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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2017 - 3:15 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Based on the radio series created by Cy Howard, MY FRIEND IRMA marked the feature film debut of nightclub comedy team Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film is set in New York City, where “Jane Stacey's” (Diana Lynn’s) perky but dimwitted best friend and roommate, “Irma Peterson” (Marie Wilson), constantly creates havoc because of her stupidity. Irma's longtime fiancé “Al” (John Lund) has been living on unemployment benefits for four years. When Irma, a secretary, praises the impromptu singing of “Steve Laird” (Dean Martin), who is working at an orange juice bar with his goofy partner, “Seymour” (Jerry Lewis), Al appoints himself to be Steve and Seymour's manager and moves the men into Jane and Irma's apartment.
Jack Carson was originally slated to appear as "Al," but was unavailable. The role of "Seymour" was specifically created for Jerry Lewis, although Lewis reportedly wanted the role of "Al." The Variety review stated that the "most notable value of 'IRMA' is the introduction of two nitery comics," while the New YorkTimes reviewer remarked on the "new mad comedian, Jerry Lewis...[who is] the funniest thing in this film." Martin and Lewis received ten percent of the film's budget as their salary.
George Marshall directed the 1949 film, which has an unreleased score by Roy Webb.
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2017 - 5:37 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In their third film, Martin and Lewis were AT WAR WITH THE ARMY. At an Army training camp, Private First Class “Alvin Korwin” (Lewis) is put on K.P. duty due to incompetence. Even Korwin's former best friend and songwriting partner, Sergeant “Victor Puccinelli” (Martin), cannot stand to be around him.
This was the first film in which Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis received featured star billing. When Martin and Lewis signed with Paramount Pictures, it was with the proviso that they could make one film outside the studio every year for their own company, York Productions. This film was the first fruit of that negotiation, with the stars exchanging their usual salary for a 90% cut of the profits. However, on the film's release (under an agreement with Paramount to distribute the film), the two found themselves in the midst of a protracted legal battle over their contract and the profits. Eventually, an agreement was reached, but the team dropped their stipulation that they make films outside of Paramount. All the legal battles over the film are probably one of the main reasons why its copyright was not renewed in 1978, with the film ending up in the public domain.
Hal Walker directed the 1950 film, with Joseph J. Lilley acting as music director and providing some uncredited score.
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2017 - 7:19 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE STOOGE is set in 1930 New York, where popular vaudevillian “Bill Miller” (Dean Martin) announces at his wedding reception that he is going solo, stunning his partner, “Ben Bailey” (Richard Erdman), and his agent, “Leo Lyman” (Eddie Mayehoff). Bill dismisses Ben’s and Leo’s warnings about the difficulties he will face and begins touring with his bride, singer “Mary Turner” (Polly Bergen), at his side. When Bill proves a failure, Leo suggests he hire a stooge, or song plugger, to spice up his act. Bill contacts a music publisher, who recommends “Ted Rogers” (Jerry Lewis), a bumbling employee he is anxious to get out from under foot.
THE STOOGE is said to be Jerry Lewis's favorite of all the Martin and Lewis films, because he felt it came closest to capturing what they had as a team onstage. Though released in the U.K. in November 1951, its wide American release was held until February 1953 because Paramount was unsure of its box office appeal due to its extensive dramatic moments. Norman Taurog directed the film, with Joseph J. Lilley acting as music director and providing some uncredited score.
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2017 - 7:38 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Although allergic to kissing girls, Seaman “Melvin Jones” (Jerry Lewis), through a fluke TV appearance, gets the undeserved reputation of a great kisser, dubbed "Mr. Temptation," and is pursued by amorous young females. Producer Hal Wallis conceived SAILOR BEWARE as a sequel to Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin's hit film AT WAR WITH THE ARMY.
The film marked the screen debut of James Dean, who played an unnamed sailor who is Lewis’s opponent's second in a boxing scene. Lewis gave Dean the role, which included one line of dialogue. The boxing scene was written by Lewis, who demanded an extra $50,000 for it, which he then donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. SAILOR BEWARE was the first Martin and Lewis picture to be dubbed into French. Lewis subsequently became a comic favorite among French critics.
Hal Walker was back in the director’s chair, with both Joseph J. Lilley and Leigh Harline providing uncredited music.
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2017 - 8:55 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Film noir specialist Lizabeth Scott appeared in the rare comedy when she played opposite Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in 1953's SCARED STIFF. Lewis played bumbling nightclub busboy “Myron Mertz” and Martin was his longtime friend, “Larry Todd,” the club's singer. Scott played a woman who inherits a castle from her grandfather and then runs afoul of gangsters.
SCARED STIFF was Carmen Miranda's final film. The Portuguese-Brazilian musical star died of a heart attack in 1953. In the film, Jerry Lewis impersonates Miranda and lip-syncs one of her signature numbers, "Mama yo quiero." Lewis also imitates Humphrey Bogart in one scene.
Lewis and Martin initially failed to report for work on the picture, claiming they were dissatisfied with the script. Modern sources, however, state that Martin and Lewis, who had become enormous box-office stars by the time of the film's production, refused to appear because they wanted out of their contract with Paramount producer Hal Wallis. In late May 1952, Martin and Lewis signed a new contract with Wallis, which guaranteed them $1,000,000 a year and required that they make only one Paramount production per year.
Though Lizabeth Scott would recall fond memories of working on the set in later years, at the time of filming she found it trying. Scott found Lewis' impersonations of her offensive, while a jealous Hal Wallis instructed the director, George Marshall, not to let the romantic scenes between Scott and Martin get too steamy. Despite Scott's best efforts, including making excuses for Lewis' behavior to the press, most of her scenes ended up on the cutting-room floor.
Repaying Martin and Lewis for their cameo in ROAD TO BALI, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby returned the favor with a cameo in this film. Leith Stevens provided an unreleased score for the 1953 film
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2017 - 10:31 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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As a young man, “Harvey Miller, Jr.” (Jerry Lewis) struggles to follow in the footsteps of his father, a professional golfer, but is too shy to play in front of onlookers. But he’s able to act as THE CADDY for his friend “Joe Anthony” (Dean Martin). The film was the first release of York Pictures, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis' production company, since their early 1951 hit AT WAR WITH THE ARMY. Prior to making THE CADDY, Lewis and Martin paid $850,000 to extract themselves from their contract with Screen Associates, the company that had underwritten York's participation in AT WAR WITH THE ARMY.
Actual footage of Dean Martin's and Jerry Lewis' 1951 appearance at New York's Paramount Theater was integrated into the film's opening, when the pair appear as entertainers (the bulk of the film is told in flashback). Norman Taurog directed the 1953 film, with Joseph J. Lilley acting as music director and providing some uncredited score.
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