Ten Thousand Bedrooms
Encyclopedia
Ten Thousand Bedrooms was Dean Martin
's first movie in the wake of the dissolution of his partnership with Jerry Lewis
in the team of Martin and Lewis
.
Although this film was not a success, Martin's solo career soared the following year with a leading role in The Young Lions
opposite Marlon Brando
and Montgomery Clift
, and he proceeded to become one of Hollywood's top stars.
) flies to Rome to buy another property, the Regent. He is picked up at the airport by lovely Maria Martelli (Eva Bartok
), who works for the hotel's owner, the Countess Alzani.
Ray is reproached by the Countess for the impersonal way he buys up hotels this way, piling up "ten thousand bedrooms" and replacing employees without a second thought. He sincerely promises not to do so with the staff of the Regent.
Maria is impressed and volunteers to be Ray's translator while in town. He meets the Martelli family, including Papa Vittorio (Walter Slezak
) and his other daughters. Maria's youngest sister, 18-year-old Nina (Anna Maria Alberghetti
), takes an almost immediate liking to Ray.
Maria's current romantic interest is Anton (Paul Henreid), a poor Polish count who fancies himself a sculptor. Nina, meanwhile, tries to catch Ray's eye, while his private pilot Mike (Dewey Martin
) is trying to catch hers.
Nina sees the sights with Ray and wants to marry him, so she asks her father for permission. Papa Martelli forbids it, saying in this family all of the eldest daughters must be married before the youngest can.
Ray tries to speed up that process. He sends for two eligble bachelors from America on the pretense of business. They are quickly introduced to two other sisters of Maria and Nina. But when he makes the mistake of buying Anton's artwork in order to make the poor count feel worthy of proposing to Maria, it backfires. Maria is furious and Ray apologizes with a kiss.
Suddenly realizing he is involved with the wrong sister, Ray is in a fix. At a party, Papa Martelli is rushed into saying Ray is engaged to daughter Nina, which upsets Mike so much that he decides to leave. Ray hurriedly urges Mike to stay and fight for the girl he loves.
It takes some doing, but everything finally works out. Ray finds a job for Anton that involves him traveling to Bombay for a long period of time. Meanwhile, he persuades Maria that he's sincere, and next thing you know, Papa Martelli is planning four weddings.
in the spring of 1956 and the remainder was shot that autumn in Culver City
.
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
's first movie in the wake of the dissolution of his partnership with Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
in the team of Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis
Martin and Lewis were an American comedy team, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis as the comedic "foil". The pair first met in 1945; their debut as a duo occurred at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24/25, 1946....
.
Although this film was not a success, Martin's solo career soared the following year with a leading role in The Young Lions
The Young Lions
The Young Lions is a 1958 war drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based upon the 1949 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw, and starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.-Outline:...
opposite Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
and Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
, and he proceeded to become one of Hollywood's top stars.
Plot
Millionaire hotel mogul Ray Hunter (Dean MartinDean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
) flies to Rome to buy another property, the Regent. He is picked up at the airport by lovely Maria Martelli (Eva Bartok
Eva Bartok
Eva Bartok , born Eva Ivanova Szöke, was an actress born in Budapest, Hungary. She began acting in films in 1950 and her last credited appearance was in 1966...
), who works for the hotel's owner, the Countess Alzani.
Ray is reproached by the Countess for the impersonal way he buys up hotels this way, piling up "ten thousand bedrooms" and replacing employees without a second thought. He sincerely promises not to do so with the staff of the Regent.
Maria is impressed and volunteers to be Ray's translator while in town. He meets the Martelli family, including Papa Vittorio (Walter Slezak
Walter Slezak
Walter Slezak was a portly Austrian character actor who appeared in numerous Hollywood films. Slezak often portrayed villains or thugs, most notably the German U-boat captain in Alfred Hitchcock's film Lifeboat , but occasionally he got to play lighter roles, as in The Wonderful World of the...
) and his other daughters. Maria's youngest sister, 18-year-old Nina (Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti is an Italian-born operatic singer and actress.Born in Pesaro, Marche, she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 as Best Actress for Carnival! .Alberghetti was a child prodigy. Her father was an opera singer and concert master of the Rome Opera Company...
), takes an almost immediate liking to Ray.
