Book Review: Marketing Mayhem: Selling Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to Post-War America

This new book from BearManor by Richard S. Greene fulfills an area of media scholarship that is often overlooked – the actual marketing of the cinematic product. We look at the history, the aesthetic, even the offscreen gossip moreso than we look at the creative promotional ideas that attracted moviegoers to the talent of the performers. Greene’s book on Martin and Lewis fills a real need.

To state that Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were popular is an understatement. Their corny jokes, bombastic slapstick, and cheeky manner were exactly what post-war America needed, and when they burst onto the scene, they immediately conquered nightclubs, radio, television, and movies. Because they were both attractive men, they had another layer of appeal that catapulted them even further. When they broke up in 1956, it was just at the time Elvis Presley took over the mantel of showbiz superstar at this lofty level. But from the end of WW2 until the release of Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, Martin and Lewis were “it.”

Greene’s book starts from the very beginning and explores the marketing strategies that helped bolster the talent and sex appeal the team already had. First, he explores the movies, going film-by-film, but not to assess their work on an aesthetic or cultural level. Greene kindly points out that this has already been done by Ted Okuda and myself in our 1994 book on Lewis’s filmography. Greene gives us the complete press kits, including newspaper ads, promo photos, posters, lobby cards, and publicity blurbs that permeated the media for each movie. This portion of the book is a visual delight, with several pages filled with interesting art pieces that not only informs us of the Martin and Lewis marketing styles, it presents a history of movie promo of the 1950s. But Greene does not rest on these impressive laurels. He also provides some plot info and background for each movie, giving the basic information necessary to further enhance the many visuals that follow.

While the movie section is certainly the lengthiest portion of the book (there is so much material) the following sections covering Radio/TV, Recordings, Stage, Publicity, Magazines/Comic Books, Merchandise, Solo Jerry, and Solo Dean are each fascinating in their own right, all of them presenting rare materials. On a personal note, I was most fascinated by the Stage portion of the book, as Martin and Lewis were probably at their very best in that venue.

The book runs over 700 pages and is so filled with material, there is a surprise on each page. It could not have been more complete. And, as a testament to the comedy team, it is absolutely priceless and belongs in every fan’s collection.

But even more than that, this book is an amazing look at showbiz advertising at the highest level. These guys were huge superstars and the promotional aspect of their career is an important one for study. Thus, Greene’s book would be a quintessential inclusion in a library of materials studying promotions, public relations, and all manner of advertising. It compiles an enormous amount of material for study.

Sometimes books deliver at a level that is so amazing and profound, it is difficult to fully grasp how magnificent they truly are. This is just such a book. I could not recommend it more strongly.

The book is available at this link: MARTIN/LEWIS