THE DEAN MARTIN CELEBRITY ROAST SET 1
Dean made a total of 54 of these "roasts", and
each one had a stellar cast of who's who from
the time period; actors, comedians, politicians,
military figures, sports figures and astronauts!
I have added one more disc here! It's one that I
made from an old VHS tape of the roast of Frank
Sinatra!! This does not play on the PS2, nor the
portable DVD player!! This is unfortunately not
available on any of the sets put out so far!!
Unforgivable!!
The humor here is pretty clean throughout, and
although dated, anyone who knows these people
will appreciate the humor!! Laugh on!!!!!
ROAST # 1: LUCILLE BALL(B+)(Feb. 8, 1975):
Roasters included: Jack Benny(B-), Ginger Rogers(B-), Don Rickles(A-),
Bob Hope(A-), Dan Rowan & Dick Martin(B+), Totie Fields(B+), Milton
Berle(B+), Henry Fonda(B-), Nipsey Russell(B+), Vivian Vance((B-),
Rich Little(B+), Foster Brooks(A-), Phyllis Diller(A), Ruth Buzzi(C),
Gary Morton(Lucy's husband)(B), Gale Gordon(C+) & Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 2: JACK BENNY(A)(Feb. 22, 1974):
Roasters included: Pearl Bailey(C+), Joey Bishop(B), Foster Brooks(A-),
George Burns(B+), Jack Carter(B), Norm Crosby(B), Florence Henderson(B),
Rich Little(B), Dick Martin(B), Zubin Mehta(C+), Wayne Newton(B-),
Mark Spitz(C+), Jimmy Stewart(A), Demon Wilson(C+) & Dean Martin(A)!!
ROAST # 3: JOHNNY CARSON(A)(NOV. 2, 1973):
Roasters included: Dom DeLouise(B), Bob Newhart(A), Joey
Biship(B+), Jack Benny(B+), Dionne Warwick(B), George Burns(A),
Redd Foxx(C), Sen. Barry Goldwater(B), Jonathan Winters(B),
Rich Little(A++), Ruth Buzzi(B-), Bette Davis(B+), Doc Severnsen(B),
Foster Brooks(B+), George Goble(not seen), Martin Milner & Kent McCord(B-),
Cliff Robertson(not seen), Mrs. Joanna Carson(1973)(C), Tuman Capote(B+)
& Dean Martin(A+)!! A
ROAST # 4: WILT CHAMBERLAIN(C+)(Nov. 9, 1973):
Roasters included: Ken Berry(B-), Norm Crosby(B+), Jackie Gayle(B+), Happy
Hairston(B+), George Kennedy(B-), Audrey Meadows(B), Nipsey Russell(B),
Vernon Scott(UP Reporter)(C), Billy Shoemaker(B-) & Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 5: JOAN COLLINS(B)(Feb. 23, 1984):
Roasters included: Angie Dickenson(C+), Gavin MacLeod(B-), John Forsythe(B+),
Dom DeLouise(B-), Anne Baxter(C+), Bea Arthur(B-), Rich Little(B), Milton Berle(B+),
Don Rickles(A-), Phyllis Diller(B-), Aaron Spelling(B-), Zsa Zsa Gabor(C+), Red
Buttons(A-), Charlie Callas(B-) & Dean Martin(A)!!
