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ON THE BROADWAY SCENE ByBurtBoyar NEW YORK, N. Y., June 4. ELDORADO 5-2600: "Savoy-Plaza." "Mr. Dean Martin, please." . . . "How are you Mr. Martin?" "Real fine, thanks." "Okay if we just do a few minutes on the phone? Like right now?" "You go right ahead." "Shall I ask provocative questions?" "Weir, now dont ask me about Jerry cause I want that to be all over with yknow." "No more Jerry, eh?" "Yeah, I just wanta say that hes gonna do all right. Hes a good boy and hes got a lotta talent thats all I can say. Hes a great talent. I dont want any of this wishy-washy anymore its all over." "Whattya mean by wishy-washy?" "Well, I mean this, us, back and forth remarks I think the publics sick and tired of it." "That was a very punchy article you did for TV Guide about him." "Well, I finally had to blow my top because how long could a guy take it, yknow?" "Whats Next with you?" "Well, Im gonna fly on down to Pittsburgh and open at the Twin Coaches." "I understand you took that job in pref erence to a more lucrative offer from Miami Beach." "Oh, no Im goin to the Americana in Florida January 27 at loads of money. i have to. Ive got seven children. Then Ill make a picture, and after that Im going to do my own TV show. Im going to have Bing and Frank as my guests." "Thats a pretty fair guest list!" "Oh, I dont take any chances no sir Im no big man ..." "Youre the cautious type?" "Oh, Im no big man at all! I dont think anybody can carry a whole show himself I dont care who he is." "Thats Perry Comds formula, and . . ." "Why hes the smartest man alive because hes Italian." "Sorry To Ask You so many trite, questions. Actually, I had a question concerned ; with Jerry ..." "Well, what is it? As long as its not, uh ..." "Well, I spoke with him when he was at the Palace and he referred to a feeling he gets when he goes onstage like he couldnt find what he wanted to do. He couldnt become his own character. He was like in the middle of nowhere . . "Well, hes not doing what hes supposed i to do. Because this man is not a song and dance -man this man is not a man of pathos this man is a great comedian hes a great slapstick comedian and if he does that hell be one of the greatest come 1 dians in the world, but he does not want to do that I dont know what hes got a bug in his ear he should just concentrate on being the greatest comedian in the world which he CAN be but he wants to sing and dance and thats for for Fred Astaire, yknow. You dont do that! Now, in my club act I do 50 minutes of well, I do 20 songs, but I do a lot of funny patter in between because when I step onstage I dont HAVJETto make the people laugh and its a little extra when they laugh. See, now Jerrys fortunate. HesJfortunate in a lot of other ways, but he just wont take advantage of it. He can if he takes advantage of what God DID give him hes always speakin of the good Lord I mean, but hes not doin what the good Lord is askin him to. Yknow, if God gives you somethin youve gotta take care of it. This man is a funny man. ... Now, I hear a lot of people who saw his act say that he comes out after the seven or eight boys finally bring him out. after eight minutes of saying Here he comes, here he comes . . ." AAA "It Was An Embarrassing introduction!" "Certainly. Now, my music starts and they say Dean Martin and Im out there." "Thats what Sinatra did at the Copa. They played a few bars of music and he just walked out ..." "And there he was." "And then I understand that he comes Continued on Page Forty i. ON THE BROADWAY SCENE By BURT BOYAR Continued from Page Two out and he talks in a fake low voice. Well, that isnt right. He doesnt talk in a low voice and then after 20 or 30 minutes he starts gettin like the old Jerry Lewis with the funny things." a a y He Seems To have a problem being that character. He cant seem to feel it itr was really very sad, in a way." "It Is sad, because I think he has a feeling that he doesnt want people to laugh at "him anymore. He wants em to think that hes a dramatic a big man hes not that hes a great comedian if he gets on to himself hell be a great entertainer but right now hes not." AAA "Do You Feel That the singing is Something psychological?" "Well, maybe thats in the back of his mind, I dont know. I call him Jerry Jolson." "How about Asa Lewis?" ; "People dont wanta see Jerry with a long face and so dignified. I go out and I do so much more clowning. And, look, Im throwin bouquets at myself, but after my first engagement in Vegas why, my price just upped another third,, and its because Im doing what I can do. You should not lie onstage." "Thats right. You cant fool an audience." "Oh, no, not anymore. You could back in the old days, but you cant do that anymore. Not when these people are watching TV every night and theyre becoming directors and producers sure, you cant fool em on TV anymore." "They can afford to be awfully selective." "Thats right." "Look at your own TV show. Youre gonna give em yourself, And Sinatra And Bing Crosby, thats a pretty good bill for just turning a knob." "I cant miss! I do not see how I can miss! I may be bad- Bufc 1 know those two guys arent going fo be." AAA "Youre Gonna have them on different shows, right?" "Oh, no." "You mean all three of you on the Same show "Certainly! The same show!" "Oh, youre kidding?" : "Oh no Im not. I think the three of us are gonna get arrested. And then Im trying to throw in-EUa Fitzgerald. Oh, I mean it. Oh yeah!. And, were trym to think up a good down-to-earth sketch that everybody in Kansas and Iowa will understand." "When will that show be?" "I think its gonna go in September. Its my own package. I get a lotta money, but Im gpnna Spend a lotta money. Im not mad at it, but you gotta spend money to -make money. NBC wanted me to do eight shows a year, but I said no I wanted to do two." "Howcum?" "Well, you take Jackie Gleason, and Caesar and Perry Como. Perrys different. He has all these stars. He can sustain. But, Gleason, well, they can say Gleasons on . . . well see him next week. But if I go on theyll say lets make a point to see Dean with Bing and Frank. Lets see that show. I was talking to Frank just two nights ago. He pulled outa the Jerry show, yknow." "I heard!" t "He was gonna do that, but I dont know what happened I guess he didnt like the idea of two singers on the same show."
