Daliah Lavi In The Silencers

Here's a picture of Daliah Lavi from the Matt Helm spy caper The Silencers. I love this film. It's so cool and hip. Daliah is such an exotic beauty, plus I really dig her accent. Check out her sexy legs.



Here's a clip from the movie. It features Dean Martin, Daliah Lavi & Stella Stevens. Watch them in action now.

Dean Martin Smooches Marilyn Monroe

Look at how happy Marilyn Monroe is to get a kiss from Dean Martin!

Fly The Not So Friendly Skies With Dean Martin

This picture comes courtesy of my pallie Soul Sister.



It's from the 1970 film Airport. It was based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Arthur Hailey. The plot centered on an airport struggling to stay open during a massive snowstorm, while a suicidal passenger plans to blow up a plane in flight. The film starred a huge ensemble cast, which included Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, Van Helfin, Barry Nelson, Gary Collins, Maureen Stapleton, etc. Dean Martin played pilot Captain Vernon Demerest. The film was a huge blockbuster, which also achieved a lot of critical acclaim. It received countless Oscar nominations. Helen Hayes won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film spawned several sequels and helped launched the disaster film genre.

Here's a movie trailer done for the film by a fan:

Dean Martin Gives A Big Kiss To A Smiling Frank Sinatra

Wow! Dino must really be happy to see Frankie. Check out the grin on Frank's face. lol



That picture comes courtesy of my pallie Steve.

Sammy Davis Jr.: Quotes From The Man Himself

I came across a bunch of quotes from Sammy Davis Jr. I love these. I just had to share them with my pallies here. I hope you like them. I think they definitely give us a chance to check out some of what was on Sammy's mind. Let me know what you think.

A man is not complete until he has seen the baby he has made.

Alcohol gives you infinite patience for stupidity.

All I really had was my talent. Without that I wouldn't be welcome at the White House.

Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to go and get insulted.

Being in public with May and the children was too heavy. I was irreversibly tuned in to everyone around us.

Bogart could have been color blind. He got to know a man before he decided if he liked him or not.

During three decades, along all the highways of my youth, Frank had always been there for me.

Everything Michael Jackson does on stage is exactly right.

Fame comes with its own standard. A guy who twitches his lips is just another guy with a lip twitch - unless he's Humphrey Bogart.

I believed in Bobby Kennedy. Campaigning for him was an attempt to give back something to this country that has given me so much.

I bought a house in the Hollywood Hills and brought my grandmother from Harlem to live in it with me.

I didn't hate being 60 as much as I had 50.

I don't have many easy songs.

I go to temple a lot less than I would like because when I do, people still look at me as if they think it's a publicity stunt.

I had more clothes than I had closets, more cars than garage space, but no money.

I had traveled 10 states and played over 50 cities by the time I was 4.

I hadn't been in Vegas 20 minutes when I got word that the bookmakers were offering three to one that Frank wouldn't show for my wedding.

I have to be a star like another man has to breathe.

I saw that my image was changing or fading. One of the reasons for taking a break from clubs was to be missed-not forgotten.

I was so opposed to the war in Vietnam that I initially refused President Nixon's urgings for me to go there.

I wasn't anything special as a father. But I loved them and they knew it.

I'd learned a lot in the Army. I knew that above all things in the world I had to become so big, so strong that people and their hatred could never touch me.

If you want to get known as a singer you hire five sexy chicks and let them fight over you onstage and for the cameras. That's publicity, man.

Marilyn and I were rumored to be an item. We were friends. Nothing more. Marilyn was one of the sweetest creatures that ever lived.

May was young and beautiful, we were legally married, but she was caught in the prison of my skin.

Most orgies that you go to, I have found, most of it is sad. All that wildness, all those laughs were like the shining silver and gold paper on packages, but there was nothing inside.

My home has always been show business.

Part of show business is magic. You don't know how it happens.

Real success is not on the stage, but off the stage as a human being, and how you get along with your fellow man.

Reality is never as bad as a nightmare, as the mental tortures we inflict on ourselves.

Sober up, and you see and hear everything you'd been able to avoid hearing before.

Ten million dollars after I'd become a star I was deeply in debt.

The civil rights movement wasn't easy for anybody.

