Deana Martin reflects on her dad, Dean Martin, and opens up about Sinatra, Sammy, Marilyn Monroe.

[Music] hello can you see me now oh look at you ravishing in red Hello I'm just ring it up a little bit okay now it's lovely to see you again Dina at always well are you good to have a chat now sure let's do it oh Fant we should be here with our apple cider shouldn't we as an to your dad absolutely Martinelli's that's right Martinelli's apple cider you know Christmas is not far away Dena and I guess it's that time of year when your late great father of course the legendary Dean Martin comes in even louder and larger than life because you think of Christmas and you think about your dad oh you're absolutely right it's a Marshmallow World in the wi when because Christmas you know that it's it's so Dean Martin of course it is and you know and he and you know so it's amazing that he passed away on Christmas and my grandmother his mother same time on Christmas 30 years before that you know so but Christmas is it's so wonderful we had such fabulous Christmases you know at 601 Mountain Drive in Beverly Hills I mean we're still having great Christmases because it's uh it's a time to remember what Christmas is about but I mean for me Dena Christmas Is Not Christmas Without your father's festive songs playing it's just one of those things it's kind of almost Christmas without a tree not to have Dean Mar in your house do you yourself have a favorite Christmas song of your dad's well I do love hearing him sing you know it's a Marshmallow World it does it picks me up but every single solitary song that he sang all of the songs he sang you know not not even you know Christmas songs he that voice was just so beautiful and and kind and sweet and you know and that's who he was but is it kind of Bittersweet this time of year because as you said Dena your dad passed away Christmas Day 28 years ago he was 78 um so does it have that kind of Bittersweet feeling for you the whole thing is that his presence is so much you know here you know in our home you know all of his gold albums I have all of you know have everything the Platinum all the music and the the pictures of him I don't know oh I don't think you can see the stande I have back there of of him he's he's here and the joy that he brings to everyone and to me to be able to sing those songs so a little Bittersweet but there's it's just it's it's all joy because he was so amazing and you know we go oh you know I I miss him and I miss my grandmother and miss all you know all of our our friends and relatives but it's um it's just a cheerful time you know and it's uh yeah it's just great for me do you think there's some kind of Christmas connection with that is it just the ultimate coincidence or do you think Dena maybe there's something more to it well you know I just got chills when you said that because you know it's a it has to be because it was the same time in the morning you know like 3:15 you know on Christmas um and now you know I know this this is a bad joke my husband John he wakes me up every Christmas Eve at 3:15 to make sure I'm okay you know I said now John he said come on you know and that's you know that's our our sense of humor but he uh you know it's it's a it's a very special time and it has to be I'm still getting the chills when I think about you know there they were Christmas you know Eve as Christmas Day the same time it's it's magical so I know I'll be seeing them up in heaven look your father Dean Martin was larger than life in so many ways and for six decades such an extraordinary energy doesn't just vanish do you feel his Spirit around you I feel his presence and especially you know if I'm singing um the songs that he used to sing you know all those fabulous songs and one of my all-time favorite Dean Martin songs is I will I don't want to be the one to say I'm going to miss you but will it was just the way he sang it and I just got chills again so you know there's something about me every week singing these songs on you know on Friday afternoon and he is with me and as I say I have all of his you know records around me all the gold albums platinum album photographs of him and he's he's there with me I can feel him even if I'm you know doing a show out of town or something the minute I walk on stage and I know he's there with me and for me to be a able to sing um you know true love with him and watch the video sometimes I can hardly get through the song Because I that beautiful video of of us you know together and it's h it's quite something but I know he's he's he's watching over me he's protecting me and he makes me uh you know feel fantastic and so when I walk out into the audience if I'm doing that's samore and people are singing with me and I put the microphone and there and when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie and I put the microphone at then they go that's more you know I mean it's so cute and he's with me and I and I know it and it's a it's joyful for me to be able to sing these songs is there one absolute sign or one thing that's happened in your life since your father's passing that you know absolutely for sure he was there with you definitely when I was at Capital Studios when we were record recording the uh the true love I had my dad's chart you know that Cole Porter had you know had written of true love that he had used and I'm using his microphone and Al Schmidt is in the uh you know in the booth he's the one who put the whole thing together for me now Al Schmidt is he's the engineer that put together Natalie Cole and Nat King Cole's you know songs you know they oh wow Unforgettable yes Unforgettable and so you know I was I was right there and I felt that felt my dad I started singing But