Con Man Pretends To Be Frank Sinatra's Grandson

You've got to check out this article at the website of KVUE News. Here's the first paragraph from it:

Austin police say a man tricked people out of thousands of dollars by claiming to be Frank Sinatra's grandson, until someone staying at an Austin hotel didn't buy into the story.

I just had to share that with you guys. I do hope you'll read the article over at their website to see the full details about this scam. I know that con artists are all the time pretending to be the relatives or friends of celebrities (whether deceased or living). Anybody else ever heard of any such stories in the past?

Sammy Davis Jr. On Playboy After Dark: Gets Surprised By Jerry Lewis & Peter Lawford

Here is a great clip I found of Sammy Davis Jr.'s guest spot in 1969 on Hugh Hefner's Playboy After Dark television show. Sammy gets surprised by Jerry Lewis and Peter Lawford. Another star or two might appear in this clip, but I'll leave that to you to see who it is. I love this clip. It's about 10 minutes long, but it is well worth watching. I hope you will give it a shot.

I can't even imagine a show like this on television today. We don't have stars like this anymore for one thing. It has such a cool and hip style to it all. Plus I really dig all the music and banter that goes on. It would have been such a dream to have been on the set of this episode or any of the other awesome episodes. I really want to get this on DVD.

I really do hope you will take the time to watch this clip. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Cheers!



P.S. I've never been a huge Jerry Lewis fan, but I have gotten to like him a lot more over the years. I've also gotten more into Peter Lawford. While I enjoyed his role in Ocean's 11, it was really his turn with Sammy in both Salt and Pepper and One More Time that really charmed me on Peter. For those that don't know, Jerry directed these two cool cats in the latter of those flicks.

Shirley MacLaine Had A Crush On Dean Martin

I wonder what Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine are looking at. I also wonder if Dino told Shirley a joke to crack her up. She definitely has a case of the giggles.

I really love this picture. We know that these two were great friends. They played in quite a few films together, including Artist and Models, Some Came Running, Ocean's 11, and Cannonball Run II.

Shirley had a huge crush on Dino. Here are a few excerpts about her feelings for him.

From Contact Music:

Veteran actress SHIRLEY MACLAINE had a secret crush on DEAN MARTIN back in the 1940s, while the Hollywood legend was still married. The 73-year-old actress, who went on to wed businessman Steve Parker, was coy about defining her relationship with the Rat Pack star at the time, because he was married to Elizabeth MCDonald, the mother of his four children. But MacLaine - who divorced Parker in 1982 - now admits she was beguiled by him. She says, "It was a crush for about six weeks. He was so funny. We had the same agent and we would all have dinner together. He would try out his material on me because I'm a great laugher. And I would try out material on him, and Mort, the agent, would be the referee. "He was an interesting man, Dean. Totally uneducated. And then he self educated..."

From the Belfast Telegraph:

I had kind of a crush on Dean, but Jeanne (his then wife) was always around. Dean was the funny one.

Dean Martin & Ann Margret In Murderer's Row

Here are a couple of lobby cards, featuring Dean Martin and Ann-Margret, promoting the Matt Helm spy flick Murderers' Row. Enjoy!

Cyd Charisse In Dean Martin's The Silencers

Cyd Charisse passed away on June 17th of this year. I'll always remember her from The Silencers. She played Sarita in the first of Dean Martin's Matt Helm spy capers. She's only in the film a couple of times. I'm blown away by the introductory sequence to the movie. Cyd sexily struts around the stage as she lip synchs to the vocals of Vicki Carr. Wow! She was actually 45 at this time. Cyd got more beautiful the older she got.

Here's a clip of Cyd's performance in the intro of The Silencers:



Here are three photos of Cyd from the movie:







There is a clip of the entire intro scene of the movie. It's definitely worth checking out. You can click here for that clip. Embedding has been disabled on that clip so that's why I'm linking to it instead. By the way, does anyone know the name of the girl at the beginning of the number? I find her incredibly sexy. I have no clue who she is. I'm not even sure if she did anything else or not. Below is a picture of her from the movie. Thanks. Cheers!

My Favorite Tune By Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra had so many memorable songs throughout his illustrious career. These classic songs still live on today. Think about how many movies, television shows, commercials, and so forth that use his songs. Most people would probably say his signature song is My Way. It's not necessarily everybody's favorite Sinatra song, but it's the one that seems to be synonymous with the legendary entertainer. The lyrics for the song were written by Paul Anka. The melody is from a French song by Claude Francois. The song would be an international hit for Sinatra during the late 60's and early 70's. It is the song that defines who he is and what he is all about.

It is my favorite song by Sinatra. I've loved this song since I can remember. It's still a song that I cherish to this day. While I am a bigger fan of Dean Martin than Frank Sinatra, I will admit that I do love the music of Sinatra. This song always moves me. I'm turning 40 in a couple of years. I'm at that point in my life where I'm looking back at the life that I've lived so far. I do have my share of regrets. There are risks and opportunities that I wish I would have taken advantage of. I've made my share of mistakes. Some of them that I'm still paying the consequences for. I do want to live my life on my own terms. I don't want others trying to tell me who and what I should be. I'm my own man. Whether I succeed or screw up, I want to be the one deciding the direction of my life. Life is too short whether one lives to be 100 or not. There's never enough time to enjoy all that this world has to offer. Stop living the life that others might want you to live. Enjoy life to the fullest. Chart your own course.

I hope you will enjoy this video clip of the Chairman of the Board performing My Way. I know I do every single time I watch it. Let me know what you think.

Favorite Album Covers: Dean Martin In The Silencers

Here's another one of my favorite Dean Martin album covers. This is the the soundtrack for The Silencers, the first of the Matt Helm spy capers. This cover really fits the bill of what this particular flick is all about. It sets the right mood for the entire franchise. I love these wonderful spy spoofs of the 60's. Dean Martin is essentially playing Matt Helm as Dino himself. That's one of the things I get a kick out of in the movies. He saves the world and seduces hot chicks at the same time. Dino's also not above breaking into song during the movie. I really do love this album cover. Dino is one lucky dude. I'd love to be in the middle of a bed with lots of beautiful babes. I plan to cover all these Matt Helm spy flicks at some point in the future. I'll obviously start with this one since it's the first of the four. I hope you enjoy this cover too. Let me know what you think. Cheers!

Something Stupid Again! :-)

I had posted this before, but somehow I must have ended up deleting it. I guess that's what happened to it. I decided to post it again. I really love the song Something Stupid. I'm posting video clips of two versions of the song. The first is by Frank and Nancy Sinatra. The second one is by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman. I'm a big fan of both versions of these songs. I know some of you already commented on this one before, but if you don't mind I would love to hear your thoughts again. Thanks. Please let me know what you think. Cheers!

Robin and the 7 Hoods: The Rat Pack Film Becomes A Broadway Musical

Robin and the 7 Hoods is coming to Broadway. Here are a couple of excerpts from the Broadway website:

A new musical adaptation of the 1964 Rat Pack film Robin and the 7 Hoods has set its sights on a Broadway debut in Spring 2010. Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award nominee Casey Nicholaw (Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone and the upcoming To Be or Not to Be), the production will showcase the classic songs from Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen, such as “My Kind of Town,” “Come Fly with Me” and “Call Me Irresponsible.”

A Prohibition-era reimagining of the tale of Robin Hood, Robin and the 7 Hoods starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, Peter Falk and Barbara Rush, trading Sherwood Forest for a gangland Chicago riddled with mobsters. When racketeer Robbo (Sinatra) refuses to surrender his territory to a corrupt sheriff and new mob boss (Falk), Chicago's worst go gunning for him. When a surprising rainfall of illicit funds comes his way, Robbo donates the ill-earned money to a local orphanage and quickly becomes the toast of the town. As the mob war simultaneously rages on, Robbo forms an alliance with the orphanage's director (Crosby) and a smooth pool player (Martin) and tries to come out of it all alive.

Click on the above link to read the whole article. Many films are being turned into Broadway musicals. I guess it was about time that one of the Rat Pack flicks found its way to stage. I hope it's going to be good. I've been a fan of mob movies and the Rat Pack since I can remember. I really enjoyed this movie. I hope the musical does it justice. Let me know what you think.

Have A Cool & Swingin' Weekend!

Hey there, all you cool cats and sexy kittens. Sammy wants to wish all his pallies a swingin' weekend. Cheers!

Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Make Their Debut 62 Years Ago Today!

Today was a day that comedy history was made. It was the debut of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a a comedy duo. These two rocked the house at a joint in Atlantic City on this date in 1946. They would go on to rule the box office, television, stage, and radio for the next decade. Dino and Jerry are true comedy legends. Their partnership still today brings much joy and laughter to people. I raise a toast to both of them. Cheers!

Dean Martin & Ann Margret Make Magic Together

I'm a huge fan of Ann-Margret. She's one of my favorite starlets of the 1960's/1970's. She's sexy and talented. That's a great combination. She's my favorite female co-star of Dean Martin. She played opposite Dino in the second of the Matt Helm spy capers Murderers' Row. That is my favorite movie in that franchise. Ann-Margret also guest-starred on The Dean Martin Variety Show. She's been amazing in other films like Viva Las Vegas, Kitten with a Whip, The Swinger, and many more. She's also a wonderful singer. I love listening to her music. It's never far from my stereo. I think that she had wonderful chemistry with Dean. You can tell the sparks are really flying when these two are together. There is definitely some steamy magic going on between her and Dino. I hope you enjoy the following clip of Ann-Margret and Dean Martin performing That Ol' Feeling and I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am.

The Rat Pack: When Cool Was King

The following video was created by a new pallie of mine. Check out Anthony's blog at Notes From Hemingway's Lounge.



I hope you enjoy it. I know I did. Thanks to Anthony for sharing it with me in the first place. I would love to be able to take a time machine back to the Rat Pack days of Las Vegas. Those were truly the coolest and hippest days ever!

Ocean's 11: The Rat Pack Conquer Vegas

Ocean's 11, starring the Rat Pack, was released in 1960. It was directed by Lewis Milestone (his credits include All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930 and The Halls of Montezuma in 1950). While not the first film to star any members of the Rat Pack together (Sinatra and Martin had done Some Came Running in 1958), this is the film that defined the Rat Pack. It is most certainly one of the coolest flicks of the swingin' 60's. The film highlighted what made the Rat Pack so cool and hip. It would help set the mood for an entire era.

Frank Sinatra played Danny Ocean. He's a bit of a cad, who enjoys living life dangerously. His marriage to Beatrice (Angie Dickinson) has been wrecked due to his attitude and lifestyle. With the backing of Spyros Acebos (Akim Tamiroff), Danny masterminds a heist to rob five Las Vegas casinos on New Year's Eve. The casinos are the Sahara, the Flamingo, the Sands, the Desert Inn, and the Riviera. He recruits his buddies from the 82nd Airborne Division to help him in this plot. These guys had all served together during World War II. The first part of the movie is spent rounding up all the old buddies. Dean Martin plays Sam Harmon, a nightclub entertainer who seems reluctant to join in on the caper. Peter Lawford is Jimmy Foster, a guy who is tired of living off the wealth of his multi-time married mother. Sammy Davis Jr. is Josh Howard, a demolitions expert turned garbage collector. Joey Bishop is Mushy O'Conners. I'll be honest that I could never quite figure out what he was up to. He seemed like the assistant to Spyros Acebos. The other friends all had specialities from their military service that can be put to good use in the heist. They agree to join in because they really could use the money. The heist is planned out like a military operation.

The men are split up between the casinos. Explosive charges are planted on an electrical transmission tower that controls the power for Las Vegas. The backup electrical systems are rewired so they will open the cashier cages instead of powering the emergency lighting systems. The lights go out in Vegas at the stroke of midnight as people are celebrating the ringing in of New Year's. The men deployed in the different casinos rush into the cashier cages and collect all the money. There are millions and millions of dollars there. The loot is put into garbage bins. Josh, driving a garbage truck, goes around the city and picks up the bags.

The plan seems to go off with a hitch. Of course, we know that can't be the case. Crime usually never pays in the movies. One of the men has a heart attack and dies out on the Vegas Strip. The casinos also make a deal with Duke Santos (played by Cesar Romero, who deliciously chews up the scenery). Santos is a reformed ganster, who is engaged to Jimmy's mother. He has his suspicions of who might be behind the crime. He knows that Jimmy and his pallies are really in Vegas, when they supposedly were going to be away somewhere else. I won't spoil the rest of the movie for those who haven't seen it.