The manic pursuit of success cost me everything I could love: my wife, my three children, some friends I would have liked to grow old with.

The one thing you don't want is that stale sound when you've done a line so much you can't find a fresh approach to it. Drop it.

The success of the Rat Pack or the Clan was due to the camaraderie, the three guys who work together and kid each other and love each other.

The ultimate mystery is one's own self.

There are certain romances that belong in certain cities, in a certain atmosphere, in a certain time.

There are lines that I know are going to get a belly laugh, but after a few shows I get sick of hearing myself say them so I drop them.

There's nothing that can match Broadway for stature and dignity.

Though I love the luxury of the Waldorf Towers, room service there doesn't do soul food..

To appear on the stage drunk, to have them leave there and remember me making drunken mistakes, that was death.

We can't answer King's assassination with violence. That would be the worst tribute we could pay him.

What have I got? No looks, no money, no education. Just talent.

When Liza Minelli was a child, she used to sit on my lap and call me Uncle Sammy.

When you lose a lover it's like getting a bad haircut. It grows back in time.

With an ocean between you and your European friends, you have to keep them in your heart.

Would it be better if I'd married a Negro woman? Would they treat my child any better? Erect fewer barriers?

You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.

You can be in this business 50 years and still not know anything about it.

You don't swing where you sleep.

P.S. I hope you will check out my latest post at Celluloid Slammer. It's a video clip of Sharon Tate strutting her sexy self for Dean Martin in The Wrecking Crew. Please check it out and left me some comments there. Thanks.

Dean Martin's Coming To Dinner

Hey pallies! Guess who's coming to dinner? It's Dino! :-)



I love how Kirk Douglas is trying to eye over his shoulder to see what Dino is doing.

Isn't that Nancy Reagan sitting beside Kirk? Is that the back of Ronald Reagan's head?

Favorite Album Covers: Frank Sinatra - That's Life

It's time for another one of my favorite album covers. This is That's Life by Frank Sinatra. The album was released in 1966 if I remember correctly. I love the title track. It's one of my favorite Sinatra tunes. This album in and of itself is a mixed bag. Some songs are better than others. The problem isn't Sinatra. You can't really go wrong with his voice. Any fault I have is more with the arrangement on this album. For Sinatra completists, I'm sure you would want to have a copy of it in your collection. Most others would be better satisfied with other Sinatra albums. While it's not one of the best albums by Sinatra, I'm a big fan of the cover. The purpose of posts like this is to focus on the album cover and not necessarily the music contained within. I love the artistic rendering of Sinatra here. This is such a cool image of Ol' Blue Eyes. I hope you like it. Cheers!

From The Set Of Rio Bravo

I've been receiving some wonderful pictures from Timmy by email. I decided it was time I started sharing some of them with my pallies here. These photos come from the set of Rio Bravo. The 1959 western starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, etc. is one of my all-time favorite westerns. I hope you enjoy these pics.

Thanks so much to Timmy for all the amazing pictures he's sent to me. I really appreciate it. I will definitely be posting more of the others I've been sent by him in the near future.

Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra With Robert Wagner & Natalie Wood

I was going to make a crack about how Frank got carried away trying to play a pirate in some movie, but I decided against it. :-)

Does anyone remember what did really happen to his eye? I can't recall it.

I hope you enjoy this picture of him and Dean Martin with Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. I'm not sure exactly where they were at. We see, of course, that Dino has his ever present drink and cigarette in hand. This picture comes courtesy of my pallie Bill.



P.S. I wanted to add this in now that I found out what happened to Frank. My friend Mel, otherwise known as Sinatragirl, informed me that Frank injured his eye on the set of Kings Go Forth, a film he was making with Natalie Wood.

Beyoncé Knowles Sings The Etta James Classic "At Last"

One of my favorite songs of all time is At Last by Etta James. Recently there was a film called Cadillac Records about Chess Records and its co-founder Leonard Chess. Etta James is played in the film by Beyoncé Knowles. The films also stars Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright. I never got a chance to see this film at the theater, but I do plan to see it when it hits DVD. I've posted the movie poster from the film. I'm also posting two video clips. The first one is the the video for Beyoncé's version of At Last. The second video is her performing the song at for the first dance between President Obama and the First Lady at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

Happy Birthday To Jack Benny!

