The Old Bartender Who Taught Dean Martin to Box — A Tucson Bar Fight in 1958 Brought Him Back

Tucson, Arizona, summer 1958. Dean Martin was filming Rio Bravo with John Wayne, and every night he slipped away to a quiet little bar on the edge of town to watch the ballgame with an old bartender who barely said a word. Then the undefeated heavyweight champion of the U.S. Air Force walked in and challenged him in front of a hundred airmen. Dean said no. Three times. Until the champion went after the old man behind the bar. Three punches later, the room went quiet. And the old bartender reached under the counter for a cigar box that had been waiting eighteen years for Dean Martin to open it. A story about courage, gratitude, and the people who see who we are before we do. Who was the person who believed in you before anyone else did? Tell us in the comments. #DeanMartin #RioBravo #JohnWayne #KidCrochet #ClassicHollywood #OldHollywood #Boxing This video is a dramatized retelling inspired by the lives and careers of Dean Martin, John Wayne, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan, Angie Dickinson, Howard Hawks, Jerry Lewis and Ernie McKay. Dialogue and certain events have been recreated for storytelling purposes.