EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY SOMETIME -- ESPECIALLY HIMSELF: The Story of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

by Arthur Marx ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 1974

The comedy duo of Martin and Lewis was riding high in the '40's and '50's until the split in 1957, the result, apparently, of ballooning egos finding one stage too crowded. Within the parallel biographies of Dino, a barber's son from Ohio, and Lewis, a borscht circuit orphan, Marx details the formation of the partnership; the money conflicts during the climb up the ladder; Lewis' happy marriage; Dino's holding actions as absentee husband and father through two marriages; and sample slapstick performances featuring seltzer water and severed neckties. Marx follows Martin's growing competence in films, dramatic roles, records and TV, but Lewis, it seems, shot his bolt a decade ago. Marx' style is tiresome (""Martin and Lewis weren't flashes in the Hollywood pan"") and there's no critical originality to speak of. But this is fan fare and will probably intrigue comedy nostalgia buffs.

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Hawthorn

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION