Did Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin get along?
They got along as good as anyone could get along. They were like brothers. The split left a lot of feelings that each one had to work through, but they split on good terms. I think what kept them from speaking for 20 years…was fear and pride. They were afraid of what could happen. Would the bitter feelings get brought up again? They were both doing so well in their careers and their lives, they were able to move on, would that jeopardize anything? Would they see in each other eyes, the admiration and friendship they once knew, or would they see resentment and anger? There were a lot of questions that neither one was ready to face. They remembered how they used to be and I think they both wanted to remember the other, as the magical team they used to be – before the fighting – and they were afraid that facing one another could jeopardize that memory. The first time they talked to each other since the break up, was on the 1976 telethon when Frank Sinatra more or less forced the issue b
