Hollywood or Bust 1956. Paramount Pictures, Paramount Video, Color, Aspect Ratio 1.85 : 1, 95 minutes, Not Rated Release Date: December 16, 1956 Hollywood or Bust is available at Amazon.com on VHS or in the DVD Box Set Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume Two Movie Synopsis: Typical Martin & Lewis comedy, in which the duo embarks on a cross-country trip in a red convertible to the movie capital of the world, Hollywood, California. (One of their stops along the way is Santa Fe, New Mexico.) Cast: Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis (Martin & Lewis), Pat Crowley, Max ‘Slapsie Maxie’ Rosenbloom, Anita Ekberg Director: Frank Tashlin Thoughts on the Movie: Well, what can I say? It’s Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis on a cross-country, car-driving, sightseeing, adventurous romp. That’s got to be fun. And it is. I’ve always been a fan of both Dean and Jerry (whether together or solo), so this is a no-brainer for me. It’s fun to go back to the days when real troubles appeared to be few in the world, and you can just sit back and have a few laughs. As for my appreciation of Jerry Lewis, I’m amongst the group who thinks the guy is a comic genius and I have all the films he made once he began working on his own. There is no one like him, and the humor in his movies is not always hair-brained; sometimes it’s quite sophisticated with a cleverness and use of extremely abstract visual and cerebral comedy. I love him! Enjoy this flick! ~Jean Location Site: The Plaza, Santa Fe, New Mexico (see Map) The film shows clear views of the Plaza as it was in 1956. To a large degree the Plaza looks the same today, although the businesses along the four streets have changed periodically over the decades. Right: The red convertible, driven by Dean Martin, makes a turn onto one of the streets bordering the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Many movies have used the historic Santa Fe Plaza as a backdrop of some kind, but if you are a Santa Fe resident (and I was for quite a few years) the Plaza offers many different experiences depending on the time of year. For example: 1) the big pancake breakfast celebration on the 4th of July; 2) festivals of all kinds, including Indian Market and Spanish Market, two of the biggest of their kind in the Southwest; 3) the Christmas lights and events of the holiday season; and 4) simply hanging out around the Plaza on a lazy afternoon, people-gazing at both locals and tourists. Everyone should visit the Santa Fe Plaza at least once in their life... no kidding. The historic Santa Fe Plaza is located in the center of the downtown area, bordered by Lincoln Avenue, W. San Francisco Street, Old Santa Fe Trail, and Palace Avenue. Once you’re within Santa Fe city limits, it seems all roads lead to the Plaza. Directions: • From Cerrillos Road going north, take Guadalupe Street to E. Alameda, to Sandoval, to W. San Francisco. • From I-285 going north, take St. Francis Drive to Cerrillos Road, and follow the directions above. • From I-285 going south, take St. Francis Drive to Paseo de Peralta, to Washington Street, to Palace Avenue. • The Santa Fe Trail public bus system: All six routes begin and end downtown on Sheridan Avenue, approximately two blocks from the Plaza. Right: The Santa Fe Plaza as it is today, showing the same location that appeared in the 1956 Martin & Lewis comedy, "Hollywood or Bust." The Plaza has been the center of Santa Fe life for amost four centuries. After Mexican independence in 1821, the square was proclaimed the Plaza de la Constitucion. It became the end of the Santa Fe Trail. After the U.S. took over New Mexico in 1846, the Plaza itself was made smaller, when adobe buildings fronted by portals (covered porches) were constructed on the side that is now Palace Avenue. Today, this structure is called the Palace of the Governors. The Plaza is loaded with historical sites, museums, galleries, specialty retail shops, restaurants, and hotels–all in the immediate vicinity (meaning, walking distance). Authentic Native American jewelry and art is sold daily by Pueblo Indians under the portal of the Palace of the Governors. The Plaza is host to a variety of fairs, festivals, and special events year-round. About Santa Fe, New Mexico: Santa Fe, New Mexico (population 75,764, elevation 7,000 feet; 35° 40’ 2” N, 105° 57’ 52” W) is located approximately 60 miles north of Albuquerque on I-25. The Santa Fe area, currently one of the top tourist destinations in the world, offers a wide variety of outdoor activities, skiing, river rafting, hiking, camping, cycling, and horseback riding, just to name a few. This is “high desert” country, with four distinct seasons showing off the beauty of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the clear, blue New Mexican sky. The “City Different” is also the third largest art market in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles, boasting hundreds of galleries, with the majority located on picturesque Canyon Road, one of the areas largest tourist attractions. Lodging & Dining: For Recommended Hotels, Motels and Lodges in Santa Fe, see: Santa Fe Lodging Right: The trio of Jerry Lewis, Pat Crowley, and Dean Martin ride along the highway in the red convertible that takes them from coast to coast in the 1956 film, "Hollywood or Bust." Filming Info: The movie was filmed from April 16 to June 19, 1956, and was released on December 6, 1956 (almost five months after the Martin & Lewis partnership split up.) Movie Trivia: • This was Dean and Jerry’s last film together. • Hollywood and Bust was an unhappy shoot, with Jerry Lewis becoming so out of control that the director, Frank Tashlin, ordered him off the set, telling him to go home until he learned to behave himself. To this day, Lewis cannot bring himself to watch the film. Happily, the animosity between the two stars doesn’t come across on screen, and as a result the film is a most enjoyable diversion. • Sex symbol, Anita Ekberg, previously appeared with Martin & Lewis in Artists and Models (1955). She would later costar with Dean Martin in Four for Texas (1963) and with Jerry Lewis in Way...Way Out (1966). Character Quote: “I’m thinkin’ of somethin’. I’m thinkin’ of double homicide: one for each of your heads!” ~Steve Wiley (Dean Martin)