By Danny Allen

NewzBreaker readers you have really moved this old man with your emails, a few letters and even some calls from folks I knew from the past that found my column thanks to my nephew “Bad” Brad.

Now let’s get on to my column and answer some of your questions you have sent in.

Mr Allen,

I am a huge fan of Dean Martin’s and watched The Dean Martin Show growing up. Did you know him and was he really what we saw on TV or was that just an act? – Anthony Spigila, Queens, NY

Hello Anthony,

Thanks for writing in. Yes, I actually met Dino as we called him back in 1957 on the set of The Young Lions which starred Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and Dino. The director of the movie Edward Dmtryk and I were very close through a meeting that my old pal Errol Flynn set up. One day I came to the set when Dean was shooting the induction into the Army scene and while they were on break, ED as I called him, had Dino come over to introduce me to him….

Dino was one good looking son-of-a-bitch and what charisma he had. He knew right away from his friendship with Flynn about me and smacked me on the back with “Hey Moxie Man, you are alright in my book.” I watched him shoot the scene and from there, we went to lunch. I found him to be, one of the funniest and nicest gentlemen I have ever met.

Yes, what you saw on TV was Dino. For years, we stayed in touch and when we lost him on December 25, 1995, I was at his funeral where many Hollywood Legends came out to pay their respect to this wonderful man.

Danny,

Love your columns and insights on a Hollywood that sadly is long gone today. You seem to always talk so nice about the people you have met, worked for or worked with. Is there one star that you think was a first class SOB? – Angela Gating

Angela,

What a delight to hear from you and a very honest – fair question since I do talk mostly about the folks I really liked in the entertainment business. There probably were others, but one that stands out in my mind that was not a very nice person was singer Barry Manilow.

In 1978, I met him with an associate at a Frank Sinatra concert at the Sunrise Musical Theater in Florida. He came across very rude and was not friendly to the fans that I saw come to him to say hi or ask for his autograph. Frank was not aware of this, but had he been and being that it was his audience that came to see him, he would have not been happy to hear Manilow was rude.

In the years, I worked with and was friendly with Errol Flynn, I never saw him rude to a fan or not give an autograph if he had the time to do so. He always felt that the fans made him what he was…

MR Allen,

My favorite actor is Paul Newman. Have you ever met him and can you share some stories? – Chad Sampson

Hi Chad,

Paul was in fact, an amazing actor. We never worked together, but we did attend some Hollywood functions over the years where he was honored or was just in attendance. I always felt he was robbed of the Oscar for The Verdict where he was absolutely fantastic in the role as the drunken lawyer Frank Galvin.

I am going to close here NB readers, but I will answer more of the emails when I get some time. Have a great week…..