when I would hear his voice in the headphones I knew he was there you were also sitting in his chair weren't you oh yeah oh I have that chair back here I don't know if you can see it behind me and to think about the people who sat in that chair and for me to uh to have it you know to touch it and all the the things that uh you know he has given me through the years and and all the memories that that people have sent to me me you know I I get so many letters and cards and and comments you know on Facebook and YouTube and everything it's remarkable what he did to the world everybody you know they smile when they you know they hear the name Dean Martin you know you think about Dean Martin you think about that music the ease of it and I want to talk about that in just a moment but for years you had an old Fab cologne bottle of your Dad's too so you could literally smell your dad every time you took the off of it absolutely it's still there up in my bathroom you know I'll never I'll never in my dressing room and there it is it's getting smaller and smaller you know it evaporates but uh you know what a what a great memory for me you know when he would hug me and I would smell the fabri you know it was just U absolutely amazing wood Hue by fabri what was the real Dean Martin like the the man that you got to know so well first of all he was very funny he could make anything funny you know that's that's how he was and he was just kind and sweet and you know he'd get up in the morning and he would go play golf and he'd be home every night for dinner now imagine this seven kids so you know if each of us had one friend over that's 14 people right there all right he and my mom they would you know get go down to the bar when Dad would come in we would know that he would come down he'd sit down at the bar with you know his little Genie and they'd have their you know hour together and they'd have their little Cy poo but I just see him walking down you know it was a sunken bar and I can see him walking down because we had the um Michelob on tap and he would get his mug and he pour the molo and then he would put it down and sit and they would talk you know for a little while and then you know dinner was hysterical because he would he would make jokes about you know everything he'd pick up the salt and pepper shakers and go there coming around the track they're coming around the track you know and everybody would you know just go where did that come from just a joyous by the sounds of it yeah no it was and um you know and we respected him so much because you didn't want to do anything bad Oh Heaven don't do anything you know bad you're gonna end up having to go into the den oh no not the den and so i' go into the den I'd sit down he'd walk in he'd open the door then he'd close it behind him you know like the tears would already be coming down and he go don't ever be late for dinner again now tell your mother I was terrible in hard on you okay okay I need go out and close the door go that was it I I haven't been late for dinner since that time I was 16 years old did he have something that he really loved Dana was there one dish that he would just love to sit down with his family too he he ate very well as you notice you know I mean look how you know he kept himself in good shape and he would like a little pasta you know in chicken or Lamb Chop or something with vegetables and salad but if he would go to lafamilia or H Da Vinci for dinner he would usually have the you know the same thing a little spaghetti with a little red sauce but one thing that he would do that I learned from him and I'm so grateful he said now Dina he said when your bread when the bread comes you're at dinner and and he said don't eat the middle of the bread take the inside out of the bread leave it on the bread plate just eat the crust and you'll never get fat thank you okay now tell me about his name he was born of course Dino Paul cretti in Ohio how did Dick Martin come about if it was now they would have kept the name Dino coet it's got a melody to it doesn't it beautiful Dino Paul cretti beautiful but my brother Craig was the only one born cretti Steven Craig cretti all the rest of us the names had been changed but it was because in those days it wasn't fashionable to be Italian heaven forbid and there was a singer called Dino Martini or something and then they said you know Dean Martin Dean martini and so Dean Martin stuck and I'm glad it did he seemed so effortlessly Breezy on stage and I'm wondering how he achieved that because our remember when we chatted once before you told me that Frank Sinatra worked on his notes on this incredible breathing technique but yet for your dad it he just seemed to open his mouth and out it all came he had that beautiful voice of course I mean he was he was blessed with that but you know he worked on it you know all through you know through his life you know he just he had it but he had that style he had that cool he had uh he had it you know and um he just he didn't want to rehearse you know he didn't like he really did not want to do that because he thought it was more spontaneous and and cuter and that's that's how he was and Uncle Frank was unbelievable he's the one who gave me you know voice lessons and things you know about breathing and diaphragms and things but you know my dad just said just make sure Dey get there on time don't be late you know know all the letters you know don't embarrass me you know what your words are you know and that's the way and he said just be your be yourself and I said well what about voice lessons singing lessons he said you want to sound like everybody else in the choir I said no he said get your own style and then you know if you need you know