I always thought he was good at acting but never given much credit. I am probably biased because I adore this guy but he could make me laugh like hell, fall in love, or cry with empathy. I used to love Matt Helm films when he went through women like water. Sexist, yes, but I never seemed to mind. He's also my second favorite Christmas singer.
shareI agree. He was a natural actor and, when given screen time, always used it well.
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Ditto!
And he was so good in this one. How he lifts himself out of his sadle and tackles the deputy sheriff off his horse. So cool!
But boy did he wore some ugly pants here.
Oh and I found a goof up. When they put the shackles on him, we can clearly see it's been put on his left leg... Afterwards in the shed when the blacksmith takes them off again, it's on his right... hmmm a very nifty trick Dean!
If this is just the beginnin',
my life is gonna be BEA-U-TI-FUL
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I'm glad he loved doing westerns so much. It really shows in his performance and I hope I can collect all of them.
I always considered Clint Eastwood as being THE ultimate gunslinger hero and his western flicks as the best ones around (besides The Magnificent Seven and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid gems) but Dean has opened my eyes and show me the way to even better western movies...Rio Bravo, Sons of Katie Elder and Bandolero.
Two more Dean Martin westerns to look for: "Showdown" with Rock Hudson - very underrated, and "Rough Night In Jericho", where he plays the BAD GUY!!!!!!
"I thought you was dead" - "Not hardly"
From my comments about the movie "Rio Bravo":
You know, Dean Martin is pretty underrated as an actor. (By the way, he and Duke played brothers in "Sons of Katie Elder." How UNLIKELY is that?) Later, Martin got the reputation of being rather unprofessional, as he realy showed up for rehearsals for his TV show.
In the Martin & Lewis movies, he was always overshadowed by the manic (but genius) rantings of Lewis. But watch Martin; he provides SOLID foundation for these films.
The "Matt Helm" movies were pretty fluffy, not requiring much from Martin besides his presence.
But it is EXACTLY his carefree demeanor that makes his work so good. He always seems relaxed and doesn't force a performance. And his TV show always seemed spontaneous--that was a great part of its charm.
Seeing Martin's work in this film (Rio Bravo), and his role as the playboy-rich-kid-who-turns-into-a-poor-family-man in "What a Way to Go" shows me the guy had acting chops and is under-appreciated.
"Dadoo4050: and who, disguised as a mild-mannered schoolteacher. . ."
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Dean Martin was a great actor. He also did a great job in the other John Wayne western Rio Bravo. He was in some Frank Sinatra westerns such as Four For Texas and Sergents Three which were very funny and also Texas Across the River.
I heard when making Sons of Katie Elder which was filmed in Mexico that he got tired of eating Mexican food and ordered some steaks delivered by plane from Los Angeles for himself and the cast. I don't remember the name of the restaurant though but it is good trivia.
I think Dean was a fine actor, namely in stellar dramas like The Young Lions and Some Came Running, but, as discussed, he was joy to watch in westerns and no matter the quality of the picture, Dean kept things afloat -- The Sons of Katie Elder and Rio Bravo were definite high points, the latter, one of the best the genre has to offer!
NOW TARZAN MAKE WAR!
I always liked him in his western roles. In Sons of Katie Elder he is a bit underused.
IMO his best western next to Sons of Katie Elder are Rio Bravo, 5 Card Stud and Rough Night in Jericho.
"Well, nobody's perfect."
I've always thought of Dean Martin as a likeable actor, even when he plays less than likeable characters, Dee Bishop in Bandolero! comes to mind. As good as he was, I think he was at his best with John Wayne in Rio Bravo and Sons of Katie Elder. The two of them were excellent together and really had some chemistry.
"Congratulations, Major. It appears that at last you have found yourself a real war." Ben Tyreen
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