Tom Donahue’s music documentary Dean Martin: King of Cool uses a bevy of interviews and archival clips of the star in order to portray Dean Martin as both a man and entertainer. With an onstage persona that oozed confidence wherever he went, singer/actor Dean Martin is best remembered as one of Hollywood’s most easygoing performers.
Donahue has an exhaustive list of celebrities in this educational documentary, from the Queens of the Stone Age lead singer Josh Homme to stars that worked alongside Martin like Carol Burnett and Angie Dickinson. They’re all glowing in their admiration for the man (Homme even says that when Martin sings “I can hear him smiling).
However, Donahue also explores Dean away from the limelight. He portrays him as a loving family man, detailing his rough upbringing in Stuebenville, Ohio before he found stardom. There’s also a deeply personal interview where we see Dean mourning the loss of his son Dean Paul, who lost his life at 35 in a plane crash. Donahue treats Martin both as a larger-than-life entertainer and a family man to great effect here.
Donahue’s interviews are deftly edited, and paint Martin as both a beloved icon and a man with principles. This is illustrated when Martin refuses to meet to attend JFK’s inauguration after Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt weren’t offered invites because they were an interracial couple. Donahue’s portrayal is a striking one and recommended viewing for anyone fond of the crooner. This documentary is a quality resource for music, history, and biography film collections. It would also be appropriate for any Rat Pack library programming. Aud: C, P.