The Man, The Legend
Dean Martin is well-known for having been not only an actor but also a singer and comedian. His smooth voice, sharp humor, and general char endeared him to people the world over. Famously, Martin was a member of the Rat Pack and in the mid-20th century, he was one of the most popular entertainers in America.
While many thought they knew everything there was to know about this remarkable man, everyone was proved wrong when new information came to light. His daughter, Deana Martin, has come forward and share facts about her father and his true nature that might change everything.
Friends
Martin spent a lot of time with a group of celebrity friends during the 50s. Some of these celebrities included people like, Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Joey Bishop, and Humphrey Bogart.
Along with this group of friends Martin would enjoy hanging out on the Vegas Strip, drinking and generally having a good time. These friends would come to be the foundation of what was known as the Rat Pack, though few know its true origin.
Wife Of A Friend
Despite what you might think. The Rat Pack was born from a throwaway comment made by one of the group’s wives. In fact, it was none other than Lauren Bacall, wife of Humphrey Bogart who would inadvertently lead to the iconic group’s creation.
After one particularly late night of carousing, Bogart and the other men arrived at his house. Upon arrival, Bacall yanked the door open and gave them one look before saying that they looked like a ‘damned rat pack.' However, there was more than met the eye.
Daughter’s Secret
The Rat Pack was conceived decades ago and during that time they produced 20 films together, as well as numerous other appearances, and they created many memorable songs, many of which are iconically linked to the beloved group.
However, the secrets that Martin’s daughter has revealed were so shocking it threatened to change everything. Not only were her confessions so chocking that they changed the way people thought about the Rat Pack, the worst was that her father was responsible for it.
The King of Cool
Among the many names Martin was called, one of the most common and famous monikers was “the king of cool”. This seemingly always chilled her commanding demeanor was part of what made Dean Martin the man we remember.
This easy attitude and relaxed nature was one of the biggest things that made Dean Martin such a popular entertainer. It was no surprise or secret that mone dreamed of being with him while men dreamed of being Dean Martin.
Effortless
One of the things that made him so unique was that the aforementioned attitude also seemed effortless. Martin never seemed to even put the least bit of effort into being the charismatic, laid back crooner and entertainer.
This “coolness” that Martin exuded also seemed to infect those around him. There wasn’t a person around who wouldn’t agree that the Rat Pack was the coolest and most talented group of people around.
Manly Men
This coolness Martin exuded allowed not only him but also the rest of the Rat Pack to rise to even greater fame than they already had. All of them had found fame individually but as the Rat Pack, they grew even more famous.
However, with fame comes rumors and the Rat Pack was surrounded by their fair share of rumors. These ranged from the mundane to the outlandish, while some of the most persistent rumors threatened to change everything if it were true.
Setting The Record Straight
Deana Martin finally spoke out about the rumors during an interview. She recalls hearing numerous rumors about her father while she was growing up and it was no secret that her father was somewhat of a ladies man.
She also admits that a lot of what made her father so popular was entirely based on the era. She doubts that his persona, “cuteness”, and macho charm are things that would have worked well or endeared him to people in the modern era.
Honored
In 2018, the Friars Club, a private New York City club that is known for hosting celebrity roasts, announced that they would be honoring Deana Martin. Her father had been a member and the club was an important part of his life.
When she received her title of Trobairitz, Deana accepted it gracefully. Once asked about the Me Too movement as well as her father’s behavior which was particularly relevant at that moment, Deana didn’t hold back.
Controversy
People asked Deana whether or not she believed that the controversial image that the Rat Pack had would have caused them trouble or landed them in hot water in the Me Too era. She responded by saying that she didn’t think so.
“I think they would have only because they were so cute at it, they were cool…” Deana stated before trailing off. It was clear something was on her mind. That’s when she spoke up again, give the honest answer she felt every needed to know.
She Had an Almost Instant Epiphany
As soon as she made that statement, Martin took a moment to reflect on what she had said.
She realized that men had been using the fact that they were "just being cute" as a way to defend sexual harassment in Hollywood. So, she amended her earlier comment.