Shirley MacLaine, as well as several other stars, had a cameo in the movie. She had a pretty hilarious scene with Dean Martin. While Shirley received a car as a gift for her cameo, she said that she did the part so she could spend time with the Rat Pack. Much of the film was done in the late hours of the night and the early morning because the the Rat Packers were performing at the Sands at night. When the guys are walking down the street at the end of the film, you can see that the Rat Pack is billed on the sign at the Sands. Sammy was forced to stay at a "colored only" hotel during their time in Vegas. That was only changed after Sinatra demanded that the casino bosses allow Sammy to stay with his pallies.

Ocean's 11 is one of the iconic films of the 1960's. It's the definitive representative of what made Las Vegas, Sin City itself, the playground of the Rat Pack and others with class and style. Some complain that there's not much of a plot or action in this movie. I don't think this movie was trying to be rocket science. It was a fun ride for a bunch of pallies to take. The Rat Packers were all essentially playing themselves. The movie was a great excuse for them to hang out and have a good time. All the witty banter that goes back and forth between these cool cats is worth seeing. This film perfectly sums up what it is we all love about this swingin' era. If you haven't seen it, I hope you will check it out. Any fans of this flick here? Let me know what you think.

Sammy Davis Jr. On The Joey Bishop Show

This is a clip of Sammy Davis Jr. as a guest on The Joey Bishop Show. Check out Sammy and Joey together. It's really cool to see these two pallies hanging out. It was also neat seeing a young Regis Philbin in this clip. I had almost forgotten that he was Joey's sidekick on the show. I hope you enjoy it. Cheers!

Dean Martin Lays The Smack Down

Tomorrow I'll be taking a look at the Rat Pack classic Ocean's 11. I hope you will definitely check out that post and leave me some comments on it. It's one of my favorite films of the 1960's. It truly defines what made the Rat Pack so cool and hip. Here's an awesome pic of Dino goofing around with Sammy, while Peter and Joey are looking on. I'm sure that many of you know that Dino was once a boxer. He was dubbed "Kid Crocetti."

Dean Martin Chills Out With A Hot Chick

I really love this picture of Dino and this gorgeous young chick. Dino is relaxing, with his smoke in hand, while chatting with this sex kitten. I wonder who she is. Does anyone know? They sure look like they are enjoying each other's company.

The Return Of The Rat Pack

The Rat Pack return from that big casino in the sky to do one more show. That's the premise of a new show running in Pittsburgh this week. This does sound really cool.

Here's an excerpt from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

According to Sandy Hackett, you can thank God for the return of the Rat Pack.

Hackett is the producer and creator of and occasional performer in "The Rat Pack Is Back!" -- a musical and comedic tribute to show business legends Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Dean Martin.

The show, which begins an eight-performance run Tuesday at Heinz Hall, reprises the music, laughter and personalities that made The Rat Pack a signature part of 1960s pop culture.

Only, rather than returning audiences to an evening in the 1960s at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, Hackett brings the quartet of performers into our own era for one more appearance.

Click on that link to read the entire article. This does sound like a really cool and interesting idea for a show. It is awesome to see all the different shows that are being done around the country featuring the Rat Pack. This continues to prove my belief that coolness is timeless. It never goes out of style. So has anyone reading this ever been to a show featuring actors emulating the Rat Packers? I'd love to hear about it. Cheers!

Favorite Album Covers: Late At Night With Dean Martin

I thought I would post some of my favorite album covers from the Rat Packers. This is definitely one of my top favorites of all the great Dean Martin album covers out there. Don't you think the album covers of the past were so much cooler than the ones of today? I know I certainly think so. I don't have this particular album. I'd love to get a copy of it though. I just really dig this cover. It represents so much of what I love about Dino and that swingin' era. It definitely shows that Dino is the true King of Cool, Master of Hip, and Ruler of Randy. Do you like this cover? Cheers!

