Said to be Jerry Lewis's favorite of all the Martin and Lewis films, because he felt it came closest to capturing what they had as a team onstage.
Though filmed in 1951, it was held up release till 1953 because Paramount was unsure of its box office appeal due to its extensive dramatic moments.
Jerry Lewis' trademark catch-phrase, "Hey, Lady!!!" originated in this film. He directs the line at Marion Marshall as he falls out of the theater balcony in his first performance as the stooge.
Generally considered to be the apex of the Martin and Lewis collaboration, "The Stooge" (1951) was ironically the only one of their vehicles that could be categorized as a drama, as nearly all of the comedy occurs on stage. The remainder of the offstage plot is largely serious in tone.
Bill and Ted's act closely mirrors the improvisational essence of the early stage work that brought Martin and Lewis to prominence. Jerry Lewis stated in his memoir that, in his estimation, this was the only one of his and Dean's sixteen screen teamings that truly captured the magic of their chemistry, as the addition of hackneyed storylines and romantic subplots undid the unpredictable, anarchic nature of their teamwork.