Dean Martin collaborated with Kate Smith on ‘The Dean Martin Show’ to perform a medley of American songs, one of his most patriotic performances.
The event included a choir of singers and dancers costumed in red, white, and blue. Actors Barbara Eden, Mickey Rooney, and Norm Crosby joined Dean and Kate. The three men donned tuxedos; Barbara Eden wore a pink dress, and Kate Smith wore a sequined red and black gown.
Dean and Kate initiated the concert with a rendition of ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy,’ followed by ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’ with the rest of the performers following suit. The medley then switched to ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag,’ with the stage packed with singers and dancers. The audience adored it, and Dean approached the camera to recite President Roosevelt’s introduction of Kate Smith 30 years ago as she began ‘God Bless America.’
Known as ‘The Songbird of the South’ due to her fame during World War II, Kate Smith enjoyed a successful radio and television career spanning five decades. She delivered another spectacular version of Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America,’ with the orchestra playing the iconic fanfare as her voice rose to the song’s last high note.