Detetive Mixuruca

Jerry Lewis has undoubted talent as a slapstick comedian. Unfortunately he also has a massive ego and a rather unpleasant personality which make most of his movies (especially the ones without Dean Martin) almost impossible for me to watch. In this one director Frank Tashlin seems to have established firm control, doesn't let Lewis hog the camera but makes the most of his acrobatic comedy. This, supplemented by an expert supporting cast, Zachary Scott as the villain, Jesse White as the private eye and Mae Questel as the dotty aunt, along with some understated but well done Noir type photography make this mystery spoof watchable and funny.

Has Jerry Lewis just gotten a bad rap? Well, when you combine his top-notch physical humor with a good script, wonderful supporting cast (and the ever necessary loyal pretty girl played here by Joan O'Brien) and Frank Tashlin's cartoon-expert direction, you've got to wonder. Very funny (and those creepy, one-eyed, flesh-eating, canister vacuum cleaners at the end are a blast).

While not on par with Lewis's very best (The Nutty Professor, The Ladies Man, The Bell Boy, Who's Minding the Store, the underrated The Family Jewels, and others), It's Only Money is entertaining for fans. It includes many instances of iconic Lewis linguistics and enough funny gags to sustain its 90 minutes. While not on par with Lewis's very best (The Nutty Professor, The Ladies Man, The Bell Boy, Who's Minding the Store, the underrated The Family Jewels, and others), It's Only Money is entertaining for fans. It includes many instances of iconic Lewis linguistics and enough funny gags to sustain its 90 minutes.

I've noticed that in Jerry Lewis' earlier solo films, he tended to play his roles a bit more...quietly. In films like "The Delicate Delinquent" and "The Sad Sack", Lewis was reasonably restrained. However, as the 1960s arrived, Lewis began a long period in which being loud and overplaying things was his schtick. This mugging was quite obvious here in "It'$ Only Money". He's very loud, his voice is much more intensely annoying and ethnic and he is anything but subtle. As a result, it's difficult going at times.

The film finds Jerry playing a TV repairman. A rich inventor has recently died and Jerry's detective friend (Jesse White) wants to use Jerry to infiltrate the dead man's mansion. What no one knows at this point is that Jerry is the heir to the estate--the rich guy's long-lost son. The first to realize this is a shyster lawyer (Zachary Scott) who plans on using his homicidal assistant (Jack Westin) to kill Lewis before he can collect his fortune. And, his plan is to then marry the dead guy's sister (Mae Questel) and then kill her--and taking the fortune for himself. Can Jerry somehow survive? And, for that matter, can the audience survive the ordeal?! Considering how much Lewis mugs during the train recording sequence, when he's shaving and when looking at the painting of his dead father, it's doubtful. Subtle and well acted, it ain't! If you do watch, look for Barbara Pepper (Mrs. Zipfel from "Green Acres") and Mae Questel (the voice of Olive Oyl and Betty Boop). Pepper is just there in a cameo as the lady at the fishing pier and Questel plays Jerry's aunt with the very annoying voice (hence, it's easy to tell they are supposed to be related).

Even if you don't crave for comedies, you can't miss this kind of stuff, never boring material which always keep its promises in terms of entertainment. It is fast paced with always an excellent climax, here with the lawnmowers. The story is only a pretext, as usual, you have not to ask many questions, just enjoy and laugh. Only pure top entertainment. I guess Jerry Lewis was the best of his time. I am sure that Frank Tashlin made the best of his films with Lewis, though I have not seen all his films either. I am not a comedy specialist, you see.