instruction later that's fine but just be yourself and he's the one who who taught me you don't have be perfect all the time you know on his show on The Dean Martin Show he said keep the mistakes in you know if something would go wrong he'd keep it in he said that's okay let's go on you know and the thing with these Q cards it was so cute thinking of Christmas now and I think about it because his crew on The Dean Martin you know the best show ever uh they would you know try and mess him up a little bit and so I remember this one time you'll see him he's singing it's a Christmas show and he's going Leon Leon he said wait a minute turn that around oh Noel Noel you know so it was he made it he made it fun and funny and you know I mean just and that's who he was that's he was just he was great well of course it was Elvis Presley I think who dubbed him king of cool what was it about your father that made him so cool what was that cool Factor thing well first of all he dressed very well you know what I mean he always looked good and um you know so his you know his suits were tailored perfectly and he he got that from my grandmother because my grandmother Angela she was a seamstress and she would make she made sure that everybody's clothes fit perfectly so he got that style from her but um there was just something easy about him he was likable he was nice uh you know people wouldn't push him too far he he was just he was easy and he did have that cool thing and it was that voice and it was his sense of humor and people loved him they said you know if I saw him on the street I bet I could walk up to him and say hi they wouldn't do that with Frank and NRA because you know I mean it's just they didn't have that same feeling Frank Sinatra was unbelievable he was my dear Uncle Frank and what a voice and what an actor I mean he was fantastic but there was something that was so sweet about my dad that uh and it was it was cool it was and I can't I can't even explain it but he just had it and Elvis Presley of course had long said that your father was his favorite singer I mean that must just make you feel even prouder if that's possible it absolutely does you know they recorded a lot of the same songs and you know I you know of course when I met you know Elvis the first time when I was nine and he told me you know my dad was the king of cool you know I would go see him in Vegas you know through all the all the weight changes and everything all the costume changes and everything and he was he was just always he was very kind and of course you know he was always kind and sweet to me but he was a he was a good guy but the way he could sing and he did love uh Dean Martin and as I say I think it was 22 songs they they both sang your father had this approachability people felt as though they could walk up to him in the streets and say Hi how are you Dean is that true did your father uh interact with fans with great ease and with a great love and respect first of all he taught all of us all of his kids he said treat people the way you want to be treated he said and then you'll never go wrong but there was something about him that was you know as I say you know kind I I I keep saying that but it's hard to put uh you know to to nail it down but there was just something so amazing and you know as I said you know he people could go up to him but he used to go to this restaurant on Canon Canon Drive in Beverly Hills and I think that one was called love Familia or lulita and he would have his own little bar you know his own little table you'd walk into the restaurant the bar was on the right and Dad's little you know I guess his little place was on the left now people would come in dad would be sitting there by himself he'd love to go to dinner by himself he just you know he was perfectly happy doing that and people would come in and if Joe Patty who was the owner if he wasn't there seating someone my dad would look up he'd see people standing there he'd get up and he'd get a menu and he'd walk he said let me show you to your you know your table and he would and people are going I think that's Dean Martin he's showing us to our table that's the way he was but people would um they would give him his space you know if they saw him you know of course people would walk over and you know say you know I I Adore You you know you're fabulous and he was kind but um they did you know they respected his and they respected his time I love the fact that your father had a side hustle as a Matra D from time to time there you go you it was I know looked he had this image of being this hard partying drunk and now I know between you me and the gate post Dina this wasn't quite true because what was in that Scotch glass when he was on stage wasn't actually Scotch was it oh Martinelli's apple cider as I said but you know what and here's here's the thing a lot of people you know he pulled it off beautifully I mean that was his thing oh you know and this oh you know I can't believe you know he could do that you know is he drunk no no not at all and in fact you know my husband and I we you know we saw a couple of the impersonator shows something and I remember one one day we went to a show and John was so upset my husband was so upset he walked up onto the stage took the glass out of the guy's hand he said what's the matter with you because the guy was you know being all drunk and everything and he said don't do that because he had an oversized martini glass and he was you know pretend was just being awful and he oh and so John took the glass away and took it down to our table and he said I don't I don't never want to see you doing that again the poor guy who was playing Dean Martin but he didn't he didn't realize and my point in in