Tomorrow is the birthday of Jack Benny. He was born on February 14, 1894 in Chicago. I was too young to remember Jack when he was alive. I was born in December of 1970 and he died in December of 1974. Growing up I learned about him from my grandparents, who were all big fans of his. I also learned about him from George Burns, who was his best friend for years. It was actually through George Burns that I would find out more about many stars of yesteryear who had passed away. I was reminded of that fact recently when I read All My Best Friends by George Burns. He wrote about so many of his friends. Pretty much all of those friends had passed away over the years by the time of the book's publication in the late 1980's. George Burns himself would die at the age of 100 in 1996. George wrote so much about his long and meaningful friendship with Jack Benny. He was definitely devastated when Jack passed away from cancer. I wish I could have really gotten to see Jack when he was living. I've seen clips featuring him over the years on specials and so forth, but I feel like I really missed out on something special. I want to raise a toast to the legendary Jack Benny. Happy Birthday! Cheers!



That picture is from a Hollywood benefit for mental health in 1960. It features Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, George Burns, Dean Martin & Jack Benny. When I decided to do this post, I was hoping to find either a picture of Jack Benny and George Burns, or possibly even one of Jack with Dean Martin. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this one. I definitely plan to post some more things in the future about Jack Benny.

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Of Betty White

Here's a picture and video clip from the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast. Betty White is being roasted here. I've always found her to be very hilarious. It's cool to see all the celebrities from the past I love.

Favorite Album Covers: Dean Martin - Amore

I haven't gotten my hands on this album yet, but I really want to do get myself a copy of Amore by Dean Martin. I love the cover for this newly released album of love songs by Dino. Nobody sings about romance quite like Dino. He's got this smooth and velvety voice that's perfect for these type of songs. He's so full of passion and charm. Whenever I've romanced a woman, I make sure that I've got some Dean Martin tunes ready to play. This would be the perfect album for this upcoming Valentine's Day. Here's a list of the tracks on the album:

1. Just In Time
2. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
3. Let Me Love You Tonight
4. How Sweet It Is Listen
5. Innamorata
6. Let's Be Friendly
7. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
8. That's Amore
9. It Looks Like Love
10. All I Do Is Dream Of You
11. My One And Only Love
12. It Won't Cool Off
13. Heaven Can Wait
14. I Have But One Heart ('O Marenariello)
15. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You

The Rat Pack In Robin & The 7 Hoods

This picture comes courtesy of my pallie Sue.



I love Robin and the 7 Hoods. It doesn't get much better than the Rat Pack and Bing Crosby. For those that have never seen this movie, it's basically the story of Robin Hood set in Chicago during the Prohibition era. Here's a clip of Sammy singing Bang Bang. He's singing, dancing & shooting. I told you before he's an all around great entertainer. :-)

The Dino Lounge Receives The Dardos Award

My pallie Steve at his blog The Last Picture Show has seen fit to honor The Dino Lounge blog with the Premio Dardos Award. This is the first award this blog has received so I'm really excited about that. It's an added bonus getting it from Steve, since he's got one of my favorite blogs online. I've been learning a lot about the UK from his blog.

The Dardos Awards is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.



1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2) Pass the award to another five blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

I'm not sure which of these blogs have already been given this award. I tried to pick different blogs than I did when my Sugar & Spice blog was honored. I hope that at least some of them will decide to continue on the cycle of honoring other blogs they enjoy.

I give this award to:

1. ilovedinomartin - My pallie DMP has such a cool & swingin' blog dedicated to Dean Martin. It's my #1 stop for all things Dino-related. His blog has helped me become an even bigger fan of Dean Martin.

2. Atomic Ranch - Terri has several awesome blogs that she does, including one dedicated to Dean Martin, but I wanted to honor this blog devoted to midcentury living, etc. It really makes me want a pad like those on her blog.

3. Planet Mondo - This is such a fantastic musical blog. I've learned so much about music, such as punk, that I never knew about. I have a rockin' good time checking out the videos, etc. posted.

4. Viewliner Ltd. - If you are looking to see a slice of Americana, then this is the blog for you. There are wonderful pictures posted of vintage planes, trains, automobiles & so much more. It really makes me year for yesteryear.