ROAST # 6: SAMMY DAVIS JR.(A+)(Apr. 25, 1975):
Roasters included: Freddie Prinze(B+), Don Rickles(A), Phyllis
Diller(A-), Nipsey Russell(A-), Danny Thomas(did not talk),
Milton Berle(B+), Dionne Warwick(B+), Wilt Chamberlain(B),
Joey Bishop(A-), Jan Murray(B), Frank Gorshin(B), Foster
Brooks(A), Norm Crosby(C+), Altovise Davis(Sammy's Wife)(B)
& Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 7: KIRK DOUGLAS(B)(Oct. 12, 1973):
Roasters included: Ted Knight(B-), Norm Crosby(B-), Jack
Burns & Avery Shcreiber(C+), Rich Little(B-), Lynne Anderson(C),
Jackie Gayle(C+), Don Rickles(B-) & Dean Martin(A-)!! A
ROAST # 8: JACKIE GLEASON(A)(Feb. 27, 1975):
Roasters included: Phyllis Diller(B+), Art Carney(A), Gene Kelly(B),
Danny Thomas(B), Milton Berle(B+), Audrey Meadows(B+), Cid Ceasar(C),
Foster Brooks(A-), Sheila McRae(B-), Jane Kean(did not speak), Nipsey Russell(B+),
Frank Gorshin(B) & Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 9: BOB HOPE(A)(OCT. 31, 1974):
Roasters included: Flip Wilson(B), Jimmy Stewart(A+), Howard
Cosell(C), Jack Benny(B), Gen. Omar Bradley(B), Phyllis Diller(B),
Milton Berle(B), Astronaut Neil Armstrong(B), Rich Little(C), Ginger
Rogers(not seen), Rev. Billy Graham(C), Johnny Bench(not seen),
Foster Brooks(B), Gov.(at the time) Ronald Reagan(A), Nipsey
Russell(B+), Don Rickles(A), Sugar Ray Robinson(not seen), Mark
Spitz(not seen), Zsa Zsa Gabor(B), John Wayne(B), Delores
Hope(Bob's Wife)(B), Sec. of State Henry Kissinger(B+) and
Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 10: SEN. HUBERT HUMPHREY(B-)(Nov. 23, 1973):
Roasters included: Audrey Meadows(C+), Foster Brooks(A-), Ted Knight(C+),
Gene Kelly(B+), Leo Durocher(C+), Pat Henry(B-), Rich Little(B-), Mark Russell(C),
Nipsey Russell(B+), Donald Rice III(C), Mort Sahl(C+), Sen. Lowell Weicker(B-),
Elsie Birdwell(?) & Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 11: MICHAEL LANDON(A+)(Dec. 7, 1984):
Roasters included: Merlin Olsen(B), Brian Keith(B), Don Rickles(B), Melissa
Gilbert(A+), Rich Little(B+), Dick Butkus & Bubba Smith(B), Lorne Green(B),
Maureen Murphy(B-), Vic Tayback(B-), Pat Harrington Jr.(B+), Dick Shawn(B),
Orson Wells(B), Norm Crosby(B), Slappy White(B) & Dean Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 12: DEAN MARTIN(A)(Feb. 27, 1976):
Roasters included: Bob Hope(A), Orson Wells(A), Jimmy Stewart(A),
Gene Kelly(B+), John Wayne(B+), Muhammad Ali(B), Gabe Kaplan(C+), Tony
Orlando(C), Howard Cosell(C), Dan Rowan & Dick Martin(B+), Sen. Barry
Goldwater(B), Joe Namath(C), Rich Little(A-), Angie Dickenson(C), Joey
Bishop(A), Sen. Hubert Humphry(B-), Foster Brooks(A), Paul Lynde(B),
Georgia Engel(C+), Charlie Callas(B), Ruth Buzzi(A+), Nipsey Russell(B) &
Don Rickles(Host)(A)!!
This roast has many clips from the other roasts that have
many greats poking fun at Dean!! A+
ROAST # 13: CARROLL O'CONNOR(C+)(Dec. 7, 1973)
Roasters included: Dan Rowan & Dick Martin(B), Gene Kelly(B), Joey Bishop(B),
Don Rickles(B), CBS President(1973) Robert Wood(B), Mike Conners(?), Redd
Foxx(C+), Marty Allen(C), Cass Elliott(Mamas and Papas)(B-), Nipsey Russell(B), Norm
Crosby(B), Foster Brooks(A), Ruth Buzzy(C), William Conrad(B), Zsa Zsa Gabor(B-),
Sen. Barry Goldwater(B), William Holden(?), Mayor Of NY John Lyndsey(B), Donald
O'Conner(B), Charles Nelson Riley(B) & Dean Martin(A) !! A
ROAST # 14: DON RICKLES(A)(Feb. 8, 1974):
(This was 90 minutes instead of the usual 60!)
