So there have been a few comments on facebook lately on my posts (in the past on tumblr) saying that Dean did not like/love Jerry at all. For anyone who think that Dean Martin did not love/like Jerry Lewis, here are a few facts for you.
1. Dean didn’t have to stay with Jerry at Jerry's home for 2 months, when he left Jeanne for a short time in 1953, but he did.
2. Dean didn’t have to be in Jerry’s home movie parodies, but he did.
3. Dean didn’t have to stay with Jerry in Carmel at a place together, on yet another occasion where he left Jeanne, but he did. Jerry left his own wife at home, to be with Dean when he left Jeanne!
4. They took vacations together that had nothing to do with touring!
5. No matter what, whenever Dean or Jerry referred to each other after the split up they still called each other “my partner.”
6: There were instances of people saying derogatory remarks about Jerry, where Dean punched them in the face or shot back at them with sarcastic remarks at them depending on the situation. Dean always defended Jerry.
7. When Dean signed with Capitol records, he specified that they sign Jerry too, or they wouldn't have him. (I have an article confirming this)
8. When Jerry had an accident and fell off the stage hurting his spine in 1952. Dean rushed to his side and wouldn't let anyone touch Jerry. He carried him off the stage and into the ambulance. Dean actually cried and couldn't go back on to complete the show. When the theatre manager demanded that Dean complete the show because of their contract, he told him off.
What does this all mean??? Dean loved Jerry, and was his friend! That is why he stuck with him. Also why would Dean in 1966 at the height of his solo career, even entertain the idea of getting back together with Jerry after they reunited at Sy Devore’s funeral. They literally discussed getting back together. Obviously Dean didn’t need the money at that point, so why would he want to get back with the person “who caused him so much aggravation.” Could it be that maybe he missed Jerry???? Here are some quotes that make my point.
“In the beginning of our relationship, Jerry was just wonderful, and I was doing all the funny things that I had always wanted to do. I love to hear laughter, but I couldn’t get laughter just singing. Hearing a whole audience laugh is like getting drunk.“ - Dean Martin
“Oh, God, we had such fun, it was ridiculous. He’s (Dean) doing a number one night and he calls me up. He said, I hope I didn’t interrupt you when you’re busy.” I said “No, I was just standing around listening to you.’ He said, ‘In the middle of the song I thought to myself, I miss him.’ I said ‘That’s why you called me up, because you missed me?’ He said ‘Yeah–now we’re together–isn’t that wonderful?” - Jerry Lewis, Dean and Me
"One of their stage bits calls for Dean to catch Jerry. In Minneapolis on their last tour, Jerry missed a small movement, landed on his back with a sickening crunch and passed out. They rushed him to the hospital, with Dean beside him in the ambulance, racked by the dread that his boy’s back was broken. The doctor couldn’t say until they made a series of tests and had taken some X-rays.Meantime the audience waited. ‘What’ll I do? asked the manager. ‘Refund their money?’ ‘I’ll go back ,’ said Dean. ‘At least I can sing a few songs.’ He stepped out to a tremendous ovation. Halfway through his song, emotion strangled him. He couldn’t choke out so much as a word of apology. He could only turn on his heel and get out of there fast. The manager apologized for him, while he fled back to the hospital and Jerry. Not til dawn did the doctors bring re-assurance. ‘It’s alright. The back isn’t broken. Just some badly torn ligaments that will heal.’ Dean’s face started to crumple, but he controlled it. The tears that misted his vision, he couldn’t control."— “Behind That Riot Act” by Ida Zeitlin Photoplay Magazine, September, 1952
"Our partnership in many ways is a marriage…. I dare say we’ve spent more time together than most married couples do.” - Dean Martin
“I don’t know where he is, but wherever he is, he must be doing just fine, because he has bundles of talent and he’s a wonderful guy.” Dean Martin’s comeback to a heckler saying ‘Where’s Jerry?’
“I’ve said we’ve been together almost a decade. Sometimes as a gag I say it seems more like 15 years. Actually it’s more like five. I trust him implicitly” - Dean Martin
“On the road for six years, while we were mainly doing nightclubs, we roomed together much of the time. We never had a difference of opinion we couldn’t resolve by ourselves and quickly. Indeed, until a bunch of outsiders got into the act, we never had an argument which wasn’t settled by sundown.” - Dean Martin
"When we shook hands on our partnership, I said in my heart, this is forever, ‘til death do us part. It still goes! Sometimes he makes mistakes. Sometimes I make mistakes. But as long as people let us alone, the team of Martin & Lewis will go on.” - Dean Martin
“It was Dean’s 72nd birthday and Jerry surprised him with a cake. It was a touching moment. Jerry walked out singing ‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. It’s me, the old Jew, happy birthday to you.’ The crowd went wild and Dean was clearly surprised and didn’t know what to say. In a turnabout from their 1976 reunion, he looked at Jerry and said ‘You’re all dressed up. You working?’ Jerry looked at the cake ‘We would have had 72 candles but with your breath, we’d have had another frickin’ fire.’
Dean said ‘You’re still the best in the whole world.“ Before the curtain closed, they embraced and Dean said "I love you, and I mean it."’
“Maria Lauren Alberici-Riccio (Golddigger, 1973 – 1991): Before the telethon reunion, Dean let us in on the private messages and jokes written with our lipstick that he had been leaving for Jerry Lewis via his dressing room mirror. Jerry played the MGM Grand and had left Dean some razzing but good humored remarks on the mirror prior to our engagement. Dean was like a little boy bragging about it to us, ‘Look at what I wrote to Jerry; look what ‘Crazy’ wrote to me. I answered him real good…’ He was so cute!”
