Dean Martin

$215.00

18 in stock

Only thirty-five (35) prints of DEAN MARTIN were produced for this 2009 edition. Each print is signed in the lower right, hand-titled in the center, and numbered in the lower left (all beneath the image).

The image area is 18-1/2″ high x 14″ wide on an untrimmed 22″ x 17″ sheet. Paper, ink, and production specifications, as well as shipping details, are available on our PRINT SPECS page.

Prices will increase for subsequent prints as the edition depletes. Purchase price does not include shipping costs, which are calculated during checkout.

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Description

Debonair, seductive crooner; laconic actor; Vegas/Hollywood Rat Pack immortal, this poster boy for the High Life emerged from a humble boyhood in Steubenville, Ohio (b. Dino Paul Crocetti, June 7, 1917; d. Dec. 25, 1995, Beverly Hills). He paid dues working in steel mills and earned pocket change as a gambler and a prize fighter, before taking to the stage as a likelier route to fame, fortune, and keeping his facial features attached. (After leaving the ring, his nose was surgically rearranged, a job financed by comedian Lou Costello.) Martin garnered a following in nightclubs offering a smooth persona influenced by Bing CrosbyPerry Como, and boyhood idols the Mills Brothers.

In the late 1940s, he achieved stardom by teaming with a brash, long-jawed comic named Jerry Lewis, with whom he conquered casinos, radio, films, and TV. Branching out, Dino launched a recording career, with a string of hits including “That’s Amore” and “Volare.” A youngster named Elvis idolized Martin and copied much of his stylistic flair.

When Martin and Lewis loudly de-coupled in 1956, stargazers predicted Jerry’s career would ascend and Dean’s would sputter. As if. Martin emerged as an entertainment legend, his stature affirmed as a member of Sinatra‘s notorious Rat Pack. His movie career blossomed (especially the fun-loving “Matt Helm” spy series). In the 1960s he hosted a weekly TV variety show, and his records continued to dominate the charts (he was the first American singer to knock The Beatles from the #1 US slot—much to the dismay of his children—in 1964 with “Everybody Loves Somebody”).

Because of his nonchalant Italian charm, playboy mystique, and unapologetic penchant for the bottle, Dino was a macho role model in the pre-PC world. He continues to inspire sophisticated hipsters who rebel against the neutered modern male.

— Irwin Chusid