Cuteness Wouldn’t Have Saved Her Father
“Well, now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t know if they would have survived,” she said. Martin admitted that although her father and his friends were charming in their approach to certain situations.
Many of those situations, however, wouldn’t fly in today’s world. And yet they were part of a club that seemed to defy today’s agenda for gender equality.
The Rat Pack Were Part of a Male-Dominated Club
Sexual harassment isn’t exactly new in Hollywood. The Friars Club is a controversial male-dominated private club, which was made famous thanks to the Rat Pack.
But it’s had some controversial members over the years, including Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood producer caught in the middle of the #MeToo controversy. And yet, Martin’s daughter felt divided.
Her Father Was Only Human
Martin admitted that her father wasn’t always the guy people saw on camera. According to her, it was all nothing but an act.
Dean Martin was indeed a heavy smoker, a drinker and a philanderer. But "The Dean Martin Show" put him in a less-than-flattering light at times.
The Dean Martin Show Didn’t Help Him Much
“The Dean Martin Show,” which aired from 1965 to 1974, was a chat show that portrayed her father as an overly tanned man who often slurred his words, and always had an old-fashioned cocktail in his hand.
And when he messed up his lines, he never re-taped it. But was it truly all an act like Deana claimed?
She Confirmed the Rumors About Her Dad
During the second part of her interview, Martin confirmed the rumors about her father and said that the man the public thought they knew wasn’t real at all.
She claimed that it had all just been an act, and that was only the beginning...
He Was Only Playing Along
“The cigarettes, the womanizing, that was his shtick,” she claimed. According to her, the old fashioned cocktail in her father’s glass was probably apple juice. He did these things to be likable and relatable.
According to her, Dean Martin was just a "go with the flow" kind of guy. This is one of the reasons why she initially felt that his likability and charm would've kept him safe during the #MeToo movement. But she isn’t so sure now. So, who was the real Dean Martin?
He Was More of a Family Man
Martin also confessed that her father was more of a family man than his friends Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra were. “Dad came home every night… He wouldn’t stay up with Uncle Frank and Uncle Sammy, he didn’t want to do that,” she said.
Outside of the spotlight, they did whatever they wanted to do while her father preferred spending quality time with his family. But she wasn’t the only one to call the Rat Pack's "drunken and womanizing" ways an act.
A Former Rat Pack Member Weighed in on the Controversy
Joey Bishop, who was a former Rat Pack member, claimed that the group never got drunk during their performances. He added that the group’s bad boy reputation was a joke, which confirmed what Martin’s daughter had said.
But would Martin be proud of what his daughter did to the Friars Club?
Martin Wanted Her Own Group
When Martin’s daughter got inducted into the Friars Club, she joined the very talented Liza Minnelli, Dionne Warwick, Kristen Chenowith and Barbra Streisand.
Martin joked and claimed they could start their own pack. “Tell you what, we could be The Cat Pack,” she said. “I’m going to coin that phrase.”
Meet The Cat Pack
Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Kristin Chenoweth were also the only women to be inducted into the Friars Club.
As a result, Deana believes that her father would be very proud of what she accomplished.
Things Were Civil for the Most Part
Anyone who has ever seen a Friars Club roast knows full well that things can get pretty vulgar, but Martin’s roasts are much different.
She says that when they roast, they don’t rely on vulgarity and shock value to entertain. But what would her father think?
She Knows He Would Be Proud of Her
Martin believes in her heart that her father would have appreciated her decision to remain well behaved during the Cat Pack’s roasts.
“For the Deana Martin Celebrity roasts, they’re funny and use a little bad language, but they’re not vile or vulgar," she said.
She Has Her Own Way of Doing Things
Martin says she would steer clear from anything "racist, or anything like that, just like with the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast" she said.
And, she hopes to follow her father's footsteps in a few other ways, too.
Only a Few Knew Who Her Father Really Was
Only a handful of people knew the real Dean Martin, and Deana was proud and grateful to be among the privileged few who did.
But she is also very much aware that he loved his Rat Pack friends and that they had a lot of fun together. This explains why he was always so cool, calm and admired.