By Robert “Rob Base” Greenwood
Dean Martin Celebrity Roast
I spent the better part of my weekend watching this fantastic and hilarious DVD collection of some of the funniest episodes of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast.
If you have never seen or are too young to have known about this series, It was the forerunner of what is now shown on Comedy Central. Only while Comedy Central do theirs once a year, this was on nearly evey week.
What makes these shows so funny is watching iconic comedians and actors just letting themselves loose and having a good time, yet having to work in a time of a harsh censorship.
This collection does seem to be uncensored with little slips here and there. Like Flip Willson calling Nipsey Russell the N-Word or Red Fox saying that White folks can’t write jokes for “Spooks.”
It’s harsh yet so tame compared to today’s roasts. It had class and charm and they roasted some of the elite in comedy and film of that era.
It’s deis was a crowning achievement of style and substance. The roast of Jimmy Stewart had Lucille Ball, Rich Little, Milton Berle,Tony Randal and so many others. The show was topped by The late great Orson Welles, who refused to mock Stewart but instead made a personal love letter to the film industry.
Each show tried its best to top each other and had me laughing so hard that it actually hurt. If you can only afford one DVD set collection in your home library, this is a must-buy.
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast is as funny today as it was more than 30 years ago. I give the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast DVD collection a 5/5.
GRAB A DRINK AND A CIGARETTE AND WITNESS THE BIRTH OF THE CELEBRITY ROAST WITH THIS MUST-SEE COLLECTION FEATURING THE LEGENDS OF COMEDY
AND THE GREATEST PERFORMERS, ATHLETES AND PERSONALITIES OF THE 20TH CENTURY
THE DEAN MARTIN CELEBRITY ROASTS:
COLLECTOR’S EDITION
Street Date: October 8, 2013
DVD SRP: $59.95 (6 Discs)
