El bocón

When i view this film i tend to look at it from the directors lens.In this respect it has many positives,more so then if viewed strictly on comedic pacing and storyline.The opening scene has Clamson reeling in Valentine while fishing and is told about some diamonds and where they are hidden.This is the basic plot and the comedy spins from this premise,as such it can be thin but the direction by Lewis is the high point when watching this movie.There is the opening scene which leads from the beach with Clamson and Valentine into this beautiful helicopter shot which rises and sweeps away from the beach while the credits run and comes right back to the beach and the continuation of the scene.There is a scene of Clamson being stopped by the police and an argument over the various violations and there numbers.Clamson sits in the car while this argument ensues and Lewis has him framed in the scene with his face in the background framed by a cops arm on his hip in the foreground.The direction of Lewis in this movie is the star. So when you watch this movie look at it from the view of Lewis and how he is blocking the scenes and compare it to other comedies you like.You will see the deft use of colors and sound,also his use of language to make his movies very layered beyond just the punchline of the scene.The Big Mouth is filled with these Lewis touches,all the comedy might not work but it's his attempt to experiment that must be applauded.So give this movie a second look and don't just look for the comedic payoff but look for the setup through the deft lensing by Lewis and i think you'll have a greater appreciation of this film.

Why this Jerry Lewis comedy isn't better known or more widely available is a mystery since it's a classic and as consistently funny as anything he did. Here the slapstick verges on the surreal while its 'thriller' plot is virtually irrelevant. As well as starring, Jerry wrote, produced and directed and if it never amounts to anything more than a series of sketches they are, at least, very funny. It's certainly a movie ripe for rediscovery that, for now at least, will have to settle for ultimate cult status.

This one is just all over the place! When gerald goes fishing in san diego, he finds a spy who has been shot. Or something. Something about some diamonds.. hidden... somewhere. There's a narrator, who keeps busting in to break the fourth wall, picking on the film. But when gerald gets in trouble with the hotel clerk, he takes on an offensive japanese character, complete with over-size teeth, and every stereotype there is. And falls in love with the blonde bambi and the dark haired suzie ( played by mrs. Leonard nimoy aka susan bay !) also cameos by rob reiner and charo, although they are both easy to miss. Don't forget lewis' pals buddey lester and charlie callas. Eve the original colonel sanders!! There's just way too much going on here. Some pretty funny bits now and then, but it's so silly and complicated. Too many side stories. Lots of time spent at sea world. It's okay.

"The Big Mouth" is one of the better Jery Lewis movies out there. While I have yet to see ALL of Lewis's earlier works, I have seen a good handful of the better known titles including "The Family Jewels" and "The Nutty Professor." This one is better than both. I always felt that it deserved more attention and props than "NP" (his most well known) simply because the humor was more consistent throughout and the comedic timing, especially with Jerry as Gerald Clamson, couldn't have been better. Some great examples include him and the bellhop during an awkward moment involving a tip. Another one involves him and an elderly Chinese man at the pearl shop at Sea World. His remark about Confucious is the stuff of legend. So is the man's reaction. I also felt that "NP" was lacking in good supporting characters that were wacky enough to hold there own against Clamson. This is why the movie fizzles and becomes somewhat stale early on. Nothing for him to play off of. "FJ" had plenty of characters, but they were all played by Jerry Lewis. In other words, that movie suffered from Lewis overload. "The Big Mouth" is a perfect balance of all these elements. Though it may lose some of its pacing around the second half, the movie is well worth at least a rental simply for the first. If you suddenly crave some good silliness that will actually make you laugh from time to time, this is the Jerry Lewis movie for you, if you can find it.

p.s.-for Hojean, this is the one you're thinking of.

A tepid, extremely mild, fairly tedious, slightly overlong comedy. The first half has some reasonably funny bits (like the one that takes place in a phone-booth), but in the second half things get pretty desperate. Jerry Lewis himself is appealing when he is playing the "straight man", but irritating when he appears disguised. And the direction has no comic timing whatsoever.