Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime (Especially Himself): The Story of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

by Arthur Marx

Actually this book seems to be most of the research for Nick Toshes book. Minus the mob and language. Although you get the feeling that Arthur Marx really knew and liked the subjects he's writting about. Would recommend it to be included in any collectors library.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Arthur Marx was an American author, a former ranked amateur tennis player, and son of entertainer Groucho Marx and his first wife, Ruth Johnson.

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 2 out of 5]

This 1974 edition looks at the once-famous partnership of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, otherwise known as Martin & Lewis. For New Dealers and early Baby Boomers, these two were the bridge between Sinatra and Presley, as the laid-back Dino and the frantic Jerry caused pandemonium in the early 1950s. At the peak of their fame, the two showbizzers were raking in millions at a time when such earnings were rare. The author explains how they met, why they partnered up, and why they eventually disbanded.

The book is helpful in explaining the appeal of Dino & Jer to those of us born later, but it suffers some 'starfalls' (full credit to Bettie for her coinage of the term).

STARFALL #1
Arthur Marx, the author, takes full aim at Jerry Lewis. While I've never been a fan of the comic, I became rather tired of the hidden agenda of Mr. Marx, son of Groucho. Yes, I get that Jerry Lewis had a huge ego and he ruined his own career, but he had/has his fans. If the younger Lewis made the older Marx brothers past tense, it's no reason to attack him constantly. Authur Marx's back page bio makes sure to mention his interior decorator wife and their 'modern house on a mountaintop'. Hello Mr. Ego.

STARFALL #2
This was published in the 1970s. In those days, teachers could still spell, the average Joe could read a paper, and publishing houses had a phalanx of in-house editors. Yet, there are grammar and spelling errors throughout the pages. Pity.

All in all, this could have been an interesting read about two of the most successful entertainers of the mid 20th-century, but Ego and Sloppiness eloped before considering the reader's patience.

Book Season = Autumn (echoes of Labor Day telethons)

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a fascinating and insightful read, even through Arthur Marx's clear bias. It's supremely interesting to see a book like this which came out not only while both men were still alive (and before a handful of further big changes and revelations happened) but also everybody who knew them before and even after. There's a lot of hearsay here, which was interesting to compare to Jerry Lewis' own biography on his break up with Dean that came out decades later. I suspect the truth of a lot of these things lies somewhere in between. It's hard not to speculate that we're still missing a key piece of the puzzle... Those close to them seem to imply as much, but it's unclear that even they know the truth. That these two men who, at the end of the day, were both pretty elusive and unknowable to those closest to them had such a bitter break up is just endlessly intriguing.

I think Marx spends too much time over analyzing Jerry, that he misses a big opportunity with Dean. It's also interesting to me to see that they both seem to have turned to therapy later in life (Dean more-so being dragged in by his wife, Jerry voluntarily) and yet still seem to have ended up in confused and unhappy places - in spite of the millions they were raking in while doing it. Dean especially gets written off as a guy who "doesn't care" but it's rather clear to me that that attitude is more based in fear than in bravado. If you don't outwardly "try," nobody gets to catch you with your pants down when you fail spectacularly. It's a great defense and it's exactly the opposite of how Jerry Lewis operated. And I mean look no further than the mountain of personal and professional criticism from both Marx and his Hollywood friends if you want proof of what I suspect Dino was so averse to.

[Ralph Echtinaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a teenager in the 1970s and have had a bad opinion of Jerry Lewis ever since.

[Pamela Hawley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book was meant to bash.

It is filled with missing information.

It is filled with false information.


It was written to go after Jerry because he unseated the author’s father ( Groucho Marx).

False statements abound, sarcasm, bitterness from the author. He stomps down on Jerry. The lady pages state he’s a has been never to rise.

Instead or recognizing Jerry’s innovation from the set on the Ladies Man, he bashed it. Martin Scorsese says was a breakthrough model for him, and which he used in Gangs if New York- all the open room scenes. Arthur Marx just bashes it, and worse, makes fun of it. He just inserts his own negativity, again and again, trying to bring about Jerry’s doom. He wants us to believe there is nothing, no merit, to Jerry’s work. He will make statements like “no one showed up to his movies but Jerry”

He bashes the Nutty Professor, which is now on the National Registry of Films.

He omits that Jerry technologically innovated the video assist. It allowed him to see what he taped immediately, and is still in use today. It’s a huge technological innovation. This happened in the early 60s, right where Marx is covering Jerry.

Jerry created the book the Total Filmmaker, one of Scorsese’s top references and used in masters programs worldwide. He taught at USC on film directing, teaching Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, who he named in the book as the next most Brilliant f director.

Instead, Arthur Marx omits all of these contributions, calling Jerry’s directing a disaster. Other professionals don’t think so. Jerry Seinfeld calls Jerry Lewis his idol; Jim Carrey says he paved the path for him. “I wouldn’t be here without Jerry Lewis.”

Arthur Marx writes from personal hatred. He ends that Jerry is a has been and he can’t get any work.

It was not to be.

Jerry would:

Be awarded the Legion of Honor twice in France

Be nominated 9x as Best Director in France.

Win a lifetime Oscar

Win the Broadcast Film award

Be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Be nominated for a Golden Globe in his film work with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro

Go on Broadway for the first time at 70 amd be a smash hit— 3 years the show was extended all over the world

And........lovely......

Positively reconcile with Dean

Both would tell each other live on Stage at Dean’s 72nd birthday that they loved each other....


I can’t recommend this. I love books but will have to throw this away because of all the false or missing information, and the personal hatred from the author.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even acknowledging that Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin may not have been the most likable people off camera, this biography has a stinginess to it since the author feels reluctant to give either man his due (Lewis' charity work is framed as self-serving) even as he apologizes for some reprehensible behavior (Martin's neglect of his kids comes across as shameful). Whether the famed comedy duo's joint talents ever culminated in a movie for the ages seems fairly debatable by this book's report and the narrator's occasionally dips into sarcasm seem unlikely to win the pair any new fans.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew about the rift between the pair,regardless I liked them especially their earlier films before to many hangers on.i got the impression somebody had to take the reins,and it fell to jerry,who then got carried away with power.dean being more laid back left it to him.it might have worked for laurel and hardy,but not these pair.didnt take to much to Jerry's later films relied to heavily on pathos.good read just painful to get through.

[Willard Brickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthur Marx, the author and Groucho's son, did not inherit his father's talent. The book is poorly written and often mean-spirited. But it's worthwhile reading for anyone interested in Martin and Lewis' breakup, which probably doesn't include many people under sixty.

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining biography of Martin and Lewis that is an interesting look at Hollywood in the 50's, as well as the life story of the two entertainers and how they developed from two solo acts and created their duo act and what happened after they split up.
It pretty much confirmed my opinion that Dean Martin is a cool guy, while Jerry Lewis is a bit of a dick.

Entertaining, with some nice bits of history and lots of funny moments.