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Want to know the best Dean Martin movies? How about the worst Dean Martin movies? Curious about Dean Martin’s box office grosses or which Dean Martin movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Dean Martin movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Recently my favorite movie blogger, Steve Lensman, published a Dean Martin movie poster page that looked at some of his movies. After viewing those posters, it occurred to me that Martin might make a good subject for a Ultimate Movie Rankings page as well. So I cracked open my box office gross books and went to work. It did not take me long to realize that I had seriously under estimated his popularity at the box office….as I came across box office hit after box office hit.
For his career, Martin had 31 movies that earned over 100 million in adjusted for inflation dollars. 31 might not seem like that many, but when you realize that current superstar, Tom Hanks, only has 22 movies to reach that mark…I think you start to see that Dean Martin was a beast at the box office. Another discovery I made was one heck of a Dean Martin tribute blog. The I Love Dino Martin blog is a must follow for any Dean Martin fan out there.
His IMDb page shows 66 acting credits from 1946-1985. This page will rank 51 Dean Martin movies from Best to Worst in seven different sortable columns of information. Television shows, cameos and movies not released in North America were not included in the rankings.
Dean Martin Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Dean Martin Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Dean Martin movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Dean Martin movies by actual domestic box office grosses
- Sort Dean Martin movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
- Sort Dean Martin movies by yearly box office rank
- Sort Dean Martin movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Dean Martin movie received.
- Sort Dean Martin movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
Possibly Interesting Facts About Dean Martin
1. Dean Martin (1917-1995) was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Ohio.
2. After dropping out of high school in the 10th grade, Dean Martin tried numerous jobs….like delivering bootleg liqour, being a speakeasy croupier, a blackjack dealer, a boxer and working in a mill.
3. In the early 1940s, singing became Dean Martin’s bread and butter. Band leader, Sammy Watkins, suggested that he change his name from Dino Crocetti to Dean Martin. His singing got him noticed by movie studios but he never got a contract offer.
4. The big break of his career was when he met comic, Jerry Lewis, in 1946. Their partnership went from night clubs to radio appearances to an Ed Sullivan television appearance to movies in about 2 and half years. They would make a total of 17 movies (that includes one cameo) together from 1949 to 1956. Although Martin got tired of the movies with Lewis, the public never did as everyone of their movies was a box office hit.
5. After the filming of Hollywood or Bust, the comedy team of Martin and Lewis broke up. The general consensus was Dean Martin would not be able to succeed without Jerry Lewis…..that consensus proved to be completely wrong. Martin continued to star in hit movie after hit movie for the next 14 years. This would include many movies with Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine and 4 Matt Helms movies.
6. It is estimated that 50 million Dean Martin records have been sold worldwide…..with my mom being a huge contributor to that total.
7. Dean Martin was married three times in his life. His first marriage to Elizabeth McDonald lasted from 1941 to 1949 and produced 4 children. His second marriage to Jeanne Martin lasted from 1949 to 1973 and produced 3 children. His last marriage to Catherine Hawn lasted from 1973 to 1976 and produced 1 child.
8. Dean Martin has not one, not two but three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame…..they are for his music career, his movie career and his television career.
9. Dean Martin was one of Frank Sinatra’s closest friends. They were in the Rat Pack together, sang in night clubs and starred in 8 movies together.
10. Dean Martin hosted….Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts from 1973-1984…..it is considered one of the greatest television shows of all-time. I highly recommend watching these shows as it takes you back to another time and place and many shows have legendary people like John Wayne, Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan and Frank Sinatra getting roasted and roasting others.
Check out Dean Martin’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
Steve’s Updated Dean Martin You Tube Video Has Been Added To The Page
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.
For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
One of the reasons given for the Martin and Lewis split-up was that Dean was tired of playing foil to Jerry’s comic antics
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However few of Dino’ stand-alone solo career movies [ie movies in which he was the only big star] matched the success of either the Martin and Lewis partnership films or the films Dean made with top stars such as Sinatra, Wayne, Brando/Clift, Jimmy Stewart or Burt Lancaster, nor did Dean’s stand- alone films do nearly as well overall as Jerry’s solo movies. [See table of Cogerson stats in my Part 2 Martin post]
DEAN MARTIN VIDEO 50-26 Best posters for me are Mr Rico, Something Big, Showdown, the 2 foreign language Matt Helm ones for the Ambushers, , also Matt Helm’s The Wrecking Crew, Who’s Been Sleeping in my Bed, and the splendid foreign language ones for Sgts 3 [western remake of Gunga Din] Bandolero [originally called Mace] and Toys in the Attic.
