Biography for
Dean Martin

Nickname: Dino
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Biography
Though best known for the 51 films he made, Martin was a prize-fighter, steel mill laborer, gas station attendant and card shark before seeing the first glimmer of fame. It came when he teamed up with comedian Jerry Lewis in 1946. Films such as "At War with the Army" sent the team toward superstardom. After teaming with Lewis, Martin born Dino Paul Crocetti, became a dramatic actor and the star of a long-running television variety show. Personality conflicts broke up the comedy duo in 1957. Few thought that Martin would go one to achieve solo success, but he did, winning critical acclaim for his role in "The Young Lions" with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. A succession of films followed for the singer-actor, including "Some Came Running" with Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra. All would later be members of the "Rat Pack." Martin learned well and proved potent at the box office throughout the '60s with films such as "Bells are Ringing" and "Robin and the Seven Hoods", again with Rat Pack pals 'Sammy Davis Jr.' and Sinatra. During much of the '60s and '70s Martin's movie persona of a boozing playboy prompted a series of films as secret agent Matt Helm and his own television variety show. "Airport" followed, featuring Martin as a pilot. He also played a phony priest in "Cannonball Run". Martin's last public role was a return to the stage, for a cross-country concert tour with Davis and Sinatra. He spoke affectionately of his fellow Rat Packers. "The satisfaction that I get out of working with these two bums is that we have more laughs than the audience has", Martin said.
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Spouse
'Catherine Hawn' (1973 - 1976) (divorced); 1 stepdaughter
'Jeanne Biegger' (1949 - 1973) (divorced); 3 children
Betty MacDonald (1940 - 1949) (divorced); 4 children
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Trade mark

Cigarette and a glass of booze whenever he was doing his night club acts
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Trivia

His son, killed in the plane crash, was Dean Paul Martin (Dino).

Member of the "Rat Pack" -- Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. All appeared in "Ocean's Eleven"

Father of Gail Martin and Dean Paul Martin

Grandfather of Alexander Martin

Born at 11:55pm-CST

Interred at Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.

His parents were Gaetano and Angella Crocetti. Although born in Ohio, he spoke only Italian until age 5.

Dean had a fear of elevators and a love of comic books, which he read his entire life.

Dean's career as a boxer was summed up by him as follows, "I won all but 11 of 12 fights." He fought under the name of Kid Crochet.

Father of Claudia Martin (with first wife).

Biography from Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia:
Actor, singer. (b. June 7, 1917, Steubenville, Ohio, as Dino Crocetti.) During the time that this tall, wavy-haired singing star was teamed with comedian Jerry Lewis, he made a genuinely engaging screen personality, equally adept with songs and wisecracks. After the team's acrimonious split in 1956, his career continued to flourish through nightclub engagements, record sales, TV shows, and occasional movie roles. Increasingly, though, his sleepy-eyed characterizations became tiresome, and by the late 1960s it seemed as though he was caricaturing himself. Although Martin was capable of delivering first-rate performances-as he proved in Some Came Running (1958), Rio Bravo (1959), Kiss Me, Stupid (1964), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), and Airport (1970)-he more often gave the impression of one bored with his work, eager to finish a scene and pour himself a dry martini. He latched on to the "secret agent" craze of the swinging sixties with his campy "Matt Helm" movies: The Silencers, Murderers Row (both 1966), The Am bushers (1967), and The Wrecking Crew (1968). His TV variety series, "The Dean Martin Show," enjoyed a long run, from 1965 to 1974.

OTHER FILMS INCLUDE: 1949: My Friend Irma 1950: At War With the Army, My Friend Irma Goes West 1951: Sailor Beware, That's My Boy 1953: Scared Stiff 1955: Artists and Models 1956: Pardners, Hollywood or Bust 1957: Ten Thousand Bedrooms (his first without Lewis); 1958: The Young Lions 1960: Bells Are Ringing, Who Was That Lady?, Ocean's Eleven (with his "Rat Pack," Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop); 1961: Ada, All in a Night's Work 1962: Sergeants 3, Who's Got the Action? 1963: 4 for Texas, Toys in the Attic 1964: Robin and the Seven Hoods, What a Way to Go! 1966: Texas Across the River 1968: 5 Card Stud, How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life, Bandolero 1971: something big 1975: Mr. Ricco 1980: Cannonball Run 1984: Cannonball Run II
Dean Martin "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes" -- David Harrison Levi