I originally wrote this in March 2010 on my Facebook, but wanted to share it:

For anyone who knows me (be it personally, on-line or not by their choice), they know of my obsession with Dean Martin. It is probably not healthy to say obsession, but I’m calling it what it is. I am constantly in pursuit of the next Dino gem I get to unearth, in hopes of finding something new, funny and mesmerizing I get to enjoy. I have been blessed with the opportunity to help with a podcast featuring Martin & Lewis in their radio career, I own every Colgate Comedy Hour DVD produced, I’m completing my Dean Martin Variety Show & Roast collection…I’ve read the books, have the music (digital, cd, vinyl…), the photos, movies…and there’s still more. In my pursuit of learning all I can about Dino Paul Crocetti,I have inevitably been exposed to the famous relationships he had. Starting with Jerry Lewis and ending with the Rat Pack, I have come to better understand the entertainment figure of Dean Martin. But that’s it. That is all anyone truly knows about the man. Regardless of the books, interviews or speculation, what made the man the “king of cool” was we didn’t know anything about him.

I say this because of a movie I watched today. It was a made-for-TV movie by CBS called “Martin & Lewis”. It came out in 2002, when I was still learning about the Rat Pack and Dean was making a huge impact on my music life. I got it because I found out one of my favorite actors, Sean P. Hayes, played Jerry Lewis. Most people would probably know him as “Jack” from Will & Grace. I immediately knew he would do a simply stunning Joseph Levitch, who was turning into Jerry Lewis. And I finally got the DVD today. Again, I’ve read both the book by Jerry Lewis and by Dean Martin’s daughter..so I had a pretty good mental picture of the story from one of the individuals who lived it and the daughter of the other. Obviously, CBS had a limited time-frame in which to tell the very involved 10 year relationship. The first thing I noticed: Sean WAS Jerry. He was him, down to the eyes, facial expressions, hands, personality…he was Jerry. I was very excited to see him give this role the respect it deserved. And then I knew what was coming up next.

In reading the description of the movie, the first disconnect for me was the British actor playing Dean. Dean was NOT a fan of the Brits, so why have a British actor play him? Trivial as it may be, I wasn’t thrilled. Then the actor came on the screen. He looked like he wanted to be DeNiro playing Dean Martin. Thank God they used Dean’s voice for the singing parts, but the lip-syncing was rivaled only to Ashlee Simpson. My heart sank, but then I thought: I should know better. Dean had an entertainment personality people attached themselves to; the cool-ness, the style, the voice and the smile. That’s who we knew. But we also knew there was something else…we never knew what that something else was. How can anyone, ever play a character who was an enigma to his own family? I always he “he’s just Dean.” Yes, he was. And no one else can be that. Even when we were in Vegas and saw the Rat Pack show, I just couldn’t connect with the guy playing Dean. He, just like the guy in this movie, was trying too hard to be Dean. Dean just was. The other characters played their parts so well because we knew more about them. Frank sounded exactly like Sinatra when he spoke (no one will sing like Sinatra again), Sammy has his smile, Joey WAS Joey and now Jerry was being recreated in his early career with such amazing accuracy, it was scary. So, with an open heart, I continued watching.

The movie was pretty well done, despite a few inconsistencies only someone like me would pick-up on (Jerry almost never called him Dean…it was always Paul. And how the movie portrayed their meeting was not how I had read.) It was a very abbreviated account of the creation, nurture and destruction of a legendary relationship that brought a country back from a war. It simplified the complex kinship developed thru desperation of success, an uncanny sense of comedic understanding and timing, and the ego-driven demise of their empire. I enjoyed the recreation of classic Martin & Lewis movie posters, Colgate Comedy Hour events and even situations made famous by being infamous. Overall, I am glad I bought it because of the amazing performance of Sean P. Hayes. He portrayed what I imagined Joseph Levitch was in the early chapters of Jerry Lewis’ book. He reminded me of the photos I saw of a young Jerry Lewis. And from what I understand, Mr. Lewis was quite thrilled with the performance.

As much as I want to say I would love to see a feature length Martin & Lewis movie, (Deana Martin’s book is in production for a movie to come out in 2012) I just don’t foresee it being successful. I know the talent is there to represent the slap-stick and traumatic comedy of Jerry Lewis, but I truly don’t feel there is anyone who can capture both worlds Dean existed in. Even if we don’t know much about his personal world, I have yet to see his charisma reproduced by an actor of this day and age. The problem is they would have to force something that came so obviously, effortlessly and beautifully naturally. I would would love more than anything to be proven wrong and see Dean again.