Dino & Raquel

Don't these two look great together? They definitely look as if they are having a good time. We know that the ladies loved Dino and Dino loved the ladies. The chicks don't get much sexier than Raquel Welch. I've often wondered how many of Dino's female co-stars he got to know in a more intimate fashion. These two would have been smashing together. We can see that Dino is on the cover of this magazine. I guess these two might be checking out the article on him. Whatever they are looking at, they both have smiles on their faces. I hope all my pallies are having a cool and swingin' weekend. Cheers!

My Favorite Tune By Sammy Davis Jr.

I'm a huge fan of Sammy Davis Jr. He's probably my second favorite member of the Rat Pack. He was one cool and talented man. He could sing, dance, act, do impressions, and so much more. Mr. Bojangles is my favorite tune of his. That song really moves me. It touches something deep inside. I've posted it below. Enjoy!

Bill Bennett Sings Dean Martin

I wanted to share the following video clip with you. It's by Bill Bennett of the United Kingdom, who is one of my wonderful pallies from MySpace. Bill is one talented fellow. Here he's singing Dean Martin's classic signature hit. Can you guess the song? It's the Dino tune that went straight to Number #1 in 1964. It actually knocked the Beatles, the biggest band in the world, out of the top spot. Still haven't figured it out? It became the theme song for The Dean Martin Variety Show on television. Just watch the video to find out. By the way, you can check Bill out at his page Bill Bennett Sings Dean Martin & Friends. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Cheers!

Capitol Records Loses In Fight Against Condos

From the Showbiz Spy website:

Bosses at the fabled Capitol Records building in Los
Angeles have lost their battle to prevent a developer from going ahead with a condominium project just across the street.

Capitol bigwigs feared the building work next to
their famous headquarters would wreck "echo chambers" created in the basement by guitar great Les Paul.

Artists like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin used the
fabled recording space and raved about the acoustics.

But city of Los Angeles officials have dismissed
the opposition, insisting the development can go ahead but those behind the planned condominium building must provide measures ensuring the recording studios are not damaged.

The developers have pledged to use equipment tailored to reducing noise and vibrations.

I do hope that it turns out the fears of Capitol Records are unwarranted. I would hate to think that the acoustics of this legendary studio, where musical greats like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and a host of others recorded such classic albums, would be damaged or ruined in any way. I've often imagined what it would be like to have been in that studio while Dino was there recording some tunes. If I had lived in that era, I would have taken a job sweeping the floors just to be there.

Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Make Comedy History 62 Years Ago

Looking at Google Alerts, I came across this from the AP on the website of the Star Tribune:

Entertainment highlights during the week of July 20-26:

1946: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis began their partnership as a nightclub
song and comedy act with a performance in Atlantic City, N.J. They split up in
1956.

I had almost forgotten about this. I can't believe I let it slip my mind. I will definitely have to watch a couple of their great comedy classics this week in celebration. The Martin-Lewis comedies were actually my first introduction to Dean Martin as an actor. They will always hold a special place in my heart. These guys were magical together. They had such great chemistry. Dino and Jerry ruled the box office for pretty much an entire decade. They were all over the place, whether it was on the big or small screens, on the radio, or at the nightclubs.



The Dean Martin Fan Center has a really great article on the history of the Martin and Lewis partnership. The guys are definitely true comedy legends. Are any of you fans of their movies together? If so, which are your favorites? Let me know what you think.

Happy 91st Birthday To Phyllis Diller!

I wanted to wish a wonderful 91st birthday to Phyllis Diller. I've been a big fan of Phyllis since I can remember. She always found a way to make me laugh. I still get a chuckle any time she opens her mouth. You never know what's going to come out. Here's a funny clip of Phyllis and Dino from The Dean Martin Variety Show. I hope you enjoy it.

Chris Tucker To Star As Sinatra's Valet

From Contact Music:

Moviemaker Brett Ratner is set to reteam with RUSH HOUR star CHRIS TUCKER to take the story of Frank Sinatra's valet to the big screen. Ratner will direct and produce the film adaptation of George Jacobs' memoir Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra, according to Internet reports. Tucker is slated to play Jacobs, who revealed details about Sinatra's romances with Marilyn Monroe and pin-up Jeanne Carmen in his expose. According to the valet, who became a Sinatra confidante during the crooner's Rat Pack years, the late singer was so grateful for his valet's services he set him up with an apartment in the same secret Hollywood building his boss used as a safehouse for himself and his girlfriends.

