If you loved Dean Martin's 60s TV series, "That's Amoré" will bring back many fond memories. Culled from musical numbers performed each week (with a few vintage B&W numbers from earlier TV appearances added to the mix), Dino shows the easy grace, unique phrasing, and good-natured humor that made his vocals so special.

A gifted singer, a talented actor, a naturally funny man, and a superb entertainer, Dean Martin became a star on the silver screen, on record, in nightclubs and most of all on television in one of the most popular America variety show of the 1960s and 1970s. Premiering in the fall of 1965, The Dean Martin Show, capitalized on Dean’s unique talents and ways informality to become the anchor for NBC’s Thursday night schedule for nearly 10 years.

This DVD is a performance driven special, not a documentary or a straight ahead biography. With exclusive access to Dean Martin Archive and the original 2 inch color master videotapes of The Dean Martin Show, the DVD is an irresistible blend of wonderful musical performances. It also includes two delightful duets with the incomparable Petula Clark and the exceptional Peggy Lee (two of his favorite guests) and a mini documentary that puts Dean’s life and tremendous career in perspective. The chemistry during these tunes with the two guests is palpable, even if Dino relies heavily on cue cards for the lyrics, and it's easy to see why so many women found him irresistible. Greg Garrson, producer and director of The Dean Martin Show also appears sharing his memories of Dean, his singing and performance style, and the show itself.

The songs are a mix of his personal hits and old standards, which fit his effortless style perfectly. Many are 'opening' numbers from the show, with Dino jogging down a flight of steps, then laughingly punctuating the music by bouncing along with the rhythm. In contrast are his 'featured' songs from the show, which he performs leaning against Ken Lane's piano or from a couch in his 'music room', often with a cigarette in hand. These achieve an intimacy rarely equaled, even today.

Some of the songs inlcude That’s Amore, I’ve Grown Accustomed to her face, Pennies from Heaven, It Had to be you, L.O.V.E, Bye Bye Blackbird, Everybody loves somebody and many more.

All in all, "That's Amoré" is a treat, and will have you itching to see a collection of the ENTIRE programs the songs were 'lifted' from.

Duration: 65 minutes

Rating: ****

Reviewed By Verus Ferreira