things like that is younger people when they're seeing that that's who he thought he was that's not who he was you know he was a great singer great Entertainer and that was uh that was the shick that was like Jack Benny you know being stingy or you know playing the violin so you wrote a wonderful memir memories are made of this that I have to say Dena is such a ripper read because it brims with so many really beautiful stories from the heart your childhood though you're very candid about it had its moments your mom Betty was your dad's first wife she developed a drinking problem so you were brought up by Dean second wife jeie so you know it wasn't this 100% life of sunshine there was a lot of love but there were those moments that all families go through weren't there oh yes but now things happen in your lives there are uh divorces there's marriages there's you know all all of these things happen to people there's death there's you know there's births but if you can handle it right if you if you stop and and think about it you know okay so when I was writing the book it was hard you know sitting there and I there I was at the dining room t in Beverly Hills and I had my yellow legal pad and I writing down all of a sudden I was thinking though there was a memory I go oh that was so awful and so I'd continue writing and you know my husband would come and say what's the matter I said oh you know well Dean Paul just passed away you know and so things that happen in your in your life you know so it was my brother when my brother passed away and so it's things that happen in your life that happened to a lot of everybody has ups and downs in their lives you know there's uh and but we were brought up to not feel sorry for ourselves you know none of the the Dean Martin kids were little brats and um I you know I see now a lot of children of stars they're so entitled you know and that's not the way we were brought up but thank you for saying that about my book it was really it was incredible you know writing it it was an adventure for me and what I would do is and I interviewed all of you know my dad's friends you know who would who would see me and when I went to see Patty Lewis who was Jerry Lewis's you know first wife and I had my little stenops and I would ask her questions and she would tell me things and so all the people in my life and and my dad's life and going back to Stubenville Ohio and interviewing all these people I found out a lot a lot more information about my dad and his life and where he grew up it's so deliciously candid as well you really feel as though you're there with you as you're telling these extraordinary stories but I mean you went to school with the likes of Tina Sinatra and Desi Ares and you know Lucy anes uh so I mean for you I guess Showbiz was always part of the DNA wasn't it right back from day dot absolutely true and I was so grateful that you know that my that my mom you know Betty She made sure that we had you know dance lessons at you know ballet lessons piano lessons whatever it was so that we could you know be the best that we could be which is very very nice you know and that's that really helped me in in my life and of course she always wanted us to get into you know if there was a school play or you know take music and get into sports and so we were all very athletic to keep us you know busy and to work we all had to work you know you had to work for your uh allowance and I remember one thing you know I'll never forget this is when I asked my dad for my allowance early and he said Dena and I never forget we're were standing in front of the den we didn't go in the den in front of the den and he pulled out you know little wad of money that had a rubber band around it and he took off the rubber band and he because I was getting $10 and he said nadina he took out the $10 bill and he said Dena I want you to remember this I had to make $100 to give you this $10 and I thought he had to make a $100 to give this to me he said so you have to work in your life you've got to work all all the time you know did you clean your room did you do your homework did you do all that well yes okay so we were told from an early age that we had to work for what we were going to get and you know but when he pulled out you know the the $10 bill and he said I have to make a $100 to give you this I like well I'll never forget that it puts it into perspective doesn't it you referenced the late great Jerry Lewis and of course he wrote the forward to your book Dean Martin and Lewis were the hottest comedy duo on the planet but 10 years to the day that they officially got together they split what happened Dana from your side of things what happened was you know my dad and they were they were the greatest comedy team ever and they were just they and as Jerry told me he said we had magic in a bottle and that's true they had magic in a bottle but Jerry was so he wanted to do everything you know he wanted to write direct produce you know catering you know whatever it was and it got you know for my dad it got to be too much because my dad didn't want to rehearse he wanted you know keep it light he would write things down on a you know little piece of paper his line and it just got it finally you know through the years with Jerry being the way he was it finally got up to here and you know for my dad if it got up to here it's over you know no big fight no you know nothing at you know it's it's over for me and he did want to speak to you know to to Jerry really Jerry is a genius he was absolutely a genius at what he did but he pushed my dad too far and then it was uh okay you know it's I'm it's done and they didn't speak for very many years uh so it was quite the rift um but I know that it