I must also praise all 6 of your Martin and Lewis posters as they were the most original for those movies that I have ever seen – That’s My Boy, 3 Ring Circus [aka Jerrico the Wonder Clown], Money from Home, At War with the Army, My Friend Irma Goes West, and Pardners.
STILLS to be highlighted (1) opening rarity of Dino, Jerry and Hope (2) the 4 for Texas quartet (3) a suave Dino with Ann-Margaret (4) M & L At War with the Army (5) Dean with saucy Stella in The Silencers and (5) lucky Dino hugging the lovely Raquel
“When they told me that they couldn’t pay me my usual fee because Brando and Clift would also be in The Young Lions I replied that if they were in it I’d do it for nothing if necessary because I was thinking ‘Wait until Lewis sees my name up in lights alongside those two dramatic icons!” [Dino Paul Crocetti Martin in TV interview]
To be continued…….
BREAKDOWN OF MARTIN AND LEWIS ADJUSTED DOMESTIC GROSSES USING BRUCE’S VERY LATEST STATS
23 Dino solo career movies with other big stars such as Wayne and Sinatra – $3.18 billion [average $138.3 million per movie]
16 Dino films with Jerry Lewis -$2.8 billion [average $175 million]
22 Jerry Lewis solo career stand alone movies – $2.0 billion [average $90.9 million]
12 Dino solo career stand-alone movies – $705 million [average $58.7 million]
DEAN MARTIN VIDE0 1-25 Best POSTERS for me are Five Card Stud, Who was that Lady [quite saucy] , Career [really splendid] Bells are Ringing [Charlie’s son Sydney Chaplin played the Dino role in the stage version with Judy Holliday], terrific Martin and Lewis ones for Jumping Jacks, Scared Stiff, Sailor Beware and Living it Up [I vividly remember seeing that one on the evening of Xmas Day 1954 after attending a matinee featuring Rory Calhoun in Dawn at Socorro] and original foreign language ones for the following – Kiss Me Stupid, Robin and the Seven Hoods, Ocean’s 11, Some Came Running and Sons of Katie Elder, and a fine 1st one for the other Wayne/Dino flick Rio Bravo.
Excellent STILLS are I think (1) the quartet in The Caddy (2) black and white one of M & L in their heyday (3) coloured one of the duo (4) the Artists and Models quartet (5) the Big 4 in Robin and the 7 Hoods. (6) Dino controlling panic in Airport (7) the Rio Bravo spanking and (8) the 3 Young Lions in a break in shooting of that film.
In the latter movie itself Martin and Clift though THEY shared many scenes together never actually had dialogue or any close-ups with Brando and their only encounter with him was at the end when they shot at him from a short distance away in a forest.
Apparently during another break in shooting Dino and Marlon got into a heated argument about I don’t know what and one of them [again which I don’t remember] angrily thumped the table overturning scalding coffee on the other’s lap which required medical treatment.
The video is worth a 98% rating for me as I have always liked Martin’s singing and his relaxed persona as Jerry’s “straight man” and in Dino’s own solo career films. A “dual” movie career such as Dean’s is ideally suited to your extended play series as a normal-length video is incapable of doing full justice to it in my view.
You and Joel Hirschhorn’s straight man agree on Dino’s Top 4 best reviewed films all in the exact same order
Welcome back Bob, I hope you enjoyed your holiday. We’re in the midst of a sweltering heatwave here in old blighty but there are clouds on the horizon, hopefully some rain on the way.
Thanks for reviewing my expanded Dino Martini video, appreciate the generous rating, info, trivia, box office breakdown and comparison.
Glad you liked the posters and stills.
Martin was a busy actor, like you say a Top 30 on some actors just isn’t enough. When I first produced a Burt Lancaster Top 30 video two years ago I left out Trapeze, one of his most popular films. I was a lot less flexible with the ratings average back then and I had complaints. Never again. If it’s a well known film people associate with a certain actor I will include it no matter how low the rating (and I’m not above boosting unfair ratings). 🙂
Dino has one film scoring 10 out of 10 from my sources – Rio Bravo. Two scored 9 – The Young Lions and Airport (Maltin’s a fan).
Rio Bravo easily tops the various film charts including Bruces critic chart. Airport tops the UMR and is far and away his most successful film.
Dean on Frank Sinatra – “In high school, Frank never participated in extra-curricular activities, like nature study, paintings or ceramics. Frank’s hobby was a most interesting one: he was an amateur gynecologist.”
Dean on Don Rickles – “Don’s idea of a fun evening is to show home movies of the attack on Pearl Harbor…with a laugh track.”
