Le Zinzin d'Hollywood

Well I didn't see the full version of this movie until a couple of years ago. I know it from a 1970s cut-down to 18 minutes Super 8mm film version I saw many times,long ago. Those were the days...

We need to work our way through a self-centered and self serving Jerry Lewis. As an earlier comment correctly stated, Jerry Lewis didn't manage to come up with the "not too bright underdog with a golden heart, trying to live the American dream, facing many obstacles but making it in the end" - story, even though this was clearly his idea of the storyline. You can call me names for my next statement: Sylvester Stallone did that thing much better (even though not through a comedy) in his first two "Rocky" movies.

Anyway, this still is a Jerry Lewis classic with many great scenes. Undoubtedly the best being him doing a perfectly-in-sync routine to "Blues in Hoss Flat", as usual impeccably performed by the great Count Basie big band.

Some other material such as the radio that won't stop playing even when smashed to bits has been done much better in 1940s Warner Brothers cartoon shorts.

The two scenes where Morty (Jerry Lewis) meets "living" puppets are rather painful and reminiscent of Charles Chaplin's later work (Limelight etc.) It's in the "crying Clown" tradition and rather out of place in this otherwise funny and inventive movie. The puppets, a little clown and in a later scene a talking female ostrich, magically coming to life (yet obviously performed by rather average puppeteers) in a comedy are the only beings who really understand our "hero"? I'm afraid this is very weak material.

Jerry Lewis also has his "serius" moment in movies like "Cinderfella", and they are totally out of place as well. But that is a classic: a comedian trying to show his (or her) serious side. I will be tolerant and understanding (=forgiving).

If you are a Jerry Lewis fan, "The Errand boy" is a must see in any case. Jerry lewis definitely was (and remains) a great inspiration to contemporary film comedians such as Steve Martin and Jim Carrey.

"The Errand Boy" is mostly an excuse for a series of silly gags, but it's good for a few laughs. Jerry Lewis plays a man who gets hired to spy for a movie company. Sure enough, in the process of spying, he just makes a mess everywhere he goes. Whether it's the armor suits or the champagne bottle, this guy is a walking disaster area. A precursor to Insp. Clouseau and Gilligan, if you will.

Low humor, you say? Maybe it is, but like I said, good for a few laughs; simply a way to pass time. The movie doesn't pretend to be a masterpiece. Also starring Brian Donlevy, Howard McNear, Kathleen Freeman, Stanley Adams and Doodles Weaver.

Those who dismiss 'The Errand Boy' as juvenile comedy in the vein of the awful Tom Green are way out of line - this film in particular is entertaining, genuinely funny, and acted and directed with charm by Jerry Lewis. Perhaps he was funnier in 'Who's Minding The Store' or 'The Nutty Professor', but this one remains my favourite.

It is the story of Morty, an underling at a Hollywood studio where he can cause as many problems as he can - in the canteen, on the sets, in the lift, as an unexpected extra during filming, and by overdubbing his own squeaky vocals over a finished soundtrack. The combined effect of all this is irresistable.

My favourite scene though is the one in the prop room, where Morty seeks advice from a couple of finger puppets about how to improve his life. Cliched, maybe, but unexpected amongst the silliness and really quite effective.

I don't think "The Errand Boy" is a film everyone will love. The film is essentially plot less and it's made up of one silly skit after another. Additionally, some of the bits are pretty bad--with some serious overacting by Jerry Lewis. Yet, despite its faults, the film is pleasant and entertaining.

I could describe the plot but frankly it never made sense and occupied little of the film. Suffice to say that dopey Morty (Lewis) is hired as an errand boy at a film studio and ends up repeatedly screwing up pretty much everything he does. And, in the end, there is a twist--a nice one at that.

Very few people would notice that much of "The Errand Boy" was lifted from the Harold Lloyd feature "Movie Crazy". Part of the reason folks won't recognize this is that it's a rather obscure film--created in the talking picture era when he was no longer quite the star he was during the silent days. Additionally, the film has been seen, quite inaccurately, as a dud--whereas it's really a dandy film. Here, Lewis resurrects much of this old film and into it injects lots of silliness. Some of the silliness doesn't work (as was often the case, the timing was a problem--skits were something overdone and drawn out way too much--especially the ones involving mispronunciations) and some does. I really didn't enjoy the pathos in scenes involving puppets but must admit a few of the skits (such as Jerry in the pool) were quite funny. Overall, a VERY mixed bag and a film much like Lewis' other plot less film, "The Bell Boy" (which I actually prefer). Worth seeing if you are a fan.

By the way, for classic TV buffs, you'll easily recognize Howard McNear (Floyd the Barber from "The Andy Griffith Show"). But, if you look closely, you'll also see Barry Livingston (Ernie from "My Three Sons") in a skit involving jellybeans.

This is probably one of the finest films Jerry Lewis did in the post Martin and Lewis era. In fact, this film is a pretty much a great parody of Hollywood and it manages to poke fun at what really goes on behind the scenes with many of its stars and how a lot of films are really produced. One scene that is particularly funny is the one in the recording studio. This pretty much reminded me of how a lot of actresses who couldn't sing had their voices dubbed by a professional singer (of course this could have been inspired by noted singer Marni Nixon who dubbed many of Hollywood's leading ladies including Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood). But the funniest scene was the one in the candy store in which Morty is constantly going up and down the ladder getting jelly beans for the three kids and finally explodes when the last kid asks for them. This film is definitely one of Jerry Lewis's best.