Dean Martin

Born: June 17th 1917
Where: Steubenville, Ohio

Martin made his name opposite Jerry Lewis as the straight half of one of America's most successful comedy duos of the 1940s and 50s.

They appeared together in sixteen films, including Sailor Beware in 1951 and Artists & Models in 1955; they began in 1949 with My Friend Irma and ended in 1956 with Hollywood or Bust.

When the team's ten-year partnership ended, the relaxed and often self-spoofing Martin sustained his popularity via recordings (such as the hit Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime), TV specials and his own long-running TV variety show.

He also had several competent screen roles, often as a smooth ladies' man, in films such as Edward Dmytryk's The Young Lions and Vincente Minnelli's Some Came Running, both of which were released in 1958.

A year later, he featured in Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo opposite John Wayne and this was followed by four appearances in 1960 including his turn in Ocean's Eleven and the almost tailor-made role in the Minnelli musical Bells Are Ringing.

As a member of Frank Sinatra's inner circle in the early 1960s, he co-starred in the Rat Pack's off-the-cuff movies (e.g. Robin and the Seven Hoods, in 1964) and he also played a hammy, Americanised version of James Bond in the Matt Helm movies of the late 60s.

Martin's son, actor-singer Dean Paul Martin, was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1987.