This should be rather interesting. I've never read this particular book. Has anyone else read it before? I can't really say if Chris Tucker is right for this part or not. I don't really know anything about this George Jacobs. I do wonder who they will cast as Frank Sinatra. I'm also curious if any of the other Rat Packers will feature into this film or not. There does seem to be rumors of several different Rat Pack biopics out there. Here's hoping that some of them will actually get made.

The Cannonball Run

The Cannonball Run is a wild and raucous comedy smash that hit theaters in 1981. The film, directed by Hal Needham, centered around an illegal cross-country car race from Connecticut to California. The top prize was a million bucks. Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise headline an ensemble cast, featuring Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Adrienne Barbeau, Jackie Chan, Jamie Farr, Peter Fonda, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Tillis, and many others.

Burt Reynold stars as J.J. McClure, a randy race car driver who has seen better days. Dom DeLuise plays his mild-mannered buddy, Victor Prinzim, who is a mechanic. Victor morphs into the courageous and strong Captain Chaos in times of danger. They decide to run the Cannonball race in a modified ambulance. To appear more legit to any police that might stop them, they hire Nikolas Van Helsing, an inebriated and creepy doctor, played by Jack Elam. Once the race starts, they come across a minor accident involving Arthur J. Foyt and Pamela Glover. Foyt, played by George Furth, is a government official who is trying everything in his power to stop the Cannonball race. He's an anti-car activist because of environmental and safety issues. Foyt spends the movie doing all he can to catch various Cannonballers, which leads to some pretty hilarious moments. The guys end up kidnapping Pamela, a photographer who loves trees, to act as their patient. Pamela, played by Farrah Fawcett, is at one point drugged and masqueraded as a Senator's daughter being rushed to UCLA for emergency medical care.

Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. are partners in the movie. Dino plays Jamie Blake, a former race car driver. Sammy plays con artist Morris Fenderbaum. They disguise themselves as Catholic priests, while driving a red Ferrari in the race. Some of the funniest lines in the film come from the womanizing lush Father Dino as he's flirting with any beautiful girl he comes across. He tells someone that he's from a more liberal wing of the Church. He also complains that if he was a Methodist then he would be getting laid that night. Dino and Sammy practically steal this movie. I'm not just saying that because I'm a big fan. They have such wonderful chemistry, working well off one another. The teams of McClure/Prinzim and Blake/Fenderbaum are always trying to one up each other. When Blake is supposedly blessing the ambulance and its occupants, Fenderbaum is letting the air out of the tires. J.J. and Victor get their revenge by informing the police that the two are flashing perverts. Later on during a heated moment of name calling, Sammy's Fenderbaum gets called a "chocolate monk."

Roger Moore plays the character of Seymour Goldfarb, Jr. , who is a parody of himself and James Bond. The Jewish Goldfarb, an heir to the family's girdle fortune, pretends to be Roger Moore. He, of course, displays many Bondish qualities in the way he acts. He even drives an Aston Martin as his race car, using Bond-styled gadgetry to elude the authorities, etc. Besides the scene when Seymour's mother confronts him about pretending to be a goy actor, another funny scene is when one of the girls riding with him mistakes Goldfarb for George Hamilton, but not Roger Moore. After this film was released, it's rumored that Bond producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli made Moore sign a contract forbidding him to spoof or refer to 007 in any non-Bond film.

Some of the other Cannonballers are worth mentioning here as well. Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman are the Lamborghini babes, Marcie and Jill. The girls, clad in tight Spandex race suits, unzipped enough to show off some sexy cleavage to any cops who might stop them. This did, however, backfire on them once when they are stopped by a female police officer. Jackie Chan plays Jackie Chan, the Japanese driver of a Subaru, packed with computers and high-tech gadgets. Michael Yui plays the Subaru's engineer and navigator. They are able to cut the Subaru's headlights out and drive in the dark. One of the coolest scenes in the movie is a big fight scene involving a biker gang, which is led by Peter Fonda. Jackie's martial art skills are on fine display here. Captain Chaos is pretty funny in this scene as he whips some biker ass. Jamie Farr plays Sheik Abdul Ben Falafel, a wealthy Arab oil baron. He races a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. Terry Bradshaw and Mel Tillis play Terry and Mel, a couple of rednecks who race a Hawaiian Tropic Chevy Malibu stock car. There are more Cannonballers, but these are some of the more popular ones featured in the movie.

