Dean and Me: (A Love Story)
by Jerry Lewis, James Kaplan
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Book Summary Information
Author: James Kaplan, Jerry LewisEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-10
ISBN: 0767920872
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Book Reviews of Dean and Me: (A Love Story)
Book Review: A Generous Valentine
Summary: 4 Stars
The title says it all--Jerry really, really loved Dean. They teamed up while still very young; Martin was 29 and Lewis only 19 when they got together. Dean was devastatingly handsome and debonair, while Lewis played the goofus to perfection. Jerry admired his partner enormously, but knew that he could not emulate him. So instead he adopted Dean as his honorary big brother and then show-business partner, playing characters that he alternately described as a monkey, a nine-year-old, and an idiot. Dean remained in his persona of the suave crooner and straight man, while Jerry careened around the stage (and sometimes the room) like a "bat out of hell." Long story short, they had chemistry. Jerry gives Dean big credit for his comedic talent, impeccable timing, and ability to ad lib. With so much liking for each other and such complementary skills, they were able to have fun and to play off of each other rather than the audience, never relying on canned skits. Their sense of fun and spontaneity set them apart from all other performers in an otherwise stuffy era (1946-56), and they invited their fans to join in the party. Their shenanigans led to better gigs, fists full of money, and eventually a movie career.
But with success came thorns. During their decade as America's top act, Lewis was considered the real talent, to the extent that a cover story in Look magazine cropped Dean out of their joint photo leaving Jerry with some actress. They did a majority of their films under director Hal Wallis, whose formulaic approach to their act shortchanged Martin. Dean escaped to some extent by playing golf and drinking, although he was never the alcoholic that he portrayed. But under his calm exterior a building anger simmered, and soon he kept standing Jerry up on important engagements and becoming less and less available to him.
What makes this memoir special is Jerry's honesty. He admits that sometimes his ego took advantage of the situation, he was openly and enthusiastically promiscuous, he often hurt his wife and children by not being available to them, and he was addicted to Percodan after a back injury. While an addict, there were whole blocks of time that he lost to memory including some of his telethons. Dean eventually got fed up even before all of this unfolded and he opted out, at which point Jerry wanted out as well. But this book makes abundantly clear that Lewis still carried a torch until Martin's death in 1995, and they had a couple of well-publicized reunions that fed his hopes of a reconciliation. He would call Dean on the phone or approach him in a restaurant, getting a polite response without much reciprocity. But Jerry tells their story in loving and laudatory terms, and you finish the book with a new respect for both men. They had an amazing talent that they shared generously, first together and then in successful solo careers. The entertainment world is better off for having its nod to this unlikely pair.
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