El ingenuo

There isn't a big star that you can name who doesn't have an entourage. These folks have their careers rise and fall with the stars that time and circumstance has attached them to. But what does happen to these people if the star is taken out of the picture. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were known for their large entourages and I daresay right at this moment there any number of people trying to figure out what the future holds for them with Michael Jackson's demise.

The Patsy examines one such entourage who when its star, a popular comedian is killed in a plane crash, they will not just disperse. They function as a team and all they need is another star. Where to find one however.

And that's where Jerry Lewis comes in, an innocent schlep of a bellboy who comes in with an ice tray wreaking havoc in the typical Lewis manner. The rest of the film is devoted to how well they succeed in their objective.

As one of the last players under studio contract, Paramount kept in the black pretty much during the Fifties and Sixties because of Jerry Lewis. Either with Dino or later as a solo, Jerry's films made money and gradually he got creative control over them. In this one he directs as well.

It's not his best work, but it's still pretty good with some really hilarious performances. Jerry Lewis has a reputation as an egotist, but you would not know it in The Patsy, he was quite generous in giving time to the fine cast he assembled. The entourage consists of Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Ina Balin, John Carradine, Keenan Wynn, and in his last film Peter Lorre. You're not going to hold too tight a rein on this group of scene stealers and Lewis doesn't even try.

Best scene in the film however is with Hans Conreid as a voice teacher the entourage hires for Lewis. It involves Jerry with a snooty Hans who is also an antique collector. Let's just say the laughs are equally for Hans as they are for Jerry.

And the ending is something that Mel Brooks could have used. In fact I'm not sure Brooks didn't appropriate an idea or two for some of his films.

The Patsy is a great introduction to Jerry Lewis and I know his fans count it among his best.

The Prolific, Near-Genius, Self-Indulgent, and as Always Self-Referential Jerry Lewis is at it Again. Pushing Film Conventions just a Nudge, not Over the Edge, Never Wanting to be Totally Dismissed and Forever Seeking Approval, He Managed to be Creative as well as, Like Most Comedians, Inconsistent.

Jerry's Fans Rate this One Pretty HIgh, some Considering it His Best along with The Nutty Professor (1963). It is Deeper than His Other Movies and Lewis, who was a Constant Thinker, seemed to be Thinking Overtime on this One.

Like All Jerry Lewis Movies this has some Very Funny Bits and His Comic Timing is in Evident Here with a Scene Involving Voice Lessons and Antiques. The Sight Gags in Jerry's Movies are Consistently Innovative and Succeed without Fail, One after Another.

Armed with an All-Star Supporting Cast and a Number of Cameos, the Perennial Clown just might have Reached too Far on this One because in this Film when it is Embarrassing (most Jerry Lewis Films include cringe-inducements) it is Really Embarrassing, like in the Nightclub Scene.

Overall, this is One of Jerry's more Ambitious Movies and Probably One of HIs Best, although that's Debatable. Still if You are one of those that can Only take a Smattering of the Jerry Lewis Charm, this is Probably one You should Check Out. It's got it All.

This Jerry Lewis comedy, which he also co-wrote and directed, begins with an unusual premise: a movie star has died and his staff of handlers (Keenan Wynn, Everett Sloane, John Carradine, Phil Harris, Ina Balin, and Peter Lorre who died before this was released) are discussing if they should split up. That would become "no" when Jerry, as bellhop Stanley Belt, shows up and clumsily drops his ice and glasses which makes the team try to make him a star. I'll stop there and just say that while I know that Lewis tends to overdo his shtick, I usually find it funny maybe both because and despite him doing so. I mean, when he mouths in the wrong places his recorded lyrics to his hit song (which I personally don't think would have been a hit even as a novelty tune) or has a disastrous encounter with music teacher Hans Conried (a veteran player of Lewis' movies), I'm so there laughing my head off! And a couple of silent sequences are pretty amusing if not as funny. But when we see Stanley at his night club debut, his accident-prone and mixed-words performance is painful to watch not only to the characters watching but to the actual film audience as well though it's possible Lewis meant it that way. There's also some entertaining tap dancing by The Four Step Brothers and some cool shoe shine-bopping by Scatman Crothers even though his character borders on an African-American stereotype though even there you get something of an edge in modern humor at the end of that bit. After the aforementioned night club bit, it loses some steam but the ending more than makes up for it. Oh, and cameos by the likes of Hedda Hopper and Ed Sullivan are also fine for the good sports they show up as. So on that note, The Patsy is well worth a look for any Lewis fan out there. P.S. This is one of the few movies that both Keenan and his father, Ed Wynn, both show up in though in this case, they have no scenes together. Oh, and Sullivan mentions both Martin & Lewis and The Beatles as among those that made their TV debut on his show, having filmed his scene not long after The Fab Four's first appearance with him on February 9, 1964.

An office boy is turned into the great new sensation - a 'patsy' of a committee of old timers. Jerry Lewis is Stanley Belt, a clumsy, dumb kind of a man who seems the perfect fall guy to generate income for those pulling the strings.

A strong supporting cast - Everett Sloane, Peter Lorre, Keenan Wynn, Phil Harris, John Carradine - shine in support of Lewis; while Ina Balin provides decoration and a love interest.

'The Patsy' is slightly self-indulgent and presents both the best and the worst of Jerry Lewis, although when it is funny, it is well worth watching - the piece where Lewis sings on television is hilarious.

If you're a Lewis fan, don't miss. If you're not, perhaps this isn't the one to start with. If you have no feelings either way, it is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, with some general interest for film buffs.

This is Jerry Lewis at his best.Sure I could say the same thing about him in many other movies.The master clown plays this time a bellboy named Stanley Belt.A star comedian dies, so they want to train a nobody, in this case Stan the bellboy, to be the new star.But hiring Stan to fill the shoes of the comedian really isn't such a good idea.He can't do anything right and there are so many things he has to do.So many things he has to learn, and there's not too much time to learn it all.The Patsy (1964): directed by Jerry Lewis, writing credits Jerry Lewis and Bill Richmond.This is a funny comedy with a deeper meaning.Jerry does his comic act with his own unique style, that many have tried to imitate.But let's face it; nobody is better than the original.Ina Balin is a terrific leading lady.She plays Ellen Betz and is really sweet in her part.Everett Sloane is Caryl Fergusson and he's marvelous.Phil Harris is great as Chic Wymore.Keenan Wynn is wonderful as Harry Silver.Also his father, Ed Wynn can be seen in the movie.And so can Keenan's son Ned Wynn.Peter Lorre does his final movie role in The Patsy.He was a great, great actor in both comedies and more serious roles.Scatman Crothers is there to give shine to the shoes.Then there are people you may recognize from other Lewis movies, like Del Moore, Buddy Lester and Nancy Kulp.Some people are there as themselves, like Hedda Hopper, Rhonda Fleming, George Raft, Mel Tormé and Ed Sullivan.Not too many movies have a cast like that! Two of my favorite scenes are where Jerry paints a tuxedo on himself and the flashback sequence showing Jerry as a youngster in a dance where the girls don't want to dance with him.Those scenes show what a great mime Jerry really is.Here in Finland they have been showing Jerry Lewis movies on Sundays this summer.The last time they showed his movies successively was in 1998.Now I can see the tragedy in Jerry's characters better than I did back then.Then I saw only the crazy and zany and funny man.Now I can see his characters are often tragic figures who also happen to be very funny.Jerry Lewis can still make me laugh like crazy.Jerry is a fool with heart.Nobody can do it like Jerry Lewis.