The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1998) (TV)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Greg Garrison

Writers:

David Axlerod (writer)
Michael Barrie (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Documentary

Plot:

Video series spotlighting memorable moments and roasts hosted by Dean Martin. "Dean Martin Celebrity...

Plot Keywords:

Compilation | Character Name In Title

Cast

Dean Martin	...	Himself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself - Roastee (Guest of Honor) (archive footage) (as Muhammed Ali)
Lucille Ball	...	Herself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
Jack Benny	...	Himself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
Milton Berle	...	Himself - Roaster(Regular Guest) (archive footage)
Foster Brooks	...	Himself - Roaster(Regular Guest) (archive footage)
George Burns	...	Himself - Roaster (archive footage)
Ruth Buzzi	...	Gladys Ormphby - Roaster (archive footage)
Johnny Carson	...	Himself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
Howard Cosell	...	Himself - Roaster(Guest) (archive footage)
Dom DeLuise	...	Himself - Roaster(Regular Guest) (archive footage)
Phyllis Diller	...	Herself (archive footage)
Jackie Gleason	...	Himself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
Bob Hope	...	Himself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
Michael Landon	...	Himself - Roastee(Guest of Honor) (archive footage)
Rich Little	...	Himself - Roaster(Regular Guest) (archive footage)
Don Rickles	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Wayne	...	Himself - Roaster(Guest) (archive footage)
Orson Welles	...	Himself - Roaster(Guest) (archive footage)
Jonathan Winters	...	Himself - Roaster (archive footage)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Quotes:

[referring to Lucille Ball]
Milton Berle: Lucy always relied on slapstick, pratfalls and physical comedy to make people laugh; and that was just on her honeymoon.

Movie Connections:

Edited from The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Frank Sinatra (1977) (TV)

Scripted!!!

Everyone understands the premise of the roasts: Take a famous celebrity, the focus of the evening, and subject that celebrity to a barrage of insults, put downs, and/or satirical impersonations. It was all meant to be off-beat, unrehearsed comedy that honored the guest of the evening. However, there was a problem.

The company of Gunther-Renky put together a series of infomericals offering the best of these roasts. These roasts featured the classic entertainers and personalities of the their time dressed in exquisite formal wear: Jack Benny, Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, George Burns, Lucille Ball, Don Rickles, Jackie Gleason, Rich Little, Muhammed Ali, Rowan and Martin, Orson Welles, etc. These names are supposed to draw the public to purchase these cassettes or DVD's. The infomercials promote the roasts as being unrehearsed, spontaneous, and improvised. That is not true. These roasts were just as much scripted as a typical situation comedy. There was no randomness to it. However, the big name stars are supposed to make the public overlook that fact.

The secret came out in early 2001. This probably explains why the infomericals have not been on since. The company is guilty of false advertising.