began a show business partnership that would soon skyrocket both to fame.
Initially the two performed separately, but one night they threw out their routines and teamed onstage ad-libbing together, improvising insults and jokes, squirting seltzer water, hurling bunches of celery and exuding general zaniness, forming a Mutt-and-Jeff combo whose wildly improvisational comedy quickly made them a star attraction along the Boardwalk. In less than eighteen weeks their salaries soared from $250.00 a week to $5,000 and by the end of the 1940s they were the most popular comedy duo in the nation..
In 1949 they made their film debut in George Marshall's, “My Friend Irma”, and their supporting work proved so popular with audiences that their roles were significantly expanded for the sequel, the following year's “My Friend Irma Goes West.” With 1951's “At War with the Army”, Martin and Lewis earned their first star billing. The picture established the basic formula of all of their subsequent movie work, with Martin the suave straight man forced to suffer the bizarre antics of the manic fool Lewis. Critics often loathed the duo, but audiences couldn't get enough -- in all, they made 13 comedies for Paramount, among them 1952's “Jumping Jacks”, 1953's “Scared Stiff” and 1955's “Artists and Models,” a superior effort directed by Frank Tashlin. For ten years Martin and Lewis sandwiched sixteen money making films between nightclub engagements, personal appearances, recording sessions, radio shows, and television bookings. For the 1956 film “Hollywood or Bust”, Tashlin was again in the director's seat, but the movie was the team's last; after Martin and Lewis' relationship soured to the point where they were no longer even speaking to one another.
It is said that the break up was due to Martin being the better liked of the two on the set, and the real comic in reality. Dean was naturally funny, with his comic timing and humourous observations of things around him, always entertaining the cast and crew. Jerry was jealous not only of Dean’s popularity on set, but his natural comic ability, that Jerry began to act irrationally towards Dean causing friction between the two. Dean, sick of playing the straight man to Jerry in the similar films, wanted his roles improved and some of the limelight given to him in the pictures, which angered Lewis, as he believed that the films were all about him and his foolishness, not Dean’s characters in any way, shape or form, as Dean’s character was only there to balance out Jerry’s characters behaviours. Dean virtually had no say in the movies and his roles, and quit the duo whilst negotiations were being made for their next movie, and walked away from the duo without hesitation.
The duo announced their break-up following the conclusion of their July 25, 1956 performance at the Copacabana, which celebrated to the day the 10th anniversary of their first show. After the show was over, Jerry phoned Dean in his dressing room, they said their goodbyes and didn’t utter one word to each other for 20 years.
After the duo called it quits, the media, the public and everyone believed that Jerry would go on to success, and that Dean would crash and burn without him. They were wrong. Dean went on to star in some classic films and with roles to match, and record many hits. Jerry, also, went on to star in popular movies, both proving, they could make it on their own.
The duo were reunited in 1976 for a telethon. Frank Sinatra had arranged for Dean to be a surprise guest, which rattled and angeredJerry as Frank knew they hadn’t spoken for 20years and he thought it was a cruel thing for Frank to do. After that night, they didn’t talk again for 10years, until Jerry attended the funeral of Dean’s son, Dean Paul. Jerry attended the funeral, unannounced, and sat at the back out of sight. Upon being told that Jerry attended the funeral, Dean called him to thank him and from then on they spoke every now and then until Dean’s death in 1995.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Biography
In 1946