IMDb RATING
5.9/10
1.6K
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The weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...The weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...The weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth...
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
Barbara Bostock
- Desdemona - Beatnik Dancer
- (as Barbara Lawson)
Don Bagley
- Bassist
- (uncredited)
Gene Collins
- Beatnik
- (uncredited)
Jack Costanzo
- Percussionist
- (uncredited)
John Dennis
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
Beach Dickerson
- Beatnik
- (uncredited)
John Diggs
- General
- (uncredited)
Dominic Fidelibus
- Beatnik
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I'm suspicious to talk about Jerry Lewis he makes part of my life in my youthful days and today a l have almost all movie from this true genius of the comedy whose many actors were inspired by him, like Jim Carrey, this time he came to the Earth as a clumsy friendly alien visitor, who didn't scary nobody except a fearful dog which he talks each other, great acting from veteran actor Fred Clark , the always fine Earl Holliman and John Williams as Alien leader who almost stolen the movie with a funny performance!! Just came out officially in Brazil with dubbed short version and extended subtitled version, sorry for a wrong choice for black and white photography, as comedy works well in color!!
Resume:
First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25
Resume:
First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25
Jerry Lewis was a big kid. He believed that all he was doing was fun and that everyone would laugh. But his gags and his humor are infantile, pure invention of a child who has remained a child, which has not matured. His best film is "Which Way to the Front?" directed by himself. I think I laughed a little when I've seen "The Ladies Man," but I'm not sure. This "Visit to a Small Planet" is totally stupid, you have nothing to laugh about at all.
Jerry Lewis plays a space man called Kreton, who comes to this small planet called Earth.There he meets these weird Earth people and gets in troubles.Visit to a Small Planet is a nice Jerry Lewis comedy from 1960.It's not his greatest works, but it has some funny parts, as Jerry Lewis comedies usually. Watch the movie if you're a Jerry Lewis fan and even if you're not.Give it a chance.
Goofy alien Jerry Lewis lands on Earth, decides to try the suburban way of life for awhile, angering his superior officers in space. Screenwriter Edmund Beloin adapted Gore Vidal's play, but it doesn't seem directly tailored for Lewis' mugging talents--which is a blessing. The material is actually quite sophisticated, with a fair amount of witty lines and good supporting performances by Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman and Gale Gordon. Jerry Lewis himself isn't bad; he had yet to be reeled-in by a strong director, but he isn't grating or overtly offensive here. There's some surprising, modern humor in this scenario, while the production, the (minimal) special effects, and Loyal Griggs' black-and-white cinematography are all first-rate. Lots of fun! **1/2 from ****
Back in 1955 Gore Vidal wrote a television play that later went to Broadway for 388 performances and starred Cyril Ritchard and Eddie Mayehoff. It was meant to be a satire on McCarthyism with an alien miscalculating a visit to Earth's American Civil War and arriving in Virginia a century later. So what must he have thought when his Broadway play wound up a vehicle for Jerry Lewis. Not that it's a bad Jerry Lewis, not his best to be sure, but surely not what Vidal intended.
Jerry plays a most innocent alien with powers akin to what Ray Walston had in my favorite Martian. His people from way the other side of the galaxy have progressed to not only having powers beyond mortal men, but have dispensed with emotions. His people like his mentor John Williams are just below the Organians from Star Trek in that they still have corporeal bodies. Jerry wants to feel some earth like experiences so Williams gives him a chance.
He experiences emotions all right, but a little too much for one Visit To A Small Planet. How he copes with Earth and its Earthlings is for you watch the film for.
I can see that the characters that are played by the cynical Fred Clark and the excitable and paranoid Gale Gordon might have made great counterpoints for satire. But Jerry Lewis never has done satire and I doubt at his age he'll try it. Lee Patrick plays a role modeled on what she did as Leo G. Carroll's wife in the television version of Topper.
It's jealousy that does Jerry in, mainly the jealousy that Earl Holliman feels as his girl and Clark and Patrick's daughter Joan Blackman starts taking an interest in their outer space visitor. Truth be told I can't see what Blackman sees in Holliman's lunkhead character. Holliman must have felt ridiculous doing the part.
Best sequence in the film is Lewis and Blackman's visit to a beatnik joint and the impression he makes on all those cool cats. You'll get a chance to see ace drummer Buddy Rich in that scene and that should never be passed up.
Visit To A Small Planet is a decent enough Jerry Lewis film, but far from whatever Gore Vidal had in mind.
Jerry plays a most innocent alien with powers akin to what Ray Walston had in my favorite Martian. His people from way the other side of the galaxy have progressed to not only having powers beyond mortal men, but have dispensed with emotions. His people like his mentor John Williams are just below the Organians from Star Trek in that they still have corporeal bodies. Jerry wants to feel some earth like experiences so Williams gives him a chance.
He experiences emotions all right, but a little too much for one Visit To A Small Planet. How he copes with Earth and its Earthlings is for you watch the film for.
I can see that the characters that are played by the cynical Fred Clark and the excitable and paranoid Gale Gordon might have made great counterpoints for satire. But Jerry Lewis never has done satire and I doubt at his age he'll try it. Lee Patrick plays a role modeled on what she did as Leo G. Carroll's wife in the television version of Topper.
It's jealousy that does Jerry in, mainly the jealousy that Earl Holliman feels as his girl and Clark and Patrick's daughter Joan Blackman starts taking an interest in their outer space visitor. Truth be told I can't see what Blackman sees in Holliman's lunkhead character. Holliman must have felt ridiculous doing the part.
Best sequence in the film is Lewis and Blackman's visit to a beatnik joint and the impression he makes on all those cool cats. You'll get a chance to see ace drummer Buddy Rich in that scene and that should never be passed up.
Visit To A Small Planet is a decent enough Jerry Lewis film, but far from whatever Gore Vidal had in mind.
Did you know
- TriviaGore Vidal, who wrote the original play, was extremely upset with the choice of Jerry Lewis as the lead in the movie version. On Broadway Vidal's play ran for 388 performances between Feb 7, 1957-Jan 11, 1958 and won Cyril Ritchard, originator of the Kreton character, a 1957 Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in Play. However, Lewis was a star, 12 times named to the Top Ten list of Box Office Stars, six times with partner Dean Martin (with whom he was the top star of 1952), and six times solo (ranking as high as #3 in 1958). He got the part.
- GoofsDuring the Hungry Brain sequence, the jazz band's trumpet player is shown playing with his horn "open" (unmuted), but the trumpeter heard on the soundtrack is using a mute.
- Quotes
Maj. Roger Putnam Spelding: Oh, give me that... it's just a conversation piece, anyhow!
Conrad: [when the gun fires] Sure talks loud, don't it?
- ConnectionsFeatured in E.T. and Friends: Magical Movie Visitors (1982)
- How long is Visit to a Small Planet?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 25m(85 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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