pop culture

This is a must read for any admirer of all those great television variety shows, as well as the many fans of Rat Packer Dean Martin. The ONLY book written by anyone who EVEN MET Dean Martin, author Lee Hale spent nearly two decades with him as musical director and later his producer. Aptly titled, "Backstage at the Dean Martin Show" is an exciting and loving inside look behind the scenes documenting this great top ten show and its star, with fascinating anecdotes of the biggest names in the business. I caught myself laughing out loud, then I would turn a page and be totally blown away by something that I didn't expect.

Mr. Hale divides his book into one chapter for each TV season, with extra ones going beyond to 'The Golddiggers', 'The Roasts' and 'The Specials', with over 200 color and b&w photos of great stars, most never before seen. The index itself lists hundreds of celebrities from Hank Aaron to Ed Wynn.

As chairman of the current 'Dean Martin Fan Center', and someone who was actually there at NBC during those golden years, I was lucky to have a firsthand look at the Dean Martin Show phenomenon, but Lee Hale uses a magnifying lens... and no one can get closer than this! It is truly a wonderful story from the bizaare beginnings to the touching end. I can't say enough!

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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!

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.