Dean Martin's Holiday Show

The Dean Martin Show first aired on NBC in 1965 and lasted nine seasons, until 1974. Martin's rugged good looks, enveloping manner, swinging vocals and self-deprecating sense of humor tapped into the psyche of the American adult viewer in the late 1960s and early '70s who was shunted aside by the youth market and left clinging to the 1950s. On Dec. 14, 1967, Martin hosted a holiday special of his weekly variety TV show. While there was plenty of cringe-worthy period humor that relied on alcohol excess and women in bathing suits, Dean could sing, and he was wonderful to watch (far better than listening to him on LP). Caterina Valente, one of his guests on this particular night, was always exceptional. And perhaps best of all, you could hear the Les Brown Band, the show's house orchestra. The band could really swing. Here's Dino in December 1967...