 stations throughout the United States and other parts of the world.

Comic relief

A couple of good (and inexpensive) comedy shows are on tap Saturday.

"Saturday Night Live" alumnus Colin Quinn will be a featured performer in the "Hollywood Comedy Tour" on Saturday at The Palms' The Lounge. The tour is hosted by comedians Cort McCown and Paul Hughes.

Shows are at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Admission is $25.

And hot Hawaiian comic Frank De Lima will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Ohana Room at the California.

De Lima has been a crowd pleaser on the Islands for more than 25 years with his array of characters that include "Tita" Turner, Bruce "Springroll" and Reggae Man.

Tickets are $20. For information call 385-1222.

And finally, comedian/hypnotist Michael Johns is now performing at Bourbon Street for an indefinite engagement.

Shows (described as "fast-paced, comedy club-style humor with cutting-edge hypnosis techniques") are at 11 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays.

Tickets are $39.95. For information call 737-7200.

Hail yes

"Hail, Hail Rock 'n' Roll," after completing a long-term engagement at Whiskey Pete's in Primm, is back at the Riviera.

The tribute artists' revues are at 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays at Le Bistro Theatre. tickets are $32.95 for general admission and $38.45 VIP.

Blues news

Former "Legends in Concert" featured performer Michael Paloma ("Joliet" Jake Blues of "The Blues Brothers") recently released an album now on sale at Tower Records.

The actor/singer/producer's CD, "Michael Paloma and His New York Blues," was certified gold less than one month after debuted.

Paloma is currently touring the country promoting the CD.

Worthy causes

The second annual Military Appreciation Ball will be held from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Nov. 12 in the ballroom at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave.

Black tie or dress uniform required. Tickets are $22, advance purchase only. Call 229-1515 for information.

The evening will begin with a special ceremony honoring the armed forces, followed by a buffet dinner and a dance.

Featured entertainment will be Gene White's Big Band, performing tunes from the swing era.

Early Christmas

Tickets for the "Andy Williams Christmas Show" at the Orleans Arena are now on sale.

The show will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 18. Tickets are $43 to $64.

Williams currently performs six shows a week, April through December, at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Mo.

Ad vice

Casino/hotels are becoming giant billboards.

Earlier this year Prince's image graced the side of Mandalay Bay.

Now, five 450-foot-tall Victoria's Secret lingerie models are poised to loom over the landscape at the Palms.

Their images will be recreated on the east side of the hotel tower (which should slow rush hour traffic to a crawl) in advance of the models' Thursday visit to the resort.

Krave 'n news

"The Fashionistas," the avant-garde production at the gay-friendly nightclub Krave, has changed its hours. Shows are at 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, dark Sundays and Mondays. It will be dark Dec. 12 through Dec. 29.

Also at Krave, Reichen Lehmkuhl -- actor, model and winning team member from the CBS TV series "The Amazing Race" -- will be signing copies of his new calendar, "Reichen 2005," at 9 p.m. Saturday.

Odds and ends

Tony Bennett at the Golden Nugget tonight and Saturday ... Bobby Vinton at the Orleans Showroom through Sunday ... Paul Anka at the MGM Grand through Nov. 10 ... Jay Leno at the Mirage tonight and Saturday ... Boz Scaggs at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Saturday.

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