was your Uncle Frank Frank Sinatra that ultimately had a hand in getting them back together and nobody knew that it was going to happen because we always watched the ton you know you know from the time I think you know well my dad and Jerry started the ton uh was it in 56 I can't remember what year but we would always watch the ton didn't matter if they were you know split up Jerry was always doing it and you know that tote board uh you know so it was it was amazing and I'm you know I'm sitting in New York I think I was living in New York at the time and I'm watching the ton and I see Uncle Frank walk in says you know uh I I brought someone who you know likes what you do and when I saw my dad walk out I couldn't believe it my jaw dropped oh my gosh and then the Great Line you know from Jerry uh so you're working because my dad had the number one TV show like for 10 years you know so it was uh you know and I I got chills again because they're both probably having a good time up there right now then remember Jerry Lewis wrote that beautiful book about their lifelong friendship and what Dean Martin meant to him which I think goes to show that the man really did have some enormous Integrity Jerry Lewis I'm talking about to kind of own that and to pay the respect that really he felt that your father deserved fascinating fact you know looking back over things uh you'd known Jerry Lewis as long as you'd known your dad because he was in hospital uh moments after you were born as was your father so you'd known both men for the same amount of time essentially it's true ah Jerry Lewis you know so I you know when I was writing my book and I went of course to interview you know Jerry so my husband and I went down to San Diego and we went onto his boat the Samantha after his after his wife you know he calls her Sam and so we're there we're talking and and he said you know I'm writing a book about you know your dad and me and he said it's called Dean and me a love story and I went Dean and me a love story he said oh it was he said I just loved him so much I said I know you did you know and you guys were great together because they were the greatest comedy team ever and then you look at the other dimension to your father he was part of the Rat Pack you know with Sammy Frank Sinatra it could be Peter Lawford you know Shirley mlan was part of it for a while and so forth what was the real Frank Sinatra like the Frank that you called Uncle Frank he was fantastic to me of of course you know he was fantastic all you know my whole family but there was just something uh so down to earth about him when he was around us you know and I went to school with Tina Frankie Jr he was a good friend too that was my sister Gail's age he was and then uh Nancy was my sister Claudia so we all you know hung out together but there was just something nice about you know Frank Sinatra first of all he was Frank Sinatra but he was Uncle Frank and people said well why did you call him Uncle Frank I said well because you know he was he was like an uncle that's that's what they were a like to us I wouldn't call him Frank and not Mr s or something like that he said call me you know Uncle Frank and Tina you know I was Uncle Dean for Tina and Nancy so that's it was all family Uncle Frank Uncle Sammy you know when I wore his uh tuxedo and danced around the house uh you know singing Mr Bojangles or something you know I mean it was it was great he taught me how to dance a little and um you know Frank helped me you know to to sing and then the sense of humor with all of them it was uh it was great it's hardly a surprise then Dean or is it really that you would go into the biz of show but what was your dad's initial reaction to he getting the gleaning that uh oh here she goes she's gonna be a me well you know that's true you know which which's really funny but he said uh and the same thing with h with all of his kids you know he didn't he wouldn't pick up the phone and call Lou werman and say put my daughter in your movie he said you go down and you read for the part just you know make sure you know what you're doing you stand in line you you go to the cattle calls you know I had a good Agent you know so but there was this one he would not call and uh pressure anyone into giving us uh jobs this is one thing he said you have to know your profession you have to you know study and as I say I went to darington College of Arts in England you know for drama but he um male he would encourage me but he wouldn't uh you know he wouldn't say oh no don't do it Dena he said 'if you want to do that then learn everything you have to learn about it you know rehearse do what you have to do to become the best that you can I still have great memories of you on your father's show the Dean Martin Show you were teenager singing and dancing you'd become a regular and there was just such a beautiful dynamic between the two of you what was it like to work on your father's show in such close proximity so I was scared to death and in fact I think the first uh time I was on the show with him and um in fact I had on my prom dress I think that's what I was wearing and I had my first record out and he said okay Dena you you know you're great uh you know were you are you scared and I said dad would you believe petrified and but he would make you feel comfortable he would help you and as he did with with everyone you know he was just he was kind he was that way your father made a movie with Marilyn Monroe in fact it was her last movie it was titled something's got to give and she left us partway through she passed away is this true Dena that the studio wanted to fire Marilyn because she was so chronically late Etc but it was your father who said absolutely no way