Das Mondkalb

Arguably despite having Jerry Lewis, Dick Shawn and Howard Morris (3 great comedic actors) in the cast this was the most unfunny Jerry Lewis movie I have ever seen. The cold war/space race humor is indeed dated but despite being an attempt at political satire it failed as comedy and probably didn't get lots of laughs even back in 1966. I'm used to Jerry Lewis as a great comedic actor but in this movie he was playing it straight and totally lacking the kind of outrageous antics and physical comedy that made his earlier movies great comedy. I'm inclined to believe that even in France this Jerry Lewis effort would have been a great disappointment. Not only was it lame comedy but it wasn't even good science fiction. Absolutely thumbs down.

Mid 60's sex comedy in space. 2 rocket scientists (Jerry Lewis and incredibly cute Connie Stevens) rushed by the air force into marriage to be the first husband and wife on the moon, There they meet an unmarried couple of Russian cosmonauts (a stunningly statuesque Anita Ekberg's the girl), drink a lot of vodka and get stupid. Unfortunately apart from the couple of guys (Howard Morris and Dennis Weaver) Lewis and Stevens are sent to relieve, after 3 years of isolation together. going crazy and at each others throats for lack of female companionship, the rest of the tepidly "sexy" shenanigans that happen "Way Out" aren't as much fun as what goes on back on earth, Bob Morley gets the best lines and makes the most of them--who cares how a distinguished English gentleman ended up head of the American space program? :-) Brian Keith is hilarious as military brass stereotype Gen. "Howling Wolf" Hallenby, and there's the brief appearance of a ridiculous southern senator Deuce Hawkins (Alex D'arcy} who manages to get in a complaint, topical then, but apropos of nothing else here, that the civil rights movement was going "too fast", a sentiment that seems still to be held by a great number of senators and their constituents to this day. You laugh while you cry when you see something like that all these years later With the advantages of home viewing these days, I'd FF once they arrived on the moon, pausing only to admire the lovely ladies, at home in their spacepod, lounging around in their negligees..

"Austin Powers" spoofed spy films of the sixties and this film is somewhat in that vein except "Way... Way Out" was made from a sixties perspective, not a nineties perspective. Also, this film spoofed a sacred cow, the space program (Disney's "Moon Pilot" in 1962 covered much of this territory already and if you like one you'll probably like the other...though very few people have heard of either). Any fan of the sixties will recognize likeable Brian Keith (he also starred in "Moon Pilot"), sophisticated Robert Morley, leggy bombshell Anita Ekberg, frumpy character actor Milton Frome, studly James Brolin, wacky Howard Morris, even wackier Dick Shawn, and forever Chester, Dennis Weaver. Jerry Lewis of course is the star and delicious Connie Stevens (who Jerry introduced in the must superior "Rock-a-Bye Baby") is the eye candy. By today's standards one might consider the casting of the actresses for their physical attributes a bit sexist (like that doesn't happen today) but this is a physical comedy and placing Connie Stevens among a group of men (men always have sex on their mind don't you know) is not really all that sexist (at least not for the women). Connie Stevens success has been that she's a good comedian too. Some of the comedy is Benny Hill style (or "Austin Powers") but not crude like contemporary films "Something About Mary" or "Scary Movie."

"Way...Way Out" is an unusual Jerry Lewis film mostly because it isn't really a comedy. Sure, it has a few laughs here and there, but the overall effect is more like a commentary about the Cold War than a funny film. To put it bluntly, it isn't particularly funny--though it is interesting.

The film is set in the near future. There is an American and Russian base on the Moon and both are quite small--with two persons in each. As for the American base, the men aboard keep going crazy--presumably because they cannot function without women. But, the Russians have sent a man-woman team and their base is functioning much better. So, the head of the American space agency (an oddly cast Robert Morley) has determined that the next team going to the station will be married. The problem is that the next man scheduled to go (Jerry Lewis) is single and has no particular plans to marry. But, when told they want him to marry a pretty lady (Connie Stevens), he's in favor of the idea--but she isn't. So, the pair agree to go and to marry but not to consummate the marriage. The rest of the film is basically waiting until Stevens changes her mind. In between there is a pretty silly (and forgettable) plot involving the two Russians (Dick Shawn and Anita Ekberg).

The bottom line is that the film lacks laughs but is also inoffensive and an interesting look into the times in which it was made. A must for Lewis fans--otherwise, an inoffensive time-passer and nothing more.

By the way, I am not sure why but if you watch the veteran actor Sig Ruman closely, you can tell his voice is dubbed. Perhaps he had trouble doing the Russian accent credibly.

Our narrator informs us at the start that our film takes place near the turn of the century, so we must assume it is 1998 or 1999. NASA is now NAWA and is in a pickle. Both the Americans and the Russians are maintaining weather stations on the moon. The Americans have 2 male astronauts while the Russians have a male and female. The problem is, one of the Americans keeps attacking the Russian female because he has gone mad. The head of NAWA sees a publicity coup by arranging for a married American team to replace the 2 men, but everything falls apart when the newly married couple starts fighting. Enter Lewis as Peter Mattemore, the oldest trainee who always finds a way out of actual space flight. Mattemore manages to convince Eileen Forbes (played by the lovable Connie Stevens) to marry him and go to the moon with him. Hilarity ensues after they arrive at their destination to find the 2 Russian cosmonauts (played by Dick Shawn and Anita Eckberg) and find Shawn's character is a sex crazed cossack.

For most of the film Lewis is rather subdued in his acting, only letting some of his comic genius burst out for a few seconds at a time. It isn't until we are 2/3's through the film that the true slapstick that we recognize as Lewis trots out during the party scene with all 4 main characters. Stevens is her usual sexy yet girl next door type. She really makes those clear plastic couches and pillows look good. Eckberg, although more statuesque and built than Stevens, takes a back seat to Connie. Shawn is a zany lunatic that is about the only equal to Lewis when it comes to over the top acting.