Sammy and Dino Episode 5: A Serious Man / by Karina Longworth

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

After the breakup of Martin and Lewis, Dino has to figure out how to stand on his own as a solo act. He ends up developing an on-stage persona as a happy drunk, while at the same time, developing a resume as a serious actor in some of the biggest hits of the late 1950s, such as Some Came Running and Rio Bravo, through which he emerged as a kind of icon for the white masculinity crisis of the 1950s. How did Dino pull this off, and why was his interest in being taken seriously so apparently short-lived?

Dean Martin onstage at the Sands Copa Room, 1957

Marlon Brando, Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift in The Young Lions, 1958

Music:

The music used in this episode, with the exception of the intro, was sourced from royalty-free music libraries and licensed music collections. The intro includes a clip from the film Casablanca.  

Excerpts from the following songs were used throughout the episode: 

Kevin_MacLeod - Monkeys Spinning Monkeys

Calgary Sweeps - Vermouth

Laser Focus (Piano Improv) - TinyTiny Trio

Single Still - Vermouth

25 Peaceful Piano

60 Easy Listening in Jazz

Babble Babble Brook (Soft Horn) - High Horse

Luper - Sketchbook

The Big Ten - Warmbody

Ranch Hand - Truck Stop

Thule Racer - Glacier Quartet - Araby

Chai Belltini - Vermouth

Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in Some Came Running, 1958

Credits:

This episode was written, narrated, and produced by Karina Longworth.

Our editor this season is Evan Viola. 

Research and production assistant: Lindsey D. Schoenholtz.

Social media assistant: Brendan Whalen.

Logo design: Teddy Blanks.

Dean Martin in Rio Bravo, 1959