Dean on Jerry Lewis – “At some point, he said to himself, “I’m extraordinary, like Charles Chaplin”. From then on, nobody could tell him anything. He knew it all.”
Hey Bob and Steve…..good stats and good comments on Dean Martin. While I agree with the stats……if we only look at the Dean Martin solo movies….then we have to ignore about 75% of his career. Even then…..the Matt Helms movies were successful.
I like the quotes you shared Steve.
Since originally writing this page I have become more of a Dino fan….been tracking down more of his movies….heck I even have one of his greatest hits cds in my car right now.
Good stuff from the both of you.
HI STEVE Thanks for the quotes [especially loved the Lewis one] feedback and your good wishes in relation to my holiday. I always enjoy France and especially Paris which some call “The Romantic City”
“Flowing, flowing, flowing
Through the open countryside
The Seine has gone a wooing
And greets Paris like a bride.”
Of course as I am a big movie buff being in France always reminds me of the great French actors Belmondo, Delon [who was with Dino in Texas Across the River] and Jean Gabin whom a panel of top directors called the 7th greatest movie actor of all time.
Paris will too bring up recollections of good films that I have seen involving that great city such as Sir Alec Guinness’ 1955 To Paris with Love [said to be the inspiration for the title of Ian Fleming’s Bond story From Russia with Love].
At thirty-five, you’ll find him flirting sadly with two or three or more
When he fancies he is past love
It is then he meets his last love
And he loves her as he’s never loved before.
The ancient Parisian apartment dwellings recall for me your Singin’ in the Rain idol swashbuckling his way through that capital as the real life but yet fabled gallant Charles Castelmore Comte d’Artagnan of the Dumas novels.
“And so it was that the greatest swordsman in all France set off for Paris on a donkey!” [The 3 Musketeers movie 1948]
By the way did you know that Esther Williams said that your Eugene was the nastiest actor she ever worked with? That was some statement considering that Sinatra was in the same film, 1949’s Take Me Out to the Ballgame! However Esther reckoned that Kelly repeatedly insulted and cold-shouldered her because she was taller than he. Thank goodness she never worked with my Alan!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your Paris recollections.
Hi, Bob!
Glad to hear that you are back home and thanks for sharing with us your experiences in France. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your vacation.
HI Flora
Nice return greeting from you. Thanks
Yes…I second Flora’s thoughts…(a) glad you had a good time in France (b) glad you made it home safely and (c) welcome back.
My thoughts on Steve’s latest expanded video…Mr. Dean Martin
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Dino gets his updated video….like. Just got an early anniversary present from WoC…greatest hits from Dean Martin….it has two of my favorite songs that nobody else seems to remember…I Will and Houston…..both decent hits from him in the 1960s. Oh wait….this is video about his movie career…..lol. Let’s see…..I have seen 18of these movies…from the horrible like #50 Cannonball Run 2 to the epic #1 Rio Bravo. Other favorites include #6 Ocean’s 11, #5 Airport….really like his performance , #25 5 Card Stud and the original Cannonball Run (though a recent viewing makes me question my movie taste when I was a teenager). Voted up….and our Post of the Day at UltimateMovieRankings.com.”
Hi Bruce, your tally 18, mine 20 and Flora 23. her tally would have been a lot higher if she was a Jerry Lewis fan.
I don’t remember those songs you mention, I do remember That’s Amore and Memories are Made of This.
Come to think of it one of my all time favorite ‘non-Elvis’ songs of the 1950s wasn’t sung by Martin or Sinatra but by Bobby Darin – Beyond the Sea. I prefer it to Mack the Knife which I was never crazy about.
Thanks for the comment, vote and share, much appreciated.
1 BRUCE I’m always interested in anything about Dino’s career but I think we might slightly qualify his adjusted domestic box office total of $6.47 billion when we examine its underlying breakdown.
TOTAL COGERSON GROSS FOR MARTIN & LEWIS MOVIES Updated figure of $2.7 billion*** average for 16 at $169 million
***Very useful separate table on the Lewis page showing breakdown between their partnership flicks and their respective solo films requires updating. It gives a old figure of £1.9 billion for the team ones. Like the use of colour to make distinctions on main table though
COGERSON TOTAL FOR OTHER MOVIES WHERE ANOTHER BIG BOX OFFICE STAR OR STARS WERE INVOLVED LIKE SINATRA, JIMMY STEWART, Mumbles, OR THE DUKE. $3.225 billion average for 25 movies $130 million aprox
COGERSON TOTAL FOR MOVIES THAT DINO CARRIED ON HIS OWN $545 million for 10 films at an average of approx. $55 million. Only one Dino film in this group The Matt helm spy spoof The Silencers [$145 million] crashed the Cogerson 100 million barrier whereas 9 Lewis solo flicks [after the partnership split up] grossed overall some $1.2 billion in Cogerson and averaged nearly $135 million each.
