The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

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.

A previous user complained on and on about these being scripted! SO WHAT! They are quite funny. Ruth Buzzi is a standout as her "Laugh In" character Gladys Ormfby who takes more insults than she doles out. Dean is his usual self playing tipsy to great effect. Sadly, there are not too many stars of this caliber anymore. It's a lot of fun to see them having fun with these Roasts taped in Las Vegas. I think some of the celebrities were having almost as much fun doing these as we are watching them. La Wanda Page is another standout, her insults are as funny as anything Don Rickles belts out. I have a couple of these DVD's and do not get tired watching them over and over.

When these homages to the Friars' Club affairs were held, comedians and entertainers were available that had histories going back to the vaudeville circuits. From the creaking-board stages that doubled as movie houses in cities all over the world to the art-deco period of Hollywood to the more-current styles of Dangerfield and Monty Python, from Borscht (sp?) Belt fare to Orson Wellesian commentary, just about every kind of act and talent was represented before Martin's dias. Only Martin could have done it, and only Las Vegas could have handled it.

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!