I think Dean was probably the happiest when he was riding a horse. He looked gorgeous in a tuxedo, he looked fantastic in Vegas, but when he was in a cowboy gear, with the boots and the jeans and a nice flannel type open shirt, that was when he was most comfortable. Working in the tack room with the saddles and all of that, that’s when he was really at ease. ~ Robyn Wheatley, Golddigger
All I want at fifty is a piece of land with lots of cattle. And, I’ll get it. ‘Cause I want to live there and be a cowboy and hustle cattle, and see the sun that rises in those beautiful colors, and the sun that sets while you meditate. And then go to sleep, just like an old man. And what else do I need in life. ~ Dean Martin
Hello, who’s this? Only newly-renamed Dean Martin with Sammy Watkins (next to Dean, holding the violin) and his Orchestra, during their residency at the Hollenden Hotel’s Vogue Room in Cleveland, Ohio. This must be sometime 1940-1942 but I don’t know the exact date, sadly. Below: Hollenden Hotel exterior, the foyer, and the Vogue Room itself. Incidentally this is also where Dean met Betty MacDonald, who became his first wife.
On July 5th 1942 the Orchestra was given a showcase on NBC’s radio show ‘Fitch Bandwagon’, which was broadcast nationally from WTAM in Cleveland. Dean performed four songs, two standards (one of which was Bing Crosby’s ‘Sweet Leilani’) and two new works Watkins had received from New York publishers keen to take advantage of having a coast-to-coast audience. Episodes of ‘Fitch Bandwagon’ do still exist, by the way, although I haven’t been able to find the Sammy Watkins Orchestra one yet.
Dean left the Orchestra suddenly and not without acrimony in September of 1943, in order to go and fill in for Sinatra at the Riobamba in New York. Watkins ended up suing him in 1950 for failing to pay him the promised 10% of his earnings, but it seems like Dean owed 10% of his earnings to half the people in showbusiness by that point, so who knows if Sammy ever got his cash.
Nose Note: This must be Dean’s old nose, because I don’t think he got it fixed until August ‘44. But it looks absolutely fine? I was expecting more drama from this nose, tbh.