Martini Man: The Life of Dean Martin

The biggest issue I had with this book were the contradictory statements, William Schoell's constant commentary that seems to read more of his view of Dean Martin than who is really Dean Martin. I didn't appreciate how he made it seem although Dean may have cared for or liked Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. but he didn't love them like he did Jerry Lewis. The author even said that Dean didn't know Joey Bishop at all. Yet shared about a film that just Joey and Dean together. And Joey Bishop would eventually be a regular on the last season of Dean's show and on his Roast. Joey Bishop for years have expressed nothing but love and respect for Dean Martin, so I doubt they didn't know each other. There were even innuendos that Dean was following Jerry after their break up? What on earth? I will admit this, I do think Dean did love and care for Jerry Lewis but took as much as he could since after all they knew each other before becoming successful. They made their success together and he was probably like a brother to him than his own. But Jerry since he was an only child seemed to smother him and was controlling, now that was enough. Dean seemed to be the type who has to have his space and preferred to be asked and not told what to do. When Dean was ready to move on, he was ready to move on. What he loved about his friendship with Sinatra and Sammy compared to Jerry is although Frank too, can be controlling and tell people what to do, Frank actually respected Dean when Dean didn't want to do something. It wasn't until the late 1980s when that friendship changed but in the end Frank did express his love for him and their friendship seemed to last longer than his and Jerry's. It meant a lot to Dean that Sinatra respected him and Sammy kind of took the younger brother place that Jerry once had. Sammy was never one to try and be bossy or tell someone what to do. Sammy, although was little kind of wanted or tried to be his own man, although he would often oblige to Frank. Dean saw that and I think he didn't agree or like that. I think he felt that Sammy should be allowed to be his own man and Sinatra should have respected him. As far as the whole he and Jeanne thing. In the beginning there was love there. She was like a refreshment from what he had and was going through with Betty. As time went on Dean got bored or seemed to be yearning for something else. Maybe for excitement, who knows. The love was always there for her but I think he always was the type always looking for something else or may've felt he was missing something else. Constantly trying to find it in these many other women he was getting with. From what I heard, what happened was in about 1982, after he was rushed to the hospital from a heath scare, it was Jeanne out of all the many women he had gotten with over the years that went to see him. He knew what he had done to her, how he treated her during most of their marriage and may've regretted it or at least felt guilty. He felt he awe her an apology, that was when the friendship began during the 1980s into 1990s. They remain a pack of being their for the children and grandchildren, but like always he needed and had to have his space. I mean as far as relationships goes, didn't Schoell share that in 1985, Dean was seeing porn-actress Edy Williams, so that should tell you that Dean didn't completely was dating Jeanne again. He was living alone and prefer it. If anyone read his daughter Deana's book or Ricci's obviously although Jeanne told the public and anyone who would listen she was there when he died, she wasn't. She had her yearly Christmas Eve party and thought he would be there, he didn't feel like coming. After all he never liked those parties and it is odd considering she knew how frail and sickly he was (the whole world knew that, you could see it) and plus she also knew how much he hated her parties so...I'm just going to leave that there. He may've loved and respected Jeanne but he seemed to not desire any actual traditional relationship with her or probably anyone in his last years of his life. He was dealing with too many things that had happened in his life and life by that point wasn't much to him. Jeanne knew that.

Value the entirety of Dean Martin's career.

I once saw Dean Martin in person and, to this day, think he was one of the handsomest men who ever lived (much better than he looked on-screen, by the way) so I could certainly understand women falling all over him. And I'd always been fascinated by his singing voice, his ease before camera or audience, and his great sense of humor. When he split with Jerry Lewis I was among the fans who knew he had tons of talent and would be just fine as a solo act. But I must say I was appalled by his personal behavior as chronicled in this biography. His narcissism and self-centeredness seem to have been off the boards - unconcern for feelings and neglect of, his women, children and friends seems to me almost criminal - it's a miracle to me that he remained well-liked and spoken highly of by as many as are cited in this very honest accounting. Perhaps he was just another 'complicated & troubled' entertainer, but I have to say he comes off as more shallow and selfish than anything else. He also didn't seem concerned about cultivating his intellect - watching TV Westerns and reading comic books (Yes, comic books!) was apparently his only entertainment besides bedding as many women as he possibly could, marriage be damned. I must say I found the book entertaining - but extremely disappointing regarding the man. I will never think of him in quite the same way again.

Read most of it before by his daughter and son and Jerry Lewis

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, seemed to be well-balanced, and included a lot of detail about Dean's personal life, habits, and personality, elements that a good biography must have. Until reading this book, I had no real understanding of the true relationship between Dean and Jerry. I would definitely recommend "Martini Man" to others.

Nothing new here, but it's a decent read and paints a fairly accurate picture of the coolest man ever to croon a song. Dean was great, always his own man and never in need of affirmation​ from his peers.

This book was a very good inside look at a great performer. I didn't realize just how popular Dean was after his split with Jerry Lewis. It is certainly a must-read for those who grew up watching Dean Martin.

I have read every book about Dean Martin there is including a there couple of atrocious books by his two of his children as well as the one by Jerry Lewis about his relationship with Dino (which is pretty good by the way). Martini Man is at the bottom of my list. The author does little to illuminate the subject and his constant editorializing made me throw the book on the floor in exasperation more than once. There are many very good books about Dino out there, I'd read them first and save this one for later...much later.

gives an insight into "martini man" that I didn't know much about, his early career, and why he and Jerry Lewis eventually split as there had been a lot of speculation on that subject

It seems patched here and there. Many inaccuracies, it seems copied from gossip magazines and other books on Martin rather than having written it after careful research. Martin did not take Percodan because his back hurt after a fall during one of his films. Jerry Lewis chipped a vertebra when he fell off a piano. Martin was taking Percodan perhaps for a toothache but he's not sure either. What is certain is that he was taking A LOT of percodan associated with alcohol. And according to what is written in the book by Tosches, the Percodan was sold to him by Mack Gray. Dean Martin was hiding behind a smile on his face but he was one of the most tormented men in Hollywood. And it was a lot more fun with Jerry. Together they were more fun and NO ONE, not even their own children, really understood why those two broke up. Just a lot of guesswork and no certainty. Those two loved each other. Jerry has loved Dean all his life and has always respected him, and Dean, from around 1968, when he and Jerry got along well enough to think about going back to work together, began his slow self-destruction. And the story of twenty years without speaking is just a legend. Until 1968 he and Jerry made peace several times. Maybe they never really broke up in private. Only after 1968 did something really serious happen that really separated them until 1976. A useless book. Don't spend money. The only true, precise, biography on Dean Martin is only the one written by Nick Tosches. Everything else is waste paper.

I've been listening and watching this entertainer since I was a kid back in the early fifties when hehad a partner named Jerry Lewis. This guy is very funny and boy can he sing. I try to buy all his music and anything written about him. He should be rated as "The Worlds Best Entertainer".