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producing for his daughter, Nancy, through his film company. It was called For Those Who Think Young .
    â€˜It’s a beach movie with James Darren.’
    â€˜Bikinis and sand, huh?’
    â€˜You said it.’
    I remembered meeting Nancy the year before. She was a good-looking young woman, and would probably do justice to a bikini. I didn’t know about Dean’s daughter, Claudia. I suddenly felt bad that I considered us to be friends, and I had never seen his daughter. Young Dino, yeah, he had come to Vegas a time or two, but Claudia . . .
    â€˜How old is Claudia?’ I asked.
    â€˜Nineteen,’ he said. ‘Old enough to be running around on screen in a bikini; or so I’ve been tellin’ her mother. She’s not so sure about it.’
    I told Dean I’d make sure to see the film when it came out.
    â€˜That’s OK,’ he said. ‘I’d just as soon you didn’t see Claudia running around in a bikini.’
    Seemed to me Dino wasn’t so sure about this movie, either.
    We had coffee and pie for dessert and we started to talk about Bing. I don‘t recall who brought him up. Maybe I did after mentioning being at Del Mar the year before.
    â€˜It killed Bing to have to give up Del Mar,’ Dean said, ‘but he had to cover the inheritance tax on Dixie Lee’s estate when she died. He still owns some horses, though. Supposed to be lookin’ at one while he’s in Vegas.’
    â€˜Where?’
    Dean shrugged.
    â€˜Red Rock Canyon, I think he said. He’s supposed to be meetin’ his trainer here.’
    â€˜When?’
    â€˜I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘Probably after Frankie’s opening night.’
    â€˜How long are you stayin’ in town?’ I asked.
    â€˜I’ll probably leave after a couple of Frank Junior’s shows,’ he said, thoughtfully. ‘I’m just supposed to give him enough morale to last until Frank gets here himself.’
    â€˜And when is that?’
    â€˜A few days,’ Dino said. ‘Closing night.’
    â€˜I’m sure it’ll give the kid a thrill to have his father in the audience.’
    â€˜I told Frank I could stay that long. So I’ll be around.’ He finished his coffee, pushed away his empty pie plate. ‘He also wanted me to ask you if you’d look out for Frank Junior while he’s here.’
    If that was what Dean had been leading up to, it wasn’t much to ask.
    â€˜Sure,’ I said. ‘No problem.’
    â€˜Good. I told Frank I didn’t want you to think I only came to town to ask for favors.’
    â€˜I think we’re past that, Dean,’ I said. ‘We’ve had enough dinners together over the past few years that were just friendly dinners.’
    â€˜Yeah, you’re right,’ he said.
    Teaching me golf and inviting me to Del Mar, those were also acts of friendship. He hadn’t asked me for anything either time.
    Looking out for Frank Junior might not be as much fun as squiring Nancy around town might have been, but it wasn’t a big deal.

SEVEN
    Frank Junior put on a hell of a show the next night.
    And he did it without singing more than two or three of his father’s songs. He wanted to stand on his own two feet; I gave him credit for that.
    After the show I was granted backstage access and found myself awash in celebrities. Not only Hope, Crosby and Dino, but Jack Benny, George Burns, Keely Smith and Louis Prima, Alan King.
    â€˜Hey, Eddie, how ya doin’?’ Somebody grabbed my arm. There was no mistaking that voice. I turned and looked into the cock-eyed face of Buddy Hackett, who was grinning at me.
    â€˜Hey, Buddy!’ He shook my hand enthusiastically. ‘Boy, Frank pulled out all the stops tonight, huh? Got all his friends to show up here.’
    â€˜Most of ’em,’ Buddy said. ‘The ones that aren’t workin’ somewhere themselves tonight.