Roasters included: Dan Rowan & Dick Martin(B+), Jack Klugman(B), Joey
Bishop(A), Cliff Robertson(C), Lorne Green(B), Telly Savalas(B), Rich Little(B+),
Bob Newhart(B+), Foster Brooks(A), Nipsey Russell(B+), Pat Henry(B), Charlie
Callas(B), Astronaut Capt. Eugene Cernan(B), Carol Channing(B-), Phyllis Diller(B), Kirk
Douglas(B-), Casey Kasem(C) & Dean Martin(A)!!
ROAST # 15: JIMMY STEWART(A+)(May 10, 1978):
Roasters included: June Allyson(B+), Lucille Ball(A), Greer Garson(B)
Red Buttons(B), Sen. Barry Goldwater(B), LaWanda Page(C), Henry
Fonda(B-), Eddie Albert(A-), Foster Brooks(A-), George Burns(B+), Ruth Buzzi(C)
Tony Randall(B-), Don Rickles(B+), Rich Little(B+), Janet Leigh(B), Milton
Berle(B+), Jesse White(A-), Orson Wells(A++), Mickey Rooney(B) & Dean
Martin(A)!! A
ROAST # 16: FRANK SINATRA(A+)(May 10, 1978):
(This is the longest of all the roasts at 1 hr and 40 min.!)
Roasters included: Gov. Ronald Reagan(B), Gene Kelly(A+), Don Rickles(B+)
George Burns(a), Dom DeLuise(B-), Red Foxx(C+), Jimmy Stewart(A-)
Flip Wilson(B-), Telly Savalas(C+), Jonathan Winters(A-), Jack Klugman(B),
LaWanda Paige(C), Red Buttons(B), Milton Berle(B+), Ernest Borgnine(B),
Orson Welles(B), Rich Little(A-), Peter Falk(A), Ruth Buzzi(B-), Charlie
Callas(A-) & Dean Martin(Roastmaster)(A)!! A
Specials on discs:
Disc 1:
Dean's Place: Not very good!! (C)
Featurette: Legends of the Roasts: Excellent!! (A+)
Interviews:
Don Rickles: OK! (B)
Betty White: (A)
Disc 3:
Featurette: The Art of the Roast(B+)
Interviews:
Rich Little(B+)
Jackie Mason(B)
Disc 4:
Featurette: The King Of Cool: Always In Fashion(B)
Interviews:
Tim Conway(A)
Ruth Buzzi(C)
Bonus Comedy Sketches From The Dean Martin Show:
Lost And Found - Dean, Ted Knight, Burns & Shreiber(B+);
The Oldest Man - Dean And Tim Conway(A-);
The Balloons - Burns & Schreiber(C+);
Marriage Counselor #1 - Dean and Gail Materko(B);
The Bar #5 - Dean, Ted Knight & Tim Conway(A)
Disc 6:
Dean Martin's Red Hot Scandals of 1926(B-)
This has Dom DeLouise, Jonathan Winters,
Abe Vigoda along with Dean.
Disc 7:
Interview:
Carol Burnett(A)
Comedy Sketches from The Dean Martin Show:
Superman: Dean and Audrey Meadows(B)
The Modfather: Dean and George Kennedy(B-)
The Bar #11: Dean and George Kennedy(B)
From a reviewer at IMDb.com:
It's hard not to laugh at the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
even the infomercial has more laughs than any episode of
the dreadful Friends or Will & Grace. Dean Martin and friends
poke fun at each other and themselves. In these videos, you
will see stars like Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, Dean Martin,
Muhammad Ali, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and so many others
who are no longer with us. It is hard to imagine the loss art
of being a celebrity. Maybe they had problems with drinking,
sex, drugs, but they still maintained a sense of dignity and
apparent happiness to their fans. These celebrities like
Bob Hope, Ali, and Carson are still with us but there are
so many who are not with us anymore. Dean Martin deserved
to be remembered as the father of the roasts. Rest in Peace,
Dean, we still miss you! - (sylviastel@aol.com)