Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Some Velvet Morning

I am a huge fan of the collaborations between Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood. I really love Some Velvet Morning. It's such a beautiful song. I hope you enjoy this video.

Dean Martin As Matt Helm In The Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew, released in 1969, was the fourth and final film in the Matt Helm spy franchise starring Dean Martin. I have previously covered the other three films in their own posts, which are The Silencers (1966), Murderers' Row (1966) & The Ambushers (1967). You can check out those posts if you never read them. This film was loosely based on the Donald Hamilton novel of the same title, which was published in 1960. The book was actually the second of the Matt Helm novels written by Hamilton.



The film can be viewed as a reboot of the franchise after the disappointing box office returns and negative reviews of The Ambushers. I stated in my post about The Ambushers that it's my least favorite of the Matt Helm spy spoofs. Phil Karlson, who directed The Silencers, returns behind the camera for this film. Crime writer William P. McGivern was brought on to write the screenplay. Dean Martin is back once again as the cool & swingin' spy Matt Helm. This is the only film not to feature his luscious assistant Lovey Kravezit (Beverly Adams). MacDonald, his boss at ICE, is played in this film by John Larch. The character had been played in the other three films by James Gregory. The film has a bevy of beautiful ladies, such as Sharon Tate, Elke Sommer, Nancy Kwan & Tina Louise. Nigel Green plays the main villain in the film. He's actually one of the better villains in the franchise. Elke Sommer and Nigel Green had played together in the spy movie Deadlier Than The Male in 1967.



Count Massimo Contini, played by Nigel Green, has masterminded the theft of one billion dollars worth of United States gold traveling through Europe. He will profit greatly by the instability of the financial markets, which will pretty much collapse, when the news leaks out. MacDonald orders Matt Helm, who had been photographing and relaxing with some hot models, to take on the mission of proving Contini was behind the heist and getting back all the gold. Mac even blows Matt's cover to smoke out the Count. He's sure that the Count will make a move against Helm. Our favorite lush of a spy goes to interrogate (if that's the right word - lol) Lola Medina, a go-go dancer and the disgruntled ex-lover of the Count. Lola is played by Tina Louise of Gilligan's Island fame. Let's just say that it's an explosive meeting between these two and leave it at that.



Matt is aided, or I should say really hindered, by a clumsy Danish tour guide named Freya Carlson. She's played by Sharon Tate in one of her last roles before her tragic murder. Freya is supposed to be helping Matt get around Denmark. The character of Freya will remind viewers of the character of Gail played by Stella Stevens in The Silencers. She's very accident-prone and always goofing up something. Matt gets fed up with her constantly. She's always getting in his way. These two are hilarious together. Later on in the movie, Freya takes off her glasses and starts to dress sexy. We learn that Freya is actually a British secret agent sent to help on Matt's mission.



There are a couple of beautiful women working for the Count. Linka Karensky, played by Elke Sommer, is engaged to Count Contini. She's very calculating and cunning in her own right. Linka uses her sexual wiles to try to seduce and kill Matt Helm on several occasions. Nancy Kwan plays Chinese operative Wen Yu-Rang (gotta love these names in spy movies lol). She has a group of hoodlums under her command, plus she's the mistress of a club called the House of Seven Joys. Yu-Rang also uses her beauty as a way of manipulating Matt. You can never tell if these women want to kill him or just make out with him. There's a fight scene in the movie between Sharon Tate's Freya Carlson and Nancy Kwan's Yu-Rang, which was actually choreographed by Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris has a small and uncredited role in the film.



Matt is in a race against time to get the gold back before the theft of Uncle Sam's gold supply is revealed. The world's financial markets will be devastated by that news, which will definitely cause quite the global financial crisis. There are some really good action scenes in the movie, including one at the House of Seven Joys and Matt's assault on the Count's home. Of course, Matt Helm has his share of gadgets (such as a camera that shoots out gas) in this film as well. While I always have liked the gadgets he used, they did always seem comical and/or second rate. That's what makes them so much fun. There is plenty of sex appeal with all the sexy ladies in this film. The Wrecking Crew definitely doesn't disappoint in that department. They aren't just eye candy either in this movie. The female characters play a major part as either allies or adversaries of Matt. Plus Sharon Tate does quite a good comical job as the bumbling Freya. There are some really hysterical scenes in the movie between her and Dean Martin, especially one involving their car later in the movie. I got a good chuckle out of that.



