The Ladies Man

Herbert H. Heebert (Jerry Lewis) is broken hearted when he finds his childhood sweetheart with another man. Swearing off women for good he accepts a job at a boarding house run by Helen Wellenmellen (Helen Traubel), unaware that it's a women only house-and it's full of them! Could it be that they can be good for Herbert and he be good for them?

Jerry Lewis stars, co-writes and directs a virtually plot less film that's almost entirely set in one magnificent mansion set. As was the case with many of Lewis' film's, it relies on his character creation to bring in the laughs. Which is the case here, the problem being that his surrounding cast are not of the required standard to fully form the comedy. With the exception of the dependable Kathleen Freeman, nobody else comes forward to raise some laughs or enhance on Jerry's goofing. Thus Lewis has to once again carry the can, which works to a degree, but entering the last third the joke that is Herbert Heebert starts to wear thin and only his hardiest fans will be able to stay with him. There's many musings on the film across various internet sources that delve deep into the piece as some sort of masterpiece of sexual identity, machismo empowerment and etc. I don't see it myself, but maybe that's just because I want a Jerry Lewis movie to make me howl with laughter above all else! And for sure The Ladies Man does do that on occasions; because it ultimately is a comic vehicle for Lewis, as a soloist, that works splendidly. His direction is excellent with the camera work around the house fluid and very involving, while the Technicolor production really sparkles and enhances the rich visuals available around the star of the show--the set! A good but not great film, but Lewis as ever, to us his fans, entertains royally. 6/10

Jerry Lewis made one of his best solo films in 1960. "The Bellboy" had VERY little plot and consisted of a bazillion little gags all strung together with Jerry working as a bellboy at a fancy hotel. The gags came so rapidly that even the ones that fell flat didn't slow the film down and you can't help but like the movie. A year later, Lewis created a film with some similarities to "The Bellboy" but it just didn't work as well for two main reasons. First, there is a tiny bit more plot--but this was a minor problem. Second, and by far the biggest problem, is Lewis' performance. He is LOUD--L, O, U, D!!!!!! Throughout the film is literally screams about every minute and there is very little subtlety to the film. A few of the characters (such as Miss Wellenmelon) were also incredibly loud--as if screaming or singing in a LOUD voice was funny in and of itself. Now it's not a total loss, as, like the other film, there are so many gags that occasionally they worked--such as the performance by Jerry's mother (you gotta see that one) or 'Baby'. But, again and again, all the momentum is derailed by just going too far--too loud, too unsubtle and just too much. It's a shame, as some things about the film are great and sure could have worked a lot better. For example, the set is about the coolest one I have seen--very similar to a giant doll house. It must have cost a fortune to build this cutout house--and in some of the long shots, it really impresses. Had the film only shown more restraint, it EASILY could have been scored a 7 or higher. A shame, but a wasted opportunity.

I think it´s time we recognize something that should be said a long time ago: Jerry Lewis is a genius and "Ladies´Man" is his most amazing production. The enormous doll´s house he has created serves perfectly for the development of a succesion of hilarious gags that will make the audience fall from their chairs. Using cranes to shoot the scenes, Lewis obtains beautiful scenes and perfectly timed humor. A band playing lively, walls that move, the partition of the main character in four and lots of beautiful girls complete the picture. Believe me when i say: this man knows what he is doing and it´s about time we accept that he is not just a silly clown; he is a talented and creative filmmaker who took movie techniques to its extremes and gave us both a comic and tragic view of the world we live in. Jerry Lewis is what Godard was to french cinema: an innovator. Let´s adore him.

There's not much plot to The Ladies Man. Jerry Lewis plays new college graduate Herbert Heebert who finds his beloved on the day of his graduation in the arms of another. Depressed and somewhat disgusted he starts looking for work vowing never to marry and live a bachelor life.

Bob Hope did a film called Bachelor In Paradise around this time. But what he had was nothing compared to the situation that Lewis winds up with. He answers an advertisement for a handyman and finds it's in a private house that has been converted to a residential hotel for women. Beautiful young woman. Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion has nothing on this place. But the only way to keep him from leaving is to make sure that Jerry feels needed.

After that the whole film becomes a series of skits, some better than others, the best being what he does to tough guy Buddy Lester's hat. Running a close second is his bungling during a live broadcast from the house for a television feature. Helen Traubel plays the owner of the house, a former opera star who has turned her place into this residence because she wanted a family, apparently a family of just daughters.

Jerry directed himself and possibly The Ladies Man might have been a real classic if a comedy director had controlled Jerry just a little bit. Still give Jerry Lewis a big A for effort and B+ for results.

On the one hand this is a greatly entertaining, goofy, comedy but on the other its also a bit of a failure.

What the movie fails at is being a consistent one and maintaining a story throughout. It seems that about half way through the film-makers decided to throw the story overboard and to me the second half of the movie did not really felt in tone with its first half. But this might also very well be simply due to the fact that there wasn't much story to work with in the first place. It's an extremely simplistic story, that serves as an excuse to allow Jerry Lewis act crazy and incredibly immature.

And this is what makes the movie still some good lighthearted fun to watch. The comedy is real goofy and slapstick like and it shall most likely please the Jerry Lewis fans. The movie really has some good laughs in it, so as a comedy the movie still delivers, despite of its weaker second half.

Seriously, things don't even make sense anymore in its second half and a couple of different story lines and characters get thrown in, as if it all was a last minute decision. Things get really forced, such as for instance the 'love story' that really came out of nowhere and therefore just never worked out at all.

But no, I don't want to sound too negative about this movie, since it was one that I still enjoyed watching. The movie is a fun one to watch and a true pleasure to look at, due to its nice sets and Jerry Lewis, who was simply perfectly silly and provided the movie with much more fun and entertainment than its script could ever had.

Decent enough, simple entertainment.

6/10

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