that's exactly right he said nope if she's not in it I'm not in it he says you know she's fabulous and so it's going to be all right um but that's the way you know my dad was he was a friend he would uh he was it you know it wasn't just a a talk it's like the thing with Sammy Davis Jr when he was going to marry my Brit you know and it was the elections and you know and it was H Kennedy and you know my dad was pretty upset because um Samy was uninvited to the inauguration and my dad said sami's not going I'm not gone and he didn't because Sammy was with a blonde suede essentially yeah there you go and so my dad said no um Samy's not gone I'm not gone you got to know Marilyn Monroe quite well too didn't you yes I did in fact I did the twist for Marilyn Monroe with my brother at 601 Mountain drop you know Dino and I did it for Marilyn Monroe and to Bobby Daren singing up a lazy river fact I'm going to do that song this week um but it was quite a quite a life you know that I had and Marilyn was kind and and and smart Marilyn Monroe dead you think of those three words do you remember your father's reaction to it knowing they'd been working together when she passed away he was very sad and he said you know it's it's terrible that that happened he said but these things happen and there was something very calming about him it's like when we found out you know that uh Kennedy had been shot that that you know president you know uh died and it was we I mean that we were watching that on the on the news and everything and dad was you know he was a calming factor for me and which is you know he said there's a reason for everything that happens so I know a crushing moment in your life as a sister I know a crushing moment in your father's Life as a father was the plain crash death of your brother Dean Paul Martin Jr 1987 how do you ever come to groups with something like that it was very very difficult Captain Dean Paul Martin he's the one who taught me how to fly because and we would fly to um oh gosh Palm Springs which was great but you know and he loved he loved flying and he was he was very very good and then of course when my um when I met my husband who is a pilot and I'm a pilot now you know so we're and so whenever I'm in a plane you know I'm always thinking of you know my brother Dino who's said I just and when he said I'm going to be in the Air National Guard and when he said to me he said Dena don't worry when you look up in this Sky I'll be protecting you and so it was we we couldn't believe that his you know that his plane went missing that you know that it crashed and my beautiful fabulous brother Dino was H gone you know I was just and it was you know my dad I mean all of us it was just it's horrible you can't you you know you you can't imagine it yeah your dad was of course father to eight children and three have now left as we just talked about Captain Dean Jr but also Claudia and uh Ricky too have gone what happened Dena gosh you know I mean as you go what the heck is going on you know because Ricky it was you know such a a shock you know my sister Claudia she had breast cancer it's still a shock but that you know it was you know a couple years you know that that was Ill but you know with Ricky it was overnight same way you know with Dean Paul just you know like that and it's just but as I say you know there are always around us because I have all these pictures and memories and everything you know this house is filled with you know all the you know great thoughts and you know and what we used to do together but you know and Ricky was so much fun you know he really was and we would do you know shows together he had that great sense of humor you know it had to be hard for him because he was you know Dino's little brother so Dean Paul was you know so it was it was tough for Ricky but he got out there and and he learned how to sing and he would get up and he would entertain people and he was great so it's just so so sad I wish he were you know still here you know what I love from your book Dena uh just so many wonderful interesting nuggets like you danced with Jeff Bridges at one point in yes yeah he's my catian partner and we got all the awards we were good you know we were good at it there's you know there's no denying it so that was that was funny but we worked hard and you dated Davy Jones of the monkey's Fame of course before meeting the absolute love of your life oh yes my handsome husband John and Davey was hysterical you know I mean that was that was great when I did the monkey show yeah I've I've had a a lucky life and you know and people who who've come into my life you know it's just been an amazing aming experience and I'm looking forward to all you know the next few hundred years no well you married in fact the love of your life John Griffith 33 years ago and how's this fabulous you met on a blind date you two didn't you blind date on Valentine's Day I'm not kidding neither of us wanted to go but my sister talked me into it and so she wanted me to to come and we um met let me see so I it was in um at La famili in uh let's see in the valley and so you know Gail talked me into it and I said oh I don't want to go she said please I want him to you know he's a a client of my husband and it'll be good and you know you're gonna like him and of course and I said well all right now should I be you know business attire what should I do you want sexy what do you think she said oh go sexy so so 33 years ago you know so I wore a white leather mini skirt and it was Valentine Valentine's Day and a little red top and a red thing and you know big hair in the you know that time and uh I walked in and I sat down you know with Gail and then Gus brought John in and I thought oh my gosh