Hollywood Squares

[Charley Lillard]

My understanding was that most of Deans drinking on stage was part of the act and he was not really hammered like he acted.

[Mr70]

I heard that too.
Dean was more mild mannered then the majority of the population knew.He really was sweet,big hearted family man.
Let's be real,if he was his "normal boring self" as he put it,he woulda looked very much out of place with the Rat Pack.The world loved him & indentified with him more as the intoxicated romantic crooner.
I read he mostly drank gingerale or anyother similar sweet beverage,and when ever a stage hand would spoof him and add REAl liqour into his glass before hand,Dean would absorb it quietly with a look of distain,or spit it out behind his back,depending on his mood.You can see a few scenes like these when he was filming his shows w/the Goldiggers.He really hated the stuff and was a veeeeery much the family man.After performing out with the other Rat Packers,Dean would shack up in a Hotel room with his Mrs. at night,while the others would find some loose girls and galivant around town.They all helped protect that secret when asked where Dean was,by saying he was with a few girls in a room somewhere.Smoking was his one true vice though.
He never rehearsed his TV shows as he always wanted the lines to be a surprise to him and everyone else.He loved that spontinaity..That's why you can see him hunting the Q cards,as he really was seeeing them for the very first time.He didn't want the show to look rehearsed,or staged.He wanted it as casual and friendly as can be.
I read he also had much distain for Jerry Lewis.Jerry had an ego biggger then the world knew,and that cowardly,goofy comedian act he played was just to put assess in the seats.
Off stage Jerry was telling Dean what to do,and although Dean did it,he didn't take it for long.