One More Time

Salt & Pepper return, a bit more grizzled (especially in Lawford's case) and a lot more manic (particularly in Sammy's case, who also sheds his hepcat's pomade sheen for an au courant afro) in this manure-for-brains atrocity.

This time, the expatriate Rat Packers seem less concerned with hitting on dollybirds and more concerned with taking pratfalls and wearing goofy costumes. Indeed, under the direction of Jerry Lewis, the once swinging club owners are transformed into the second coming of Martin and Lewis.

Jerry changes the dynamics of the partnership here: instead of the Dino figure doing the singing, it's the Jerry clone who warbles the ditties (three to be exact). The Total Filmmaker also encourages Davis to make "funny" faces like there's no tomorrow, and Sammy gleefully obliges. Bugging his one good eye and contorting his rubber lips in all directions, D. Gives a master class in mug-a-minute, desperately unfunny overacting.

For the record, S & P still smoke a whole lot of cigarettes. They also have a brief run-in with Christopher "Dracula" Lee, Peter "Dr. Frankenstein" Cushing and Dudley Sutton as a leering hunchback. Which provokes Sammy to let out a scream loud enough to hear in Las Vegas.

Alas, the one thing he doesn't do is scream "Hey, la-a-a-a-d-dy!!!!!" Aww, what a gyp.

Not bad but one wonders if this wasn't a movie Jerry Lewis wanted to make with Dean Martin, the physical gags with Sammy Davis Jr. are straight out of Jerry Lewis's playbook.

This was a good movie with slight holes in the plot. Once you suspend your disbelief though, its a good time. Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr. Work well together and play off of each others' strengths. The only downside is to see how much they aged in the two years from "Salt and Pepper." James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 3/30/2021.

Even if you don't like the earlier film, "Salt and Pepper," you have to admit that it is a paragon of structure and traditional storytelling compared its sequel, "One More Time." That's not to say that the second Davis Jr/Lawford team up isn't enjoyable--it is just bizarrely different from the original. "Salt and Pepper," directed by Richard Donner--veteran director of some of the Sixties' best TV series, and later of the classic action/comedies in the Lethal Weapon and Superman series of films--was a light and breezy "Rat Pack" action/comedy. It was wholly conventional for its time. But when it came time for the sequel, the producers apparently decided that the success of the first film was due more to the comedy elements than the thriller elements. With that in mind they made the obvious choice for their new director—Jerry Lewis. The singular Lewis had never directed a film starring anyone else but himself, so I'm not sure what the producers expