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GODFATHER QUESTION: Everyone assumes Johnny Fontane was Frank Sinatra, but why not Dean Martin???

Mack_Daddy

Mack_Daddy

Well-Known Member
Oct 7, 2001
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Martin wanted to become a real actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1958), his part would be with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Tony Randall already had the part.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paulo Crocetti. Dean was a drinker, right? I think he was a bigger drinker than Frank. I don't know, though.

This film put Dean on the map in Hollywood, right?

So, is Johnny Fontane really Dino Crocetti (aka Dean Martin)???
 
Mack_Daddy said:
Martin wanted to become a real actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1958), his part would be with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Tony Randall already had the part.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paulo Crocetti. Dean was a drinker, right? I think he was a bigger drinker than Frank. I don't know, though.

This film put Dean on the map in Hollywood, right?

So, is Johnny Fontane really Dino Crocetti (aka Dean Martin)???
Click to expand...

Thought I read somewhere that Johnny F was formed from Al Martino's (who played JF in the film) experiences.

FWIW, I recently read a Vonnegut novel in which he claims to be a Humanist.
 
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Mack_Daddy said:
Martin wanted to become a real actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1958), his part would be with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Tony Randall already had the part.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paulo Crocetti. Dean was a drinker, right? I think he was a bigger drinker than Frank. I don't know, though.

This film put Dean on the map in Hollywood, right?

So, is Johnny Fontane really Dino Crocetti (aka Dean Martin)???
Click to expand...

It's the bandleader reference. Mimics Frank's experience when breaking away from Tommy Dorsey.
 
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Dean wasn't a drinker. It was an act. Frank's connections to the "families" was pretty widely known, as was Peter Lawford's.
 
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Its based on Sinatra .

the book goes into a lot more detail about Fontane ... even going thru the throat issues that plagued Frank during his career downturn in the early 50's
 
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Watching the miniseries Feud. Frank is portrayed as a major a-hole during the filming of the 1964 film 4 for Texas. I had not heard of that movie before. Seems like one to miss.
 
sluggo72 said:
From?
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Tommy Dorsey hired Sinatra away from Harry James to be a singer in his band. The Dorsey Brothers were huge at the time and Sinatra was relatively unknown. His career skyrocketed and he eventually left Tommy Dorsey's band.

Another giant of that era, Glenn Miller, also played for Tommy Dorsey.
 
PSUcup1 said:
Its based on Sinatra .

the book goes into a lot more detail about Fontane ... even going thru the throat issues that plagued Frank during his career downturn in the early 50's
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Correct - no question, it's not Dino, it's not someone else, it's not even a composite character, it was solely derived from Frank
 
Option Bob said:
Thought I read somewhere that Johnny F was formed from Al Martino's (who played JF in the film) experiences.

FWIW, I recently read a Vonnegut novel in which he claims to be a Humanist.
Click to expand...

Supposedly Al Martino would tell people that Johnny Fontane was based on him.

Maybe Frank Sheeran can weigh in. Martino was linked to Bufalino in some way.
 
cavic said:
I've always heard that it was apple juice.

I dated a gal in Steubenville for a while. Just a horrible, horrible depressed rust belt area, but I loved that it gave me a chance to ramble down Dean Martin Blvd.
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My great uncle (now deceased) was living in New Castle, PA and would go to an underground casino in Youngstown where Dean Martin was a dealer. They became friends and Dean used to pay him out even if he didn't win. In exchange, they'd split the "winnings". There would be a couple of late nights in winter where Dean Martin didn't want to drive back to Steubenville so he'd go with my great uncle to spend the night at my great-grand parents (and later grand-parents house) in New Castle.

When Dean went out to California, he wrote letters to my great-uncle asking if he wanted to help manage him. My great-uncle, of course, had no experience and my great-grandfather told him hes nuts if he went out there. (Dean Martin wasn't big yet.) I'm sure he kicked himself plenty of times. In any case, my cousin still has some letters and photos from Dean Martin. Just after Dean Martin died, my cousin went to see Dean's son and told him he had some photos of Dean's father taken with my great-uncle and a few very attractive ladies at a restaurant. Dean's son didn't want to see them because he didn't want to tarnish his image of his father. This was obviously before Dean married but neverthless he didn't want that image.
 
frank the man knew the character was based on himself and never spoke to mario puzo after that -many actors turned down the role because they did not want to endure franks wrath -for yrs after - martino was blackballed by frank and had a tough time getting work.
 
Another point in favor of it being Frank is the numerous flings Johnny Fontane had with A list hollywood actresses, something Sinatra was known for
 
Mack_Daddy said:
Martin wanted to become a real actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1958), his part would be with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. Tony Randall already had the part.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paulo Crocetti. Dean was a drinker, right? I think he was a bigger drinker than Frank. I don't know, though.

This film put Dean on the map in Hollywood, right?

So, is Johnny Fontane really Dino Crocetti (aka Dean Martin)???
Click to expand...
Why not Tony Bennett?
 
Have it on good authority that he was modeled on what Michael Felli would become.
 
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