Ten Thousand Bedrooms

This is Dean Martin's first film following his split with partner Jerry Lewis. MGM signed him for this romantic comedy. However, there is nothing funny here. Dean Martin was one of the funniest comedians of the 20th Century. His persona was that of a drunk, sex crazed ne'er-do-well who could not get through a song without either slipping up or telling a joke. Even when he was the low-keyed partner of manic Jerry Lewis, there was something silly about him. He can tell the oldest and cheapest jokes and charm the audience into laughing with him. None of this is seen in this film. This is just another example of how MGM had no idea what to do with comedians. Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Donald O'Connor were also poorly handled by MGM. Martin is in good company there! Dino plays the straight role of an airline pilot who romances Anna Maria Alberghetti and sings some very poor songs by Nicholas Brodzsky. If Dean's role would have been played by someone like Howard Keel or Vic Damone, maybe I would not be complaining so much about the lack of comedy. But even reliable character actors like Walter Slezak and Jules Munshin are wasted in this bore. Thank goodness Martin was given the chance to play a showy role in "The Young Lions". Another film like this and Dino's movie career would have been over.

I had never seen Ten Thousand Bedrooms before. What a weird title? But still I enjoyed this one and what a cast! There were a few I couldn't name at first, but these names finally came to me; they were Jules Munshin who appeared in Kelly, Sinatra films namely On The Town; and Paul Henried, who played Anton the sculptor. The singing of four sisters including Anna Marie Albergetie and Dean Martin sing a couple of beautiful songs, and Dean and Jules sing a funny song about The Problem of Money. The actor who steals the show is indubitably Walter Slezak; a fine character actor. He is the confused father of four daughters who are asked to be married, but it takes a long time for the confusion to be resolved. It is not a very fast well paced movie but it is enjoyable. It was Dean Martin's first movie after his breakup with Jerry Lewis in 1957.

Starts out pretty good, with a good storyline, but what a sudden, cut-off, abrupt crap ending. Star Dean Martin is mister rich american, who flies to It-lee to buy a hotel. He meets a young lady, then meets her sisters, and now he can't decide who he really loves more. The sisters are all played by AnnaMaria Alberghetti, Eva Bartok, Lisa Montell, and Lisa Gaye. There is something strange about Eva Bartok when she smiles, or attempts to smile... it looks like her tongue is trying to hold in false teeth or something; the smile always comes out crooked, or she starts to smile and immediately stops. Very distracting. Walter Slezak is the Dad, and he doesn't approve of anyone marrying the youngest daughter before the older ones are married.. (they are all beautiful.. .why AREN'T they married??) Paul Henreid is completely wasted in a little nothing role. He was so great in Casablanca and Now Voyager just a couple years back. Martin keeps singing.. was that HIS idea, or the director's? should have cut out a few of his numbers and spent more time on the script; the end of the story feels like they left a scene on the cutting room floor or something. It's already 114 minutes, but i think they cut the wrong scenes. Skip it.

Poor Dino. First time out solo, he slipped a preposterous script, tuneless songs and a supporting cast with far more talent that notariety. Who's going to believe a worldly 30-something millionaire would fall for an immature little nobody their first night together? Had they mad Dean Martin the pilot and Dewey Martin the copilot, and made the story a case of mistaken identity (with a walk-on Cary Grant or Gregory Peck as the "real" Ray Hunter), the producers of "Ten Thousand Bedrooms" might have made something out of this bit of froth. Dino got the blame, but the real fault lies with the script, complete lack of fresh, memorable music (Dean sings the SAME love song to two different women) and listless direction from hack director Richard ("Closeup? What's a closeup?") Thorpe. Dean and Walter Slezak are really about the only entertaining elements of the movie, besides beautiful Italian scenery.

I give "Ten Thousand Bedrooms" a "5".

Hotel mogul Ray Hunter (Dean Martin) flies to Rome to buy the legendary hotel Regent. He is picked up at the airport by Maria Martelli (Eva Bartok) who works for the hotel. He likes the beauty who speaks her mind. Her younger sister Nina Martelli (Anna Maria Alberghetti) simply adores the dashing tycoon. Their father has two other daughters in the musical family.

This is Dean Martin's first movie after his breakup with Jerry Lewis. That is probably the most important relationship in this movie. This is a big bomb and I can see why. Dean is being his cool magnetic self, but there is no meat to the romances. The girls simply fall for him. In a way, he's picking and choosing which sister. It doesn't make it compelling. The Italian locations look amazing. I love the vacation for my eyes. The movie is too long and I don't care about who's going with who.