So who wins the Cannonball race in the end? I'm sure not going to tell you that if you haven't seen it. Rent it and see for yourself. There was a sequel in 1984 that featured much of the cast from the first movie. I've heard mixed reaction from fans about the sequel. While I do think it's inferior in many ways to the first one, it's still a pretty enjoyable movie. It's got some good laughs and action, especially from Dino and Sammy. It's also got quite a few new additions to the cast, such as Ricardo Montalban, Shirley MacLaine, Marilu Henner, Telly Savalas, Charles Nelson Reilly, Doug McClure, Catherine Bach, Susan Anton, Tony Danza, Frank Sinatra, and several others. I would recommend it, but it's not the cult classic that the first one is to me.

Is The Cannonball Run a high brow film that should have won lots of Oscars? Of course, it isn't in the least. Most critics hated this move and savaged it in reviews. Do we really care what the critics think? I know I don't give a flip what some stuffed shirt elitist thinks of this fan favorite. This movie doesn't take itself too seriously. The various stars here are collecting a paycheck, while having lots of fun doing it. It's got fast cars, hot babes, lots of action, funny gags, and so on. It's great escapist fun for a little over 90 minutes. I loved this movie as a kid, and you know what, I still love it as an adult. Watching this movie always reminds me of all these stars that I remember seeing in movies, tv shows, and games shows when I was a kid. There is so much great chemistry going on here. The two teams of Burt/Dom and Dino/Sammy are fantastic in any scene they are in. They work well off one another. It's really fun when all four of these guys on are screen at the same time. Besides these four guys, the movie belongs to Roger Moore. While never my favorite 007, Moore does a good job parodying himself and Bond in this movie. He is quite good at more lighthearted comedy.

This movie also featured bloopers during the closing credits. Director Hal Needham had already done this with movies, such as Smokey and the Bandit, which also starred Burt Reynolds. Jackie Chan was inspired to do this in the closing credits of most of his movies. The movie looks like it was a blast to make, plus I know it's a blast to watch. It's one of the best fun flicks of the 80's. If you've never seen this movie before, you definitely need to give it a rent. If you've got any sense of humor at all, you'll get quite a few chuckles out of watching it. If you've watched this before, you might want to give it another viewing. I know that I'm itching to pop it in again. Put the pedal to the metal, but watch out for those boys in blue.

Dino & Nancy Duet On Things

I'm a huge Nancy Sinatra fan. She's one of my favorite female entertainers of the 60's/70's. She's beautiful and talented. I love her music and her movies. I've sent the following video clip to many of my pallies over at The Dino Lounge on MySpace (check me out there if you haven't). I thought I would share it here as well. These two make a really good-looking couple, plus I really love their version of Things. Enjoy!

Welcome To My World!

Hey pallies! Welcome to the Dino Lounge. I wanted to do a blog devoted to Dean Martin, the King of Cool himself, and his pallies in the Rat Pack. They are the coolest cats of all time. These dudes oozed more cool than any of us mere mortals could ever dream of. What was cool 45 years ago is still cool today. You know why? Coolness is timeless. It never goes out of style. I thought to start off my blog that I would share one of my favorite Dino tunes with you guys. It's Dino singing Welcome To My World. This video clip comes from The Dean Martin Variety Show, which was Dino's very popular variety show that ruled Thursday nights for almost a decade. There's not a more perfect song to launch my new blog with. Welcome to Dino's world. Just imagine what a cool and hip world that would truly be. I plan to post a variety of entries concerning Dino and the rest of the Rat Pack. I want this blog to reflect how these guys enjoyed the pleasures of life and lived life to the ultimate fullest possible. I hope you will dig what I do here, becoming faithful and loyal readers in the process. Please always feel free to leave me comments on my various postings. I really look forward to reading what you have to say. Thanks so much. Cheers!