The Wrecking Crew did have a smaller budget than the previous films. The Ambushers had not performed that well at the box office. Plus while the Bond films were still moving along, the spy craze that resulted in so many spy spoofs was running out of steam. These factors, plus the horrible murder of Sharon Tate, probably played a big part in the decision not to do a fifth film which would have been called The Ravagers. I think this film is a good way to end out the franchise. I know that fan reaction is mixed on this movie Some people enjoyed it, while others thought it was the worst of the series. It is interesting to see that Denmark (where most of the film was set) looks so much like California (where the film was actually filmed). You know what though. That's one of the things that I loved about these movies. They don't take themselves seriously. Dean Martin could probably play the role in his sleep because he's so at ease with the role. This spy caper and the previous ones in the franchise never tried to be something they weren't. They understood that they were meant for breezy entertainment. It was pure escapist fun. There's nothing wrong with that at all. There was action, humor, hot chicks, hip music, exotic locales, diabolical madmen, etc. The highlight was always the King of Cool himself. Dean Martin played Matt Helm as Dean Martin. He wasn't the cold and ruthless Matt Helm of the books. Instead he was a cool and randy fella who loved to drink, seduce some chicks, croon some tunes & fight some bad guys. I wouldn't have him any other way.





P.S. Here's a pretty cool scene from the movie featuring Dean Martin and Sharon Tate. I love this part. I hope you enjoy it too.

The Dino Lounge Will Return On Monday!

Hey pallies! Guess what!?! The Dino Lounge will return this upcoming Monday, which will be on March 30th. I actually wasn't sure if I was ever going to come back or not. I definitely wanted to take at least a few weeks to a month break from this blog. I'll be honest with all of you. I missed it already. I also had so many people contact me and beg me to keep going with the blog. I really hated to disappoint all my readers. I consider you all my friends and not just people who read/comment on my blogs. I was already missing you guys. If I wait until Monday, that gives me a few more days to rest and relax. Thanks so much for all the great comments and warm wishes you offered me in my last post. I really appreciate it. I mean that a lot. I've had so much fun with this blog. Plus it's been great to check out your blogs and become good friends with so many of you. I'll be back visiting your blogs by the first of the week. I hope all of you will return here on Monday to check out my first post since my little break. I may take these little breaks from time to time. I won't make such a drastic announcement. I really apologize for that. I didn't mean to be so dramatic. I really thought I was going to stay away longer than what amounts to a week and a half I guess. I may just let you guys know in the future that I'll be gone for a few days or whatever. Take care. I look forward to seeing all of you on this Monday. Thanks again. Cheers!



This picture comes courtesy of my friend The One & Only International Bond Girl.

This Blog Is Now On Hiatus

I have an important announcement to make. Effective immediately I'm putting this blog on hiatus. I know this might come as a shock to many of you, since I hadn't really discussed this possibility with any of my friends up here. I had been considering this for quite some time. It was a hard decision to come to.

I have plenty of material for doing posts for quitte a nice amount of time. I am, of course, still a huge fan of the subject matter of this blog. I've also been very happy, and pleasantly surprised at that, at the amount of comments I get on all my posts. Besides all the comments I do get on the blog, there are also many more people who are reading this blog. It has nothing to do with any of those things.

I think it's just that I've grown tired of blogging. This has been a rough year or so in my life. I've talked to some of you in the past about things that have been going on. I've been trying to improve my life. I've got so much work to do. It's especially not easy with the economy in the dumps. There are so many other things that I want and need to do. I just find it hard to always find the time to blog anymore. I've seen many blogs and bloggers come and go since I started this and my other blog. It's just gotten so hard to keep going all the time. I love this blog so much. I have a lot of fun doing it. I hate putting it on hiatus, but I'm wore out. I need a break. I may come back to it in the future. I know that's probably going to hurt my readership by taking a break, but I really need to do this.

I am not deleting this blog. It will stay right up here. I just won't be updating it for the foreseeable future. I do hope from time to time to still visit your blogs and leave some comments. It won't be as often as I have in the past, but I don't want to lose touch with you guys. I am going to miss doing this and my other blog. I know that I'm disappointing some of you. I apologize for that. I need a breather. I need some time away from the blogosphere to see if I can reenergize myself. I need to find out who I am if that makes any sense.

I hope all of you will understand. I have so enjoyed finding pictures, videos, etc. to post up here. It's been great to read the reaction of you guys. I always loved getting feedback. It really made me feel good to know that you liked what I was sharing up here. That meant the world to me. I made some really good friends. I'll miss you all. Take care. Good luck with your lives. I wish you all the best. Cheers!

Frank Sinatra Receives Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Frank Sinatra was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan on May 23, 1985 in Washington, D.C. Former United Nations ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick applauds behind them.



You can visit the Frank Sinatra page at the Presidential Medal of Freedom website. It includes some biographical information about the Chairman of the Board himself. I really love this picture. Besides being an entertainment legend and icon, Sinatra was a wonderful humanitarian. He truly deserved this award. I'm glad he received it.

Dean Martin & Ann-Margret Are Dynamite Together

Dean Martin and Ann-Margret look so great together.



I posted the video clip before that this picture is taken from, but here it is again.



I love Dean Martin and Ann-Margret together. These two had such great chemistry. You could really see the sparks flying between them. They definitely have a lot of fun. Dean Martin is such a cool cat. I really admire him. Ann-Marget is one hot chick. I love that sexy outfit she's wearing. In my wildest dreams, I would be Dean Martin and Ann-Margret would be my babe. A guy can dream, can't he? :-)

P.S. I did a post on Ann-Margret on my Sugar & Spice blog if you would like to check it out and leave comments there. Thanks.

The Unforgettable Nat King Cole

Today is the birthday of Nat King Cole, who was born on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama. Cole began his career as a jazz pianist and singer before achieving more mainstream success by being backed by a string orchestra. His many hits include The Christmas Song,Nature Boy, Mona Lisa, Too Young, Unforgettable & Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer. He became the first black entertainer to host a show of its kind on network television in 1956, when The Nat King Cole Show premiered. Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Eartha Kitt, Mel Tormé & Peggy Lee were among the stars who appeared on his show. The series, however, would only last a little over a year. Cole and NBC both suffered financially due to the lack of sponsorship for the show. That's such a shame because it's a wonderful show. I've been able to watch it on the BET J channel. Unfortunately he found himself the victim of countless instances of racism throughout his life and career, including an attempted kidnapping and having a burning cross on his lawn. Cole recorded all kinds of music, not just jazz or pop, but everything from country to Latin. He died of lung cancer on February 15, 1965. Nat King Cole is still a much loved and popular entertainer decades after his death. His daughter Natalie did a virtual duet with her father on Unforgettable in the early 1990's. The song was a commercial and critical success. I want to raise a toast today to the amazing Nat King Cole. Cheers!

Here are three videos featuring Nat King Cole. I'm not sure if all three are from his show or not. I think they are though. I hope you will enjoy them all.

Nat King Cole - Unforgettable



Nat King Cole & Harry Belafonte - Mama Look A Boo Boo



Nat King Cole & Sammy Davis Jr. - Somewhere Along The Way (Nat & Sammy do impressions of each other during this song. I loved it!)

Dean Martin: Quotes From The Man Himself

I had been wanting to post some quotes from Dean Martin. The King of Cool always had some words of wisdom for us. Many of them are downright hilarious. Dino has always known how to make us laugh. I enjoy reading his take on other celebrities and the world at large. Dino understood what the world was all about. He knew how to live life to the fullest.

It was a woman who drove me to drink, come to think of it I never did hang around to thank her for that.

