Martin was a talented man who liked to explore different passions and trained for a ton of random jobs before playing a role in his films. We saw this when he played superspy, Matt Helm in a parody film series that included The Silencers, Murderers Row, The Wrecking Crew, and The Ambushers.
In order to knock out all of his martial arts moves in the role, he trained with the legendary fighter and fellow actor, Bruce Lee. In fact, Lee himself choreographed the fight scenes in the film.
He Has A Hit Western Song
Throughout his career, Martin made plenty of Western movies and sang Country and Western classics. The first Western movie hit the scene in 1959 in the form of Rio Bravo. Martin played the booze-loving Sheriff’s deputy alongside John Wayne, who played the role of Sheriff.
Then came Sergeants 3 in 1962, followed by a string of other films like 4 for Texas, The Sons of Katie Elder, Rough Night in Jericho, and Bandolero!
No Rehearsal Contract
Included in Martin’s film contracts was the stipulation that he didn’t have to attend rehearsals along with the rest of the cast. So, what did he do instead? Well, most of the time he went and played golf, which was one of his favorite things to do when he wasn’t working.
In 1968, he signed a $34 million contract for his show and made sure it listed the fact he wouldn’t have to show up to rehearsals. Now that’s a pretty sweet deal!
That’s Amore - Not Credited
There is hardly a brain in the Western world that hasn’t been introduced to the wildly popular song, “That’s Amore.” It first entered existence in 1953 for Martin and Lewis’ hit film, The Caddy. As it turns out, Lewis actually paid some talented songwriters $30,000 to write the tune.
Now, it’s often used in films and television shows and is still connected with Martin. "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s Amore."
Going Their Separate Ways
The split between beloved comedic duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis happened exactly 10 years to the day when it all began. Apparently, Martin had started to feel as though his friend was trying to exert too much power and control over the partnership.
He at one point said he felt as though Jerry was “taking over the act,” which he wasn’t very pleased about. They eventually stopped speaking entirely, and bitterly ended their longtime show and friendship. The breakup would only serve to enhance Dean’s career.