5. Farbror Sid - I have no clue what's been said on this blog. I think it's in Swedish. It's a blog I enjoy checking out for all the retro ads, babes, cars & much more.

I love all 5 of these blogs. It becomes very hard to pick only 5 since there are so many blogs that I enjoy checking out. I hope you will definitely pay a visit to any of these blogs that you've never been to before. Tell 'em Keith sent ya. :-)

Ne-Yo Talks About His Love For The Rat Pack Era

I've mentioned Ne-Yo in a post on this blog in the past. I came across an article about him that I thought was really cool. The popular singer/songwriter is launching his first headlining tour in support of his album The Year of the Gentleman. He talks about being raised in Las Vegas and how that inspired him in his music. His mother's a big influence on him. She worked a variety of jobs in the Vegas casinos. She also helped him develop a love for the Rat Pack.

The whole article can be read at the link, but here's a quote from the article in the Las Vegas Sun:

“And musically, anything she was into, I was into. So after she started working in the casinos, she started getting into that big band sound, with Tom Jones and Wayne Newton. She introduced me to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., the Rat Pack. My mom says I was born in the wrong era. I just attached myself to that effortless cool, which is rare even today.”

I think that's so awesome. I wish he would have mentioned Dean Martin by name, but at least he did mention Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra. It's great to see popular artists of today talk about their love for the Rat Pack era. That's got to help introduce younger fans to those cool cats in the Rat Pack. Personally I was already a fan of Ne-Yo, but this all made me like him that much more.

P.S. Here's the video for one of Ne-Yo's latest songs. It's called Miss Independent. I hope you like it.

Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra With Judy Garland

Here's Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra with Judy Garland. The photo and video both come from the Judy Garland Show. I hope you enjoy this clip. I thought it was really cool to see these three great entertainers together. Cheers!

Sean "Diddy" Combs Advertises For Ciroc Vodka

A recent comment by Chi-Chi (she does a fantastic blog focusing on urban entertainment called Urban Hoopla) sparked this particular post.

A few months ago I posted a commercial that Sean "Diddy" Combs had done for Ciroc Vodka. The commercial featured Frank Sinatra's Come Fly With Me. Click here for that post.



I decided to repost that commercial here as well as some other clips and pictures I hope you will enjoy.





Here's a short clip, using an instrumental version of Come Fly With Me, where Diddy talks about drinking responsibly. Check it out.





Here's the latest commercial for Ciroc Video. This one doesn't feature Sinatra's tune, but instead Flashing Lights by Kanye West. I still thought I would post it here.



I hope you enjoyed this post. It's a little something different here. I'm trying to do some other things to keep this blog fresh and interesting. I've had some readers who have given me feedback that they would love to see some about my other interests. I know some people come here just because of Dean Martin and nothing else. I still plan to post plenty about him and the rest of the Rat Pack. I want to, however, do other posts that reflect my other interests and the type of lifestyle that I want to live. I hope that all of you will bear with me and that you will like the different posts I do here. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

Happy Birthday To Joey Bishop!

Happy Birthday to Joey Bishop. He was born at this date in 1918 in the Bronx. Joey was, of course a member of the Rat Pack. He played in movies with his pallies like Ocean's Eleven (1960) and Sergeants 3 (1962). Joey starred in his own sitcom called The Joey Bishop Show, which ran for four seasons from 1961 to 1965. He guest hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson quite a few times. Joey would even host his own talk show called The Joey Bishop Show (1967-1969). His sidekick on that show was Regis Philbin. Joey made many appearances on various talk shows, game shows & sitcoms throughout the years. He continued to act into the 1990's, playing in the film Betsy's Wedding from 1990. He would be the last member of the Rat Pack to pass away. Joey died on October 17, 2007 in California. He was 89. If he had lived to this birthday, he would be 91. I raise a toast to Joey Bishop. While he's not my favorite member of the Rat Pack, Joey had a part to play and he played it well. I salute him. Cheers!

Come Fly With Me Covered By Michael Buble

I love Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra. It's actually one of my favorite tunes by him. This video clip I've posted is the song actually being covered by Michael Buble. He's one of my favorite entertainers out there today. Let me know what you think. Cheers!