#mack gray

[luzzarm]

Mack Gray did WHAT

— from ᴰⁱⁿᵒ: ᴸⁱᵛⁱⁿᵍ ᴴⁱᵍʰ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᴰⁱʳᵗʸ ᴮᵘˢⁱⁿᵉˢˢ ᵒᶠ ᴰʳᵉᵃᵐˢ ᵇʸ ᴺⁱᶜᵏ ᵀᵒˢᶜʰᵉˢ 1992

[gatutor]

S. Z. Sakall-Mack Gray-Janet Blair "Broadway" 1942, de William A. Seiter.

[scholarofgloom]

[jerrylewis-thekid]

Why didn't they make them sit at the same table?? Also in some photos from one of Dean's public birthdays Jerry and Patti are sitting at a separate table.

Look how serious Jerry is. Look how handsome Jerry is. The nicest one in the room!

Once again, Jerry's seriousness where I put the arrow.

All together... there was an army of people with them on the Queen Elizabeth when they went to England. And Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh who were with them are not in the photos. Frank Branda, Jerry's assistant, who was NOT an assistant all his life but only for a few years. The ubiquitous MACK GRAY who was with Dean from 1948 until his death in 1981. The man in the center looks like Dean's father... he looks a lot like him.

[jerrylevitch]

Hi there, what was the relationship between Dean and Mack Gray? I can't seem to find much information. How close were they? Wikipedia says he was also the "confidant" of George Raft and Frank Sinatra, not that I believe everything Wiki says. How did they meet, how long were they close, how close was close? Dean seems like such a closed-off person, I'm curious. Thanks!

Well I'm going to tag @paul-and-jer on this post because they were really into researching Mack Gray, and I wasn't as familiar with how deep Mack and Dean's relationship went besides them being good friends. Dean never went anywhere without Mack pretty much after Dean and Jer broke up. Apparently Mack was recommending what songs that Dean should be singing on his shows and stuff, along with Ken Lane of course. He also went on all the family vacations with Dean's family. Mack got Dean hooked on the Percodan after his golf injury and pain. Mack was of course hooked on it himself. He also introduced Jerry to it in the 50's before he would get hooked on it in after his back injury. Mack's death was a huge blow to Dean and he was devastated. They both got along so well because they both used to be boxers. Mack was basically the main person telling Dean he could do without Jerry, and didn't like Jerry. Even though there is a picture of Jerry kissing Mack. lol Apparently Mack didn't like how Jerry treated Dean. I guess he wanted to be the main man in Dean's life. Paul-and-Jer can jump in with any additional comments. :)

[thetivarabbithole]

Mack: I’m Dean’s bestie.

Jerry: *rolls eyes*

Mack: seriously. We’re always together.

Jerry: sure, honey.

Mack: no for real! He needs me!

Jerry: Sweetie, there’s a difference between you being obsessed with him, and him asking around about you, and telling jokes and coming alive when you enter a room. But I guess being just a friend is nice too.

[jerrylewis-thekid]

.

Hello, I was writing and deleting an hour ago because I don't know how to ask a question and also because of my anger, so simply how did Jerry deal with the fact that Dean preferred Mak over him for thirty years and the possibility that they were a couple... How did Jerry continue to love him?! How did he continue to love a man who did not care about his feelings and knew that he had been replaced!! I can't believe Dean preferred this idiot over Jerry!!!

Everything about Dean and Jerry is very complicated. I'm sure Dean loved Jerry but more than anything he loved "the Kid". The emotional addict with light feminine features who looked at him with adoring eyes and who had put him at the center of her world. Dean, perhaps for the first time in his life, was a "hero" to someone. But Jerry grew up year after year. He was a wild colt, he had his dreams (directing) and he had to fulfill his dreams. As it should be. And year after year he lost his adorable feminine characteristics and his sweetness as a child and became more and more manly and more masculine. And he had started to think a little more about himself, I REPEAT, AS IT SHOULD BE. Mack Gray was no idiot. He had worked for twenty years for George Raft, a domineering and arrogant narcissist with a hint of the mafia. Mack Gray had learned full submission with Raft. He never married. He has practically lived as Dean Martin's shadow since 1952, the year in which he officially began working for Dean, but since 1948, the year in which they met, Mack was all too present in Dean's life. I've written several posts about this. There's too much to write now… but the fact that that man was so close to Dean, so present in his public and private life (Mack Gray went on holiday with Dean and his whole family. After the breakup with Jerry It was as if he was part of Dean's family in all respects) and above all Dean's reaction to the death of Mack Gray (he was practically committing suicide with alcohol and drugs) and Deana Martin's words when she wrote in her book that " without Mack Gray my father's life was no longer the same" which makes me fear. Very. Dean Martin has argued with everyone at one time or another. Even with Sinatra. With Mack Gray NO. I'll write a more complete post as soon as I can.

Jerry at a certain point stopped totally submitting to Dean. Mack Gray always submitted to Dean and had no talent. He was physically ugly and untalented, without physical beauty Mack Gray could NEVER have outshined Dean. By the mid-1960s Jerry had become overwhelmingly beautiful. Next to each other Jerry would appear the adonis. Dean was nine years older than Jerry. And Dean didn't want to be overshadowed by anyone. And there were certainly those who fueled his insecurities. And I'm sure a certain blonde woman did it day after day.

[jerrylewis-thekid]

Jerry Lewis: Frank Sinatra (as Joseph Levitich) Dean Martin: Ava Gardner (as Dino Crocetti)

Dean Martin: Jerry Lewis (attitude) Frank Sinatra: Frank Sinatra

Dean Martin: Jerry Lewis (as Jerry Lewis) Mack Gray: Dean Martin (as Dean Martin)

- At the end -

Jerry Lewis: Frank Sinatra Dean Martin: Ava Gardner