Introduction
In the spring of 1968, deep in the Texas desert, James Stewart made a quiet decision. Every time Dean Martin spoke to him on set, Stuart [music] walked away. Not loudly and not angrily, just turned and left. Stuart [music] was 60 years old by then, an Oscar winner, 80 films behind him.
Westerns were his home territory. >> [music] >> He’d ridden horses in movies for more than 20 years, worked alongside John Wayne and Gary Cooper, and learned early that the genre didn’t forgive [music] shortcuts. Dean Martin, in Stuart’s mind, represented exactly that, a singer, a nightclub headliner, someone who looked like he was playing [music] cowboy instead of earning it.
The film was Bandelero, shot outside Brackettville, Texas. Heat, dust, [music] real horses, real terrain. Stuart had agreed to the project because it was a western. When he heard Dean Martin had been [music] cast as his on-screen brother, he nearly backed out. According to people on set, Stuart [music] told director Andrew McLaglin flatly, “This isn’t going to work.Movies
” When Mlaglin asked why, Stuart [music] answered, “Singers don’t make cowboys, they make noise.” The studio disagreed, [music] Dean Martin sold tickets. So Stuart stayed, but he arrived guarded. [music] Day one. Stuart was on set before sunrise. Costume on, lines memorized, sitting quietly near his horse. Dean arrived later, relaxed, coffee in [music] hand, joking with the crew about a weekend in Las Vegas.
Stuart noticed everything. They rehearsed their first scene on horseback, riding out after a bank robbery. Stuart hit every mark. Dean missed one, apologized, adjusted, [music] and got it right the second time. What bothered Stuart wasn’t the mistake. It was the smile. Dean looked like he was enjoying himself. As the days [music] passed, the pattern settled in. Stuart early and silent.
Dean later, friendly, [music] loose, never rushing. On camera, they worked well together. Off camera, Stuart [music] kept his distance. By the end of the first week, the crew knew better than to seat them together at lunch. [music] Raquel Welch noticed, too. She asked Dean if something was wrong. [music] Dean shrugged and said Stuart didn’t like him.
When she asked why, Dean answered [music] simply, “Because I don’t look serious.” Dean didn’t try to fix it. [music] He didn’t chase Stuart’s approval. He showed up, did his scenes, and went home. The second week brought the [music] fight sequence. It was physical and close quarters, staged against a rough wall. The stunt coordinator explained the choreography carefully.
[music] Stuart listened without comment. Dean asked a couple of questions, then nodded. On the first take, Stuart threw Dean into the wall harder than expected. Dean hit it solidly. Anyone watching could see it hurt. [music] He didn’t stop. They did another take, then another. Each time Dean hit the wall, [music] each time he finished the scene.
He never asked for padding, never suggested a double, never complained. Stuart noticed something after the fourth take. Dean touched his shoulder briefly when he thought no one was watching, [music] then dropped his arm and walked off. That night, Stuart couldn’t sleep. He’d worked with actors who demanded adjustments after a single hard hit.
Actors who protected their image before protecting the scene. Dean hadn’t done any of that. The following week came the canyon sequence, the most dangerous work in the film. [music] Real horses running at speed through narrow rock passages, loose stones, tight turns. >> [music] >> The stunt coordinator offered doubles. Stuart declined immediately.Movies
That was expected. [music] When the offer reached Dean, he studied the canyon for a long moment, then said, “I’ll do it.” [music] The coordinator hesitated. Dean didn’t have Stuart’s reputation for westerns. But Dean didn’t waver. They mounted [music] up. Stuart rode ahead. Dean followed close behind. The canyon walls tightened, sound echoing, hooves [music] striking rock.
Stuart leaned into a sharp turn and cleared it cleanly. Dean’s horse [music] stumbled slightly on loose stone. Stuart glanced back in time to see Dean correct calmly. No panic, no jerking the reinss, just steady hands and balance. The horse recovered and kept going. When they finished the run, Stuart asked Dean if he was okay.
Dean said yes, breathing hard. Later that evening, Stuart asked the stunt coordinator how much riding experience Dean had. [music] The answer surprised him. Dean had grown up around horses, spent summers working farms, [music] riding regularly. He simply never talked about it. He lets people underestimate him.
The coordinator said, [music] “Makes things easier.” The final week brought the quiet scene. Just two men by a fire talking about their past. [music] No action, no movement, nothing to hide behind. Dean [music] was nervous. He admitted it to the stunt coordinator while pacing and reading his lines. >> [music] >> He didn’t want to disappoint Stuart.
When they rolled cameras, Stuart delivered his dialogue with practiced [music] restraint. Dean listened, truly listened, then spoke. His voice cracked slightly, not theatrically, [music] naturally. The set went still. When the scene ended, no one spoke until the director finally called cut. Stuart stood, walked over, and shook Dean’s hand.
He apologized directly without excuses. I judged you before I knew you,” he said. Dean accepted it without celebration. They wrapped the film days later. At the rap party, Stuart asked Dean why he always acted like he didn’t care. [music] Dean answered honestly, “If people know you care,” he said, “They can hurt you.” Years later, Stuart would tell an interviewer that Dean Martin had been one of the most professional actors he’d ever worked with.Movies
He [music] mentioned the stunts, the lack of complaints, the consistency. What surprised him most, Stuart said, [music] wasn’t Dean’s talent. It was how wrong he’d been at first. Bandelro premiered in 1968. [music] Critics praised the chemistry. Audiences believed them as brothers. But the real story happened off camera in the Texas Dust [music] when one legend learned that seriousness doesn’t always look the way you expect.
If you’ve ever been underestimated, you probably understand Dean Martin better now. [music] If this story meant something to you, let us know in the comments and subscribe for more untold stories from Hollywood’s golden era.