Dean Martin and Kate Smith performed a medley of American standards on “The Dean Martin Show” in one of their most patriotic performances.
Red, white, and blue-clad dancers and singers performed as a choir during the show. Legendary actors Norm Crosby, Mickey Rooney, and Barbara Eden joined Dean and Kate on stage. Barbara Eden donned a pink dress, and Kate Smith wore a sequined red and black gown, while the three men were dressed in tuxedos.
Dean and Kate opened the show with “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” and then everyone else joined in for “My Old Kentucky Home.” The stage was packed with singers and dancers when the medley changed to “You’re a Grand Old Banner.” Dean moved closer to the camera to recite President Roosevelt’s introduction of Kate Smith as she began to sing “God Bless America” 30 years earlier. The audience adored it.
Due to her appeal during World War II, Kate Smith earned the moniker “The Songbird of the South” and enjoyed a distinguished radio and television career that lasted for five decades. She sang another dramatic rendition of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” throughout the concert, when the orchestra played the well-known fanfare and her voice soar to the song’s climactic high note.
The magnificent performance astounded the audience.
The performance, which included the brightest talents of the day, was a moving tribute to America. The 264 episodes of “The Dean Martin Show,” which had the 1964 smash “Everyone Loves Someone” as its theme tune, aired from 1965 to 1974. Dean sang the same song to end the show.
Overall, the musical was a stirring expression of patriotism that made the audience happy to be Americans. The Dean Martin Show’s collaboration with Kate Smith is still one of his most well-known performances, even though Dean Martin was known for having many great guests throughout the years.
