One of the greats has passed.
RIP, Jerry Lewis.
RIP Jerry
Loved your movies with Dean Martin when I was a boy. My early childhood entertainment consisted mostly of Lewis/Martin and Elvis flicks. Those were carefree, happy days.
Misread that.
RIP
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ 20th August 2017, 7:28 PMRIP Jerry
Loved your movies with Dean Martin when I was a boy. My early childhood entertainment consisted mostly of Lewis/Martin and Elvis flicks. Those were carefree, happy days.
Ditto me too GB, that would have been exactly what I posted.
91 good age, but shit (sorry) I loved that man. The early films with DM and superb in The King of Comedy.
Yes, RIP Mr Lewis and thank you for the many hours of cinema comedy you gave me/us.
I recently watched the segment from Jerry's 1976 telethon where Frank Sinatra surprised him by bringing out Dean Martin. I don't think they'd spoken in decades, but you can tell they both loved each other dearly.
Like our own Stan Laurel and Benny Hill he was a master at what he did and far cleverer than the stupid dimwits he created, which many didn't appreciate. He also had a deeper darker side which came out in KoC and TNP where his Mr Hyde persona looked like a creepy copy of Dean Martin with whisky glass in hand. I love that film.
Quote: DaButt @ 21st August 2017, 12:15 AMI recently watched the segment from Jerry's 1976 telethon where Frank Sinatra surprised him by bringing out Dean Martin. I don't think they'd spoken in decades, but you can tell they both loved each other dearly.
Interesting, ("but you can tell they both loved each other dearly" - Really?) but note Jerry has his arms folded, if you believe in body gestures/messages, and if that is the case, what's he going to say to ole blue eyes? "Hey Frank! What the f**k you doin' arranging for him to come on, you dick !?"
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 21st August 2017, 9:29 AMInteresting, ("but you can tell they both loved each other dearly" - Really?) but note Jerry has his arms folded
Lewis said that they spoke nearly every day after that reunion. He's also lamented the breakup as one of the stupidest things he's ever done. He wrote a book about their relationship in 2005 and titled it "Dean and Me - A Love Story."
Has his holocaust clown movie ever been released?
Quote: Kenneth @ 22nd August 2017, 5:53 AMHas his holocaust clown movie ever been released?
I don't think so. I've seen a documentary about it last year. According to the doc very few people have seen the film (or at least longer, coherent parts of it. I don't think Lewis ever finished it). One of them is actor Harry Shearer and he said the film was horrible...generally very dark and depressing* and the scenes that should give the viewer some comic relief don't work.
Even Lewis himself said the film was a disaster. He also said Roberto Begnini pinched the idea many years later for his own Oscar winning "Life's Beautiful" but made it a whole lot better, a masterpiece. Life's Beautiful is the movie Lewis' "The Day..." should have been. So no hard feelings there from him.
The project was designed as Lewis' breaktrough as a serious actor and director but the whole thing ended in frustration and financial crisis.
*In the final scene the clown (Lewis) has to lure the kids into the gas chamber (that's what he's been hired for by the Nazis) which he does but instead of coming out again he realises the horror of his actions and decides to stay and getting gassed together with the children. Not exactly light entertainment!
Sounds like something to gladden the heart on a gloomy Sunday afternoon.