Jerry Lewis

[urbeatle]

I think I said something once a long while ago about wishing I could see some Jerry Lewis movies; I hadn't seen any for maybe 25 to 30 years. There were a couple Jerry Lewis movies available on demand, so I watched 'em. Two I'd seen when I was a kid: "The Geisha Boy" and "The Nutty Professor". Two others are frequently cited as works of genius: "

Comments

[mmcirvin]

In "King of Comedy" Jerry Lewis demonstrated that he was also a perfectly competent dramatic actor. (The movie had some very dark laughs, but Jerry Lewis's character is essentially a straight man.)

[urbeatle]

I have still, somehow, not had the opportunity to see "King of Comedy".

I think Lewis is good as a dramatic actor because, as I said, he is a perfect mimic in all ways. He can mimic dramatic acting. There are bits in "The Errand Boy", "The Geisha Boy", and "The Nutty Professor" that are pretty moving. All he has to do is resist the urge to clown and he has it nailed.

[mmcirvin]

In this case he's playing the host of a TV show that is an obvious analog of the Carson-era Tonight Show, though he's not imitating Johnny Carson. Actually, he's a little like David Letterman: The Later Years, but before the fact.

And, yeah, I think he's one of these guys who can be brilliant if he practices some restraint. His later comedies are so terrible, I think, because he has total creative control; nobody really cares enough to rein him in.

[mmcirvin]

In this case he's playing the host of a TV show that is an obvious analog of the Carson-era Tonight Show, though he's not imitating Johnny Carson. Actually, he's a little like David Letterman: The Later Years, but before the fact.

And, yeah, I think he's one of these guys who can be brilliant if he practices some restraint. His later comedies are so terrible, I think, because he has total creative control; nobody really cares enough to rein him in.