3 Of course Dino did contribute well to the box office success of the movies in the first two categories and with the exception of “one man bands” like Elvis, my Deanna or the solo Jerry Lewis most if not all major stars team up with performers of their own ilk and even the Duke was no exception though a careful analysis of the Wayne filmography will identify many stand-alone successes.
4 However given Dean’s nevertheless impressive box office performance as well as his fabulous singing career, his long-running TV show that made him television’ highest paid performer and his great nightclub act that was a Joel-to-die-for success Dean Martin was undoubtedly overall one of the All Time Entertainment Greats and your Martin profile comprehensively covers a very versatile career. This one can’t have been the easiest.
Hey Bob….this is sort of like our Myrna Loy conversation. I agree he did not have a ton of Dino only movies… but he was a vital part to the success of many of these movies. Glad you like our Dino vs Jerry breakdown. I love that table because it shows that not only Dean survive without Jerry but actually did better. At the time of their break up…most people thought Dino was done.
Good breakdown on his movies….interesting to read….thanks for doing the research and for sharing it here.
HI BRUCE 1. Possibly the comparison between Dino and Myrna is not a good one because whilst we know that all but one of Martin’s 10 stand-alone solo outings failed to crash the Cogerson 100 million to the best of my recollection Miss Loy didn’t make many if any stand-alone flicks in her peak years and always seemed to be in one kind of partnership or other, so we probably can’t tell how well she would have fared on her own.
2 However in my opinion there is clear evidence that as a stand-alone artist Dino didn’t fare too well. Obviously the M & L team wouldn’t have been a partnership without him but when they split Jerry immediately had 9 solo 100 million stand-alone healthy box office hits within a few years and Dino never had more than 1 in his entire career, the first Matt Helm spoof [The Silencers adjusted Cogerson domestic gross $145 million] which cashed in on the Bond craze but unfortunately even that gimmick didn’t last long as the subsequent 2 Helm movies averaged just around $65 million in your charts
3 So we must question exactly how much Dino was bringing to the Martin and Lewis films and on the face of it their stand alone record suggests that Jerry was bringing much more than Dino to the party.
4 Similarly how much were the large grosses of films like Some Came Running, The Young Lions, Airport, Rio Bravo and Sons of Katie Elder due to Dean’s box office pull? Was he bringing to those movies just the mere $55 million average that he brought to his stand-alone movies? In all of his post solo movies where he was not alone he was buttressed by big names who were proven box office stars at their peak: -Sinatra, Lancaster, The Duke and old Mumbles.
4 Also Gloria Grahame’s handful of low budget films as a leading lady all failed at the box office so it seems highly disproportionate to credit her with the grosses for blockbuster hits like Not as a Stranger and the Greatest Show on Earth both of which boasted a cavalcade of massive stars like Mitchum. DeHavilland, Sinatra, Hutton , Lamour and Heston. In the middle of her 6-year heyday when Gloria appeared with my Joan in Sudden Fear Gloria’s name was in small letters below the title and Joan’s towered above the title in all the posters. “Check it out!” as Bill Murray kept saying in Scrooged.
5 Accordingly to paraphrase the Bible how do we come up with a formula that will “ Give unto Dino and Gloria those things which are theirs and unto the Movie Gods that which belongs to the Movie Gods”? On the other hand Brando and the Duke for example were not singers and would not have been successful in nightclub acts and TV variety shows Accordingly I stick by my view that it is only in the round that we can consider Dino an entertainment Great but that he undoubtedly was that..
6 In fact Mr Mumbles was paid $1 million by Michael Jackson as a guest artist in one of Jackson’s stage concerts and Mr M was booed off when he started to lecture about poverty the guests who had paid a king’s ransom for their lavish dinners at the event! So whilst his heart might have been in the right place and he was great treading the boards as Stanley it would seem that as a variety stage performer he would have been lucky to land a spot in even one of Joel Hirschhorn’s nightclub acts.
7 I should add that the views that I have expressed above are hopefully objective and not subjective because I liked Martin in movies but found Lewis irksome, but then I will pinch from Marilyn Monroe and say “I’m the one who felt sorry for the Creature.” [from the Black Lagoon]
Hey Dorothy….those were fun movies for sure. Thanks for checking out our Dean page.
My favorites were the Matt Helm series.