Jerry souffre-douleur

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.

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.

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.

THE PATSY (1964) ** Jerry again a bell-hop, again mistakenly hired - this time as a new star-to-be who has no talent whatsoever.

If your a big Jerry Lewis fan, and I am, you will enjoy The Patsy. It's not his funniest, at least on a consistent basis, but it does have it's share of big laughs. The premise is that a big music star perishes in a plane crash and his associates, including Claude Raines and John Carradine, need to find a replacement. In steps bumbling Jerry as a hotel employee who must be turned into the next big music star. Some hilarious scenes such as Jerry being groomed in a beauty salon, being "taught" how to sing by the always dependable Hans Conried and Jerry's attempt at lip-synching his hit song on TV. again, not his best but enjoyable and funny enough for me!