June 7 Dean Martin

Happy Birthday Dean Martin & Jessica Tandy

TCM celebrated the one and only Dean Martin with a celebration of his films. I have been a big fan of his but until recently I have not seen many films he did after the duo breakup with Jerry Lewis. I watched the original Ocean’s 11. What a great film. The first hour is introducing the individuals and seeing how they react to one another. The 11 are members of WWII paratroopers. The rest is the plotting, planning and the vault heist of 5 major Las Vegas casinos. Dean Martin is very serious, low key in the role. When Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin first see each other in the film, Frank asks Dean how he is and Dean replies “Same as always. I move, I breathe, I see the fear, the thrill of life along the keel” and later “Wherever I go people stare at me in dumb admiration.” Those are great lines. Both he and Sammy Davis Jr. sing, Frank does not. Dean is the lone decent to the plan. He doesn’t think it can be done. Since everyone else is going along with the plan, Dean does too.

I have an old DVR version that had Frank Sinatra Jr. introducing the film with Robert Osborne. Robert said that he knew the members as The Clan. The term Rat Pat was a derogatory term created by people that did not like them. The clan was working at night get off around 1:30-2 get into makeup and do the scenes in the casino. It is very interesting to see the classic Las Vegas. The 60’s decor and white Christmas trees (the heist takes place at midnight New Years Eve). Everything is about timing in the film. When the planning and heist is going on, they go from hotel to hotel in a very smoothly transitioned edit.

All the actors are very good in the film. Richard Conte got the short end of the stick in the final credits. He has the final hurrah in the film, but he is not walking in the end with the rest of the characters. Each actor has his name listed and the character that he played. As they are walking along the strip they pass the sign where they are playing. The marquee has Frank, Dean, Sammy and Joey’s name listed.