The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Frank Sinatra (1978)
Dean Martin managed to get all sorts of great names to sit down and be roasted but when he finally got Frank Sinatra, all bets were off. Sinatra's tough reputation was well-known so would people really show up and throw jokes at him? Of course they would and what an incredible line-up that came to roast the legendary singer/actor. Ronald Reagan, Gene Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, Don Rickles, George Burns, Dom DeLuise, Telly Savalas, Jonathan Winters, Red Buttons, LaWanda Page, Jack Klugman, Ernest Borgnine, Orson Welles, Milton Berle, Flip Wilson and special appearances by Peter Falk and Ruth Buzzi among others.
So, with such a legendary main target and some great roasters, did this episode work? In my opinion this here is one of the funniest things that ever played on television. It's nearly impossible to talk about a highlight because there are simply so many with each of the personalities bringing their "A" game and really delivering the laughs. There's really not a single roaster who stinks and in fact all of them are constantly getting huge laughs. Welles and Stewart really deliver the goods and of course Rickles is always able to get laughs. Berle also does a terrific job but so does Martin in his side remarks. Kelly gives a touching tribute to Sinatra but one of the most touching moments comes from Martin being serious and talking what kind of friend Sinatra is. Still, can anything prepare you for Martin and Sinatra getting beaten up by Buzzi? Episode: A+