and my sister kicked me under the table said he's gorgeous yeah we had the best time ever so it was and then we got married a year later we all love a good love story you know I mentioned earlier you've notched up some really great movie credits uh your first major Hollywood movie was Billy Young with the late great Robert Mitchum and I got to say somebody that makes my heart go boom and that's Angie Dickinson what are your memories of making that movie with those two fabulous people it was remarkable to sit there in that Old Town you know in you know doing a western you know with with them was was great but Angie was so adorable I mean she's just she's still you know good friends of you know of ours you know absolutely and she was in the uh documentary that John and I did yes being Martin King of cool and she was so happy to do it you know she really was and had incredible things to say about my dad but she was just uh wonderful and she was part of that rat pack and you know then we think about Shirley mlan and Andrew Dickinson and all all the guys they were just wonderful and they were fun to be around so strange as it Sunrise is another one with um George Montgomery y oh George Montgomery and I'm trying to figure out how could they put me with George Montgomery I think I was 22 and he was you know very old and very you know very nice you know they had me standing on a box because he was like six6 or something you know so uh it was it was funny and it was fun to do it and that was in we did it in Johannesburg and I had a great time it was a learning experience and and he was he was great so and because I went to school with his daughter Missy montg you know so it was uh quite something and Pisano the you know the movie so I've done some you know in TV of course some plays I love doing you know I love being on Broadway Off Broadway and oh of course you've done it all from Broadway to Hollywood you've recorded albums uh hosted your own TV show one of the very great Cabaret performers who worked all over the world and I've seen you in America and seen you here in Australia and you're absolutely wonderful as you say you're also a pilot you actually fly planes and you're an Oran I got to ask you this too with biopic All the Rage it makes total sense that Dean Martin should be given the Silver Screen treatment I know for a while Martin scorey had talked about one I think with Tom Hanks where are things at with a movie on your father it it's screaming to be done it really is my main problem is who could play him and I you know I'm still think thinking with Joe monia he wants to do when when my book came out he called me he said Dena I have to direct it I said what would direct what he said the movie we've got to make a movie I have to direct it I said you want to play Dean Martin he said no I want to direct it so we're still you know working on that you know and Joe is a very good friend you know of ours and uh it it just has to be right the script has to be perfect because my dad deserves that and uh you know so we're still working on something like that as far as cesi and I I don't know what they're doing but uh we'd have to find the perfect Dean Martin and that is the tall order look over Co you started something that has now become a tradition us time on a Friday you take to Facebook live and other platforms broadcasting live and In Living Color from where you are now and you provide entertainment Joy Fab abulous music for millions of people around the world well well thank you yes uh I'm going to do a Christmas show my 196 Dena Martin live wow I'm doing the Valleydale Ballroom in Columbus Ohio with a live audience and so just like I do here so I'm a little nervous about because I'll have the 18 piece Orchestra and I'll have you know Rosario will be there you know taking you know the comments because it will be live people will have audience and they'll be able to buy their own little sippy poos so it's going you know I and so you know here H you know even though you know I do it here and it's live we don't cut it you know if I make a mistake or anything but here I'm sitting I'm thinking it's going to be broadcast live everybody can watch it you uh you don't have to be in at the Valleydale Ballroom to see it it's going to come on you know at four o'clock Eastern time just like every Friday it does my 196th show so it should be very very fun you know and John will be on the music and I'll have the Rick bretto Orchestra and my music director Rick creevy on piano Eddie Maya on sexy Sachs and it'll be uh quite something that's on the Friday show then Saturday I'm doing the big uh Dena Martin Christmas show at the valley Del ballroom and that you know I'm I'm used to those things it'll be dinner and the show and that's going to be a lot of fun and what people don't realize Dan although they probably do now when they tune into you they're also getting your dad there because he'll be there absolutely in spirit won't he absolutely yes he will and you know I feel him you know with me now but he'll be there and uh it'll it'll be a lot of fun and it's perfect it's a Christmas show oh Dana Martin can I just say from my heart to yours it is always the joy to be in your beautiful company whether it's in person or whether by the tyranny of distance this way here on Zoom but you really are such a treasure all right my dears thank you very much and I'll hope to see you soon I'll see you Friday tune in the [Music] show

Channel: Celebrity Drop

Views: 26,257

Keywords: frank sinatra, sammy davis jr, shirley maclaine, dino martin, dino martin jr, dino martin jr death, marilyn monroe, dean martin

Id: V9rqkOVnnmA

Length: 43min 27sec (2607 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 12 2023