rebeccamary-96038

One thing I like about Jerry Lewis is his satire. Yes, there are some gags in this movie that are very much overdone or just not funny. (It is painful for me to watch the nightclub scene with the band.) But one of his most fabulous jokes I have seen--both in writing and performance--is when he plays himself in this movie. I love every detail of it!

In my opinion, the first half of The Delicate Delinquent features overly animated acting, jokes that aren't even funny, Jerry using a much-too-high voice, and an awkward storyline. However, about halfway through the movie, it suddenly starts to become more interesting. Jerry's voice gets lower, his bits are more tolerable--some even amusing, and the storyline becomes richer. I really thought I would not like this movie through and through, but with the end being more like a drama, it turned out okay and even somewhat inspiring. Or at least, relatable.

Aside from Jerry's shoes, the star of this movie is definitely the set. It's delightful to see the introduction of the girls with their various talents in this dollhouse setting. I enjoyed the cameos as well as Helen Traubel and Kathleen Freeman's performances. These two ladies were wonderful. This is one of the few movies where Jerry doesn't use his man-child voice which is always nice and there were a few scenes that I thought were funny.

On the other hand, the sound quality and camera work weren't great. Despite it's flaws, I think this movie's uniqueness (the set) and occasional funny bits make it deserving to watch if you enjoy old comedies.