10.000 Schlafzimmer

This was, of course, the first Dean Martin film in which he

appeared without his entertainment partner Jerry Lewis.

Thirty years ago, someone had told me that this was an

excellent movie, and that Dean Martin's films had declined from

this start.

I finally got a chance to see the film, and I do think that it was an

excellent qualified debut! I rate it 10 out of a possible 10.

The songs and the singing were exquisite. The plot was a

little confusing with set of the Italian sisters, but typical M-G-M

original screenplay quality.

I cannot understand, though, why none of this was put into any

of the M-G-M compilation That's Entertainment films! I think that

Dean Martin's presence would have been an enhancement to the

other great stars. Even the hilarious interpretation (not by Mr.

Martin) of Bill Haley's Rock around the Clock would have been a

good source of material.

See this film whenever you get the chance!

Ten Thousand Bedrooms has its place in movie history as Dean Martin's first solo effort without Jerry Lewis. It also nearly sunk his career. Good thing The Young Lions came immediately after this and Dino got deserved rave reviews for that one.

To be fair MGM did give him a good supporting cast and apparently spared no expense in filming this on location in Rome. Ever since Roman Holiday, Rome was pretty popular with movie audiences. Three Coins in the Fountain and Seven Hills of Rome did pretty good box office in the 1950s.

But this wasn't a Dean Martin role. I think MGM probably dusted off a property they had offered to Cary Grant and gave it to him. There was no real effort to exploit the unique personality that was Dean Martin.

Nicholas Brodzky and Sammy Cahn wrote four songs for Dino to sing, none of them especially memorable. As if they were hedging their bets, they gave him a comedy number to do with Jules Munshin who plays his valet. Kind of like the material he used to do with Jerry Lewis at Paramount.

According to the definitive biography of Dean Martin by Nick Tosches, Dino turned down the lead in The Pajama Game for this one. Well movie audiences did get to see John Raitt finally do one of his Broadway starring roles for the screen. But Dean would have been perfect opposite Doris Day.

Not his best career move.

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.

Millionaire businessman Dean Martin (as Ray Hunter) buys a ritzy hotel in Rome, where he sings a few songs and attracts beautiful Italian women. The first is lady reporter Eva Bartok (as Maria Martelli), but Mr. Martin arouses her teenage sister Anna Maria Alberghetti (as Nina) much a-more. She proposes and he agrees, but they are told that family tradition dictates young Alberghetti's three older sisters must marry first. So, the plan is to get everyone hitched. "I have to marry four girls," says Martin. His pilot is around to help, but Dewey Martin (as Mike Clark) may want the same girl as his boss...

This film opens with a sexy blonde, in bed, inviting us to see, "Dean Martin in Ten Thousand Bedrooms." Later, we later learn the elicited promiscuous thoughts are wrong - the title actually refers to Martin's character being in the hotel business. This was Martin's first film without former partner Jerry Lewis. Everyone expected the funny half of the comic team to do well, and Martin to fail. Of course, Martin had something Jerry did not have - a successful recording career. That, too, seemed in jeopardy with the advent of rock 'n' roll. Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" is heard herein, although not sung by Martin...

Surprisingly, Martin did very well in the movies and exceptionally well on television. Not only did he survive Elvis Presley and the early rockers, Martin continued to sell millions of records throughout The Beatles' era. His career was in better shape than anyone thought, especially after this film. In "Ten Thousand Bedrooms", Martin seems awkward. It doesn't make sense, because he had a affable screen presence - maybe it was just the pressure of having to carry a film on his own. No matter, Martin honed his style - act like you just drank a martini and are looking forward to sex and a big plate of spaghetti.

**** Ten Thousand Bedrooms (4/3/57) Richard Thorpe ~ Dean Martin, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Dewey Martin, Eva Bartok

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.