BEFORE: Jerry Lewis carries over from last night's film, and earns Birthday SHOUT-out #19. Happy 85th Birthday, Jerry! This film also brings me back to the theme of mistaken identity / substitutes, which will carry over into the sci-fi chain.
THE PLOT: When a star comedian dies, his comedy team decides to train a nobody to fill his shoes in a big TV show.
AFTER: An inside look at the Hollywood comedy machine, which at the time consisted of making novelty records, appearing in nightclub revues, and doing the Ed Sullivan Show - before landing a gig on a TV comedy show, of course. Replacing a star comedy actor on a hit TV show - if only the films that I'm choosing could somehow be more relevant to today's headlines...what a shame.
This is almost the same film as "The Disorderly Orderly", if you just substitute "comedian" for "doctor" and "stage fright" for...umm, all the things Lewis's character was suffering from in "The Disorderly Orderly". But the formula works a little bit better here.
In this film, Lewis plays Stanley Belt, who's got a team of managers ready to write him jokes, help develop his public-speaking skills, and even make out with him (the cute female one only, of course).
I knew something was up with the background singers on Stanley's record, but I didn't realize they were all played by Jerry Lewis - I thought they were some famous music act in disguise. And apparently within the "Patsy"-verse there is also a star named Jerry Lewis, so that's some weird reality overlap. Same thing happened in "The Disorderly Orderly" with a promo ad in the background of a scene, for a film called "The Disorderly Orderly" starring Jerry Lewis. Did my mind just get blown?
Also starring Everett Sloane (also carrying over from last night's film), Peter Lorre (last seen in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"), Keenan Wynn, Phil Harris (star of Disney animation, TV and novelty records), John Carradine (father of David and Keith), with cameos from Hans Conreid, Scatman Crothers, Jack Albertson, Ed Wynn, Hedda Hopper, Ed Sullivan and Mel Torme. Oh, and that was Fritz Feld as the Maitre D' in the restaurant - there's a character actor who made a career out of playing waiters and hotel managers (see: "The World's Greatest Lover", "Silent Movie", "History of the World Part 1", "Hello, Dolly!", "Barefoot in the Park", etc.) and his signature move was to "pop" his hand over his mouth to call for faster service - I bet he showed up at casting sessions already dressed in a tux.
RATING: 5 of of 10 vocal coaches
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