Parachutiste malgré lui

Starting in 1949 and through the early 1950s, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made 16 films together. Their match-up is the familiar one of comedy teams. A straight man, who often gets the gal, and a goof-up, klutz or clown. So, we had had Laurel and Hardy, Crosby and Hope, and Martin and Lewis.

This is one of the earlier Martin-Lewis comedies. As with most of their films, Dean's singing and their comedy routines play in the plot. So, we get a little singing and dancing along with a wacky story of sorts. After Chick (Martin) goes in the Army, Hap Smith (Lewis) finds himself a female partner for a new show. But before they can get launched in the big time, Chick calls for help that only Hap can provide. So, he sneaks on base to help with a show for the troops.

Well, it's not hard to imagine what happens from there on. The base is a fictitious one, of course, but for this one Paramount did some film shooting at Ft. Benning, GA, and the Army parachute school.

While this and similar films still bring a chuckle here and there, they don't seem as funny as they must have been to audiences in the mid- 20th century. I remember watching these in theaters as a youngster. Slapstick can still be good and very funny, but I think the comedy with actors completely changing their voices was a phase from that period that hasn't lasted.

This film is OK for some laughs and the music and comedy. The rest of the cast provide nice support for the two leads.

This is another Martin & Lewis movie I watched on YouTube. Two years after At War with the Army, they're back there although Jerry's only there because Dean needs his old performing partner back to put on a show. Mona Freeman is Lewis' new partner back in New York where they're supposed to prepare for a Broadway show. So Jerry's there under false pretenses and...oh, watch the movie to see how it all turns out. In chronologically reviewing this iconic team's movies, I've mentioned when their leading ladies did another film with them. Now I can say what male co-stars have made return appearances: First, there's Robert Strauss-previously their superior officer in their last picture Sailor Beware-once again as their sergeant who eventually warms up to Lewis. Then there's Don DeFore-previously Dean's rival in My Friend Irma-as one of Dean and Jerry's fellow privates. Since there's a show business angle involved, there's plenty of musical numbers with Dean either by himself with some dancers or with Jerry clowning around. Jerry himself has a number with Ms. Freeman though her singing voice is dubbed by Imogene Lynn. In summary, this was quite hilarious to me with Dean himself, for once, getting almost as equal laughs as Jerry especially during that lunch-on-a-train sequence with Strauss and another actor named Richard Erdman who's character Lewis is impersonating. So on that note, I highly recommend Jumping Jacks.

I have my voice to see! I love that movie since when I was a kid, i'm a big kid now! That's amazing,

Jumping Jacks though early in the careers of Martin and Lewis personified and solidified the act as comedians. Though it was relatively the end of their comedy team, this movie only proved they had more fun and slap stick to come. Fantastic laugh a minute movie with a few Martin songs which are equally as good. If you have never seen a Martin and Lewis movie this is the one to see.

"Jumping Jacks" is an okay time killer. It has a few laughs and a few smiles but nothing very memorable. I enjoy Jerry Lewis (I saw him perform at Westbury (NY) Music Fair when he was ninety years old. It was a fun show.) and Dean Martin. But I enjoy them separately. As team, at least in their movies, they also fall flat with me. "Jumping Jacks" is better than their other movies but that's not saying much. "Jumping Jacks" has a good story and the supporting cast is likeable. It does have some funny moments but from some reason the movie started to feel long. And then it felt even longer. It should have been fifteen minutes shorter.