Maria's current romantic interest is Anton (Paul Henreid), a poor Polish count who fancies himself a sculptor. Nina, meanwhile, tries to catch Ray's eye, while his private pilot Mike (Dewey Martin
Dewey Martin
Dewey Martin is the name of:*Dewey Martin , drummer/vocalist best known for his association with the band Buffalo Springfield*Dewey Martin , American film and television actor...
) is trying to catch hers.
Nina sees the sights with Ray and wants to marry him, so she asks her father for permission. Papa Martelli forbids it, saying in this family all of the eldest daughters must be married before the youngest can.
Ray tries to speed up that process. He sends for two eligble bachelors from America on the pretense of business. They are quickly introduced to two other sisters of Maria and Nina. But when he makes the mistake of buying Anton's artwork in order to make the poor count feel worthy of proposing to Maria, it backfires. Maria is furious and Ray apologizes with a kiss.
Suddenly realizing he is involved with the wrong sister, Ray is in a fix. At a party, Papa Martelli is rushed into saying Ray is engaged to daughter Nina, which upsets Mike so much that he decides to leave. Ray hurriedly urges Mike to stay and fight for the girl he loves.
It takes some doing, but everything finally works out. Ray finds a job for Anton that involves him traveling to Bombay for a long period of time. Meanwhile, he persuades Maria that he's sincere, and next thing you know, Papa Martelli is planning four weddings.
Filming
Part of Ten Thousand Bedrooms was filmed in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in the spring of 1956 and the remainder was shot that autumn in Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Dean Martin Dean Martin Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"... |
Ray Hunter |
| Anna Maria Alberghetti Anna Maria Alberghetti Anna Maria Alberghetti is an Italian-born operatic singer and actress.Born in Pesaro, Marche, she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 as Best Actress for Carnival! .Alberghetti was a child prodigy. Her father was an opera singer and concert master of the Rome Opera Company... |
Nina Martelli |
| Eva Bartok Eva Bartok Eva Bartok , born Eva Ivanova Szöke, was an actress born in Budapest, Hungary. She began acting in films in 1950 and her last credited appearance was in 1966... |
Maria Martelli |
| Dewey Martin Dewey Martin (actor) -Career:Martin was born December 8, 1923 in Katemcy, Texas. His film debut was an uncredited part in Knock on Any Door . He also appeared in The Thing from Another World , co-starred with Kirk Douglas in The Big Sky , played younger brother of Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours , and was... |
Mike Clark |
| Walter Slezak Walter Slezak Walter Slezak was a portly Austrian character actor who appeared in numerous Hollywood films. Slezak often portrayed villains or thugs, most notably the German U-boat captain in Alfred Hitchcock's film Lifeboat , but occasionally he got to play lighter roles, as in The Wonderful World of the... |
Papa Vittorio Martelli |
| Paul Henreid | Anton |
| Jules Munshin | Arthur |
| Marcel Dalio Marcel Dalio Marcel Dalio was a French character actor. He had major roles in two of Jean Renoir's most famous films, Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game.- Biography :... |
Vittorio Cisini |
| Evelyn Varden Evelyn Varden Evelyn Varden was an American actress.Evelyn Varden had a long and distinguished career on Broadway despite starring in the ill-fated Return Engagement by Lawrence Riley... |
Countess Alzani |
| Lisa Montell | Diana Martelli |
| Lisa Gaye Lisa Gaye Lisa Gaye is a former American actress, singer and dancer.She was born Lezlie Gae Griffin in Denver, Colorado. The family moved from Denver to Los Angeles in the 1930s to be close to the developing film industry. Her mother, actress Margaret Griffin, was determined that Gaye and her siblings would... |
Ana Martelli |
| John Archer John Archer (actor) John Archer was an American movie and television actor.-Biography:Born Ralph Bowman in Osceola, Nebraska, Archer moved to California at the age of five... |
Bob Dudley |
| Stephen Dunne | Tom Crandall |
| Dean Jones Dean Jones (actor) Dean Carroll Jones is an American actor. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug.-Early years:... |
Dan |
Supervisors
- Musical director: George E. Stoll
- Directing assistant: Robert Saunders
- Montage: John Sweeney Jr.
- Artist director: Randall DuellRandall DuellRandall Duell was an American architect and art director. Duell attended the University of Southern California School of Architecture and graduated in 1925...
and William A. HorningWilliam A. HorningWilliam A. Horning was a multiple Academy Award winner. He was married to Esther Montgomery until his death....