It’s one of those super-hokey things where celebs tell you what you’re supposed to like about it, and then they show a clip, but Dino makes it work in spite of Gene Kelly’s scary yellow teeth, scarier toupee, and scariest neckerchief worn with an Izod, like, not to speak ill of the dead but Gene?   No.   Anyway.   Just fast forward past the Dom DeLuise stuff to the clips; some of it is slow and really points up the contrast between “entertaining TV” back in the late sixties and now — like, the Hawn clip is kind of ooky, and in that particular segment, you can practically see Dean smelling like a drunk.   But the sketch with Sinatra is funny, and it’s also funny that the producer talks up that segment by kind of shitting on Frank, all, “Frank is singing, but Dean is performing, and it’s Dean you can’t take your eyes off of when they’re onstage together.”   Uh…look, I like Dean a lot too, and I’m not saying everyone has to like Frank; I wouldn’t have wanted to hang out with him, myself, but when Frank is on a stage, you’re…looking at Frank.   Because he’s the Chairman.   Dean’s great, but maybe give me a break with the hagiography.   Anyhow, it’s a pretty rad time capsule, and the Dean/Victor Borge sketch is a classic. (3/26/06)

Share!