Hey lady! do I look all blurry to you? 'Cause you look blurry to me!

If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

I'd hate to be a teetotaler. Imagine getting up in the morning and knowing that's as good as you're going to feel all day.

I once shook hands with Pat Boone and my whole right side sobered up.

Milton Berle is an inspiration to every young person that wants to get into show business. Hard work, perseverance, and discipline: all the things you need...when you have no talent.

I've got seven kids. The three words you hear most around my house are 'hello,' 'goodbye,' and 'I'm pregnant.'

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. They wake up in the morning and that's the best they're going to feel all day.

There's a statue of Jimmy Stewart in the Hollywood Wax Museum, and the statue talks better than he does.

When Jerry Lewis and I were big, we used to go to parties, and everybody thought I was big-headed and stuck up, and I wasn't. It was because I didn't know how to speak good English, so I used to keep my mouth shut.

Sorry, Buddy. We've already got three.

Routine plays that we have been making, we just didn't make them.

We try to find chemistry; we don't do a lot of situational baseball.

We will play a little more situational now, where runs are more important. I feel pretty good about our team.

You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.

(On Phyllis Diller) Phyllis is the women of about whom Picasso once said, 'Somebody throw a drop cloth over that.'

(On Don Rickles) Don`s idea of a fun evening is to show home movies of the attack on Pearl Harbor...with a laugh track.

(On John Wayne) Someone else, would have laid around, feeling sorry for himself, for a year. But Duke, he just doesn`t know, how to be sick ... he`s recuperating the hard way. He`s two loud speaking guys in one. Me, when people see me, they sometimes say, `Oh, there goes... '

(On Jerry Lewis) At some point he said to himself, "I`m extraordinary, like Charles Chaplin." From then on nobody could tell him anything. He knew it all.

(On Shirley MacLaine) Shirley, I love her, but her oars aren`t touching the water these days.

(On Joey Bishop) Most people think of Joey Bishop as just a replacement for Johnny Carson. That`s NOT true. We in show business know better: we don`t think of him at ALL.

Motivation is a lotta crap.

(On Frank Sinatra) In high school, Frank never participated in extra-curricular activities, like nature study, paintings or ceramics. Frank`s hobby was a most interesting one: he was an amateur gynecologist.

I can`t stand an actor or actress who tells me acting is hard work. It`s easy work. Anyone who says it isn`t never had to stand on his feet all day dealing blackjack.

(Upon filing for divorce from his second wife) I know it`s the gentlemanly thing to let the wife file. But, then, everybody knows I`m no gentleman.

(On Orson Welles) What can you say about Orson Welles that Don Rickles hasn`t already said about him?!

I drink because my body craves, needs alcohol. I don`t drink, my body`s a drunk.

If people want to think I get drunk and stay out all night, let `em. That`s how I got here, you know.

(On Bob Hope) As a young boy, Bob didn`t have much to say. He couldn`t afford writers then.

(On singer Eddie Fisher) The reason I drink is because when I`m sober I think I`m Eddie Fisher.

(On Johnny Carson) Johnny Carson is a comedian who is seen every night in millions of bedrooms all over America...and that`s why his last wife left him.

(To those who felt he joked his way through songs during concert and nightclub appearances) You wanna hear it straight, buy the album.

(On Frank Sinatra) When he dies, they`re giving his zipper to the Smithsonian.

I do hope you got a kick out of all those quotes from Dean Martin. I really had fun finding all of them. Some of those I had never seen before. This was a pleasure for me to put this post together. Let me know what you think. Thanks. Cheers!

P.S. I wanted to make mention that Altovise Davis, the widow of Sammy Davis Jr., died Saturday in a Los Angeles hospital of complications from a stroke. She was 65. My heart and prayers go out to her family.

What Could Have Been Between Dean Martin & Marilyn Monroe?

I've been thinking quite a lot recently about Marilyn Monroe. I always found it such a tragic shame that she died so young. She certainly lived a troubled life. When she passed away on August 5, 1962, she had been working on the bedroom comedy Something's Got to Give with Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse. The film was a remake of 1940's My Favorite Wife (which starred Cary Grant and Irene Dunne). Saying there were some problems during the filming of the movie would be putting it lightly. The film was often delayed and went way over budget. I won't rehash all of what exactly happened, but Marilyn was rarely on the set to film. She was often sick and there were other problems. Marilyn eventually was fired from the film, but Dean Martin went to bat for her. She was re-hired, but died before filming could resume. Something's Got to Give is one of those films that never got completed. Footage from it would eventually find its way onto the screen in Marilyn: The Final Days. Marilyn was also supposed to have starred opposite Dean Martin in Kiss Me, Stupid (1964). Kim Novak ended up playing the role meant for Marilyn. I'fe often wondered what could have been between Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe on screen if she had lived. How would things have turned out if they had become involved romantically offscreen? I guess we'll never know.





P.S. I hope you will check out this great post featuring Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe on my pallie Terri's blog Dino's Den. It's got some wonderful pictures of these two. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Cheers!

Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Were Great Together

I'm not sure how many of you saw Jerry Lewis receive the the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars recently. I wish the tribute video to him had been much longer. They only touched briefly on his long and successful career. Seeing them mention his partnership with Dean Martin has really inspired me to see some of those awesome Martin-Lewis comedies again. It's been quite some time since I've seen any of them. These movies were actually the first movies I ever watched that starred Dean Martin. I hope you like these pictures I'm posting here. I really dig this lighter. Man, I'd love to have one of those. Cheers!

Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra Take A Lunch Break On Sergeants 3 Set

This picture comes courtesy of my pallie Timmy.

It's Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra taking a break on the set of 1962's Sergeants 3.

Is that a Coors beer that Dino is drinking? What kind of sandwiches do you think Dino and Frankie are munching on?

André Benjamin To Play Sammy Davis Jr. In Movie?

I've found several articles mentioning this, but I can't find any concrete news about it. I'm wondering if this is a project that's now defunct, just on the backburner, or whatever else. Pretty much all of the articles I've found are from a couple of years ago.

Here's an article about this film from Pitchfork Media:

Though he's spent recent months rekindling his rap career by appearing on various remixes and singles (quite a few of which are completely awesome) as well as a forthcoming Cornel West LP, Andre 3000 hasn't forgotten his acting aspirations.

According to The New York Times, the Outkast MC known to his mother as André Benjamin is "expected" to expand his film resume (which includes roles in Be Cool and Four Brothers, voice spots in Charlotte's Web and his own "Class of 3000" Cartoon Network series, and, of course, a star turn in Idlewild) to take on the role of legendary entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. The role would be in a movie titled Sammy and Kim about the Rat Pack member's controversial relationship with Vertigo actress Kim Novak.

The Times reports that Roc-A-Fella co-founder Damon Dash is involved with Sammy and Kim's production and that Madonna/Missy Elliott/Tori Amos music video director Earle Sebastian will direct the film, which is one of three Davis projects currently in the works.

Andre will also appear in two other new movies, both currently in post-production. One is Battle in Seattle, about the 1999 World Trade Organization protests. The second is a more light-hearted affair, a basketball comedy with Will Ferrell called Semi-Pro.

Has anyone heard anything about this movie at all? I'm really curious to know. I thought I would mention it here. I'd be interested to see it if they do in fact make this film. For those that don't know anything about André 3000, here's the video for a song called Green Light he recently did with John Legend.

Rat Pack Style: How To Fold A Pocket Square

I've been checking out a lot of fashion blogs. While many of them primarily deal with women's fashion, they still have inspired me to start posting at times about fashion and style. One thing I've always loved about the Rat Pack is that cool style they always had. Whether they were dressed in a suit or more casually, Dean, Frank & the other guys always looked great. There are many male stars of today who are trying to emulate that look. Part of living that Rat Pack lifestyle is looking cool and at the top of your game. I plan to start doing some posts that will help any of us reach that goal. The latest issue of GQ had an article about folding a pocket square. The article actually featured a picture of Frank Sinatra. I thought that was really cool. It was a small article and not much to post here. It did influence me to do my own post about the topic. I don't get a chance to dress up that often, but I thought pocket squares was a good place to start talking about style.

Here is a short video (under a minute) from Details on how to fold a pocket square:



I also wanted to post a graphic that I found at Belisi. It features quite a few different folds that we can use.



I hope you got something out of this post. I enjoyed putting it together. These tips can help any of us learn how to dress more cool and suave, just like those hip cats in the Rat Pack. Let me know what you think.

P.S. If you've been checking out and commenting on this blog, I hope you will add a link to this blog in your blog links if you don't mind. I would really appreciate that. Please let me know if you do. I might already have your blog listed in mine, but if I don't then I'll definitely add yours as well. Thanks so much.

Senta Berger Is One Hot Bad Girl

Here's a picture of the very sexy Senta Berger. I'm not sure where it comes from though, but I really love her look here.



She was my favorite chick in the Matt Helm spy caper The Ambushers. I loved her as bad girl Francesca Madeiros. I just wish she had been in the movie much more than she was. Here's a clip between her and Dean Martin in the movie. Check it out to see them try to get the upper hand over each other.

Al Green: Let's Stay Together

One of my favorite singers of all time is Al Green. He's got a magnificent voice. Let's Stay Together is such a classic song that I love so much. Not any connection to the Rat Pack at all that I know of, but I really dig this tune.

Let's Stay Together hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. It remained on the chart for 16 weeks. It also topped Billboard's R&B chart for 9 weeks. The song has been ranked 60 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. A cover version of the song by Tina Turner would pave the way for her comeback in the 1980's.

This video clip is from the Apollo Hall of Fame Concert in 1993. I hope you enjoy it too. The audience is definitely get into the song big time. Cheers!

The Rat Pack In Ocean's 11

These pictures from Ocean's 11 are courtesy of my pallie Mia.





While you're at it, check out this clip from the movie. It's Sammy singing Eee-O Eleven. He's such an incredible entertainer.

Jerry Lewis Chats Up Batman & Robin

One thing I always loved about the campy 1960's series Batman was that you never knew who was going to open the window as Batman and Robin climbed up the side of a building. Check out this clip of Jerry Lewis making an appearance on the show. Enjoy!

Singer Robin Thicke Says Dean Martin & The Rat Pack Are His Dad's Heroes

R & B singer Robin Thicke is one of my favorite entertainers out there today. He's the son of actor Alan Thicke (who starred on the long-running sitcom Growing Pains) and singer/actress Gloria Loring (who played on Days of our Lives during the early to mid-80's).



I came across an interview Robin did for The Source back in September of 2008. It's a really good interview for anybody wanting to learn more about him. The reason I bring it up here on this blog is because Robin talks about how his dad is a fan of the Rat Pack. He compares his dad to Dean Martin. I thought you would guys would wanna check this out.

ROBIN THICKE: He’s so super-cool. He’s Mr. Cool. He’s from the ’50s training of “as long as my hair and my tan are right.” Not in a stupid way, but in the Rat Pack [kind of way] of bein cool. Just be cool.

MC: Like the Rat Pack!

ROBIN THICKE: Yeah, those are his heroes, the Rat Pack. He’s more of a Dean Martin. ’Cause Dean-o was, “I don’t raise my voice, I don’t get angry. Whatever you show me, I’m gonna turn it into a positive. It was humorous.” The bullet-proof man. He wasn’t the fighter.

My dad, as you know, whatever you threw at him, at me, turned it into a joke. He’d be on the Howard Stern show, and if [Stern] started talking about my wife the way he was talking about my dad’s wife, I’d go nuts. He’s like, “Yeah, I’d love to bang her man, what’s it like bangin’ her?” My dad’s like, ‘Well, uh, I have a big appetite and she’s one heck of a cook. Let’s put it that way.’ That’s that old school ’50s shit. You have your one-liners bagged. And they’re ready, no matter what–they play along with it.

Here are the videos for a couple of recent hits (first up is Magic and then The Sweetest Love) by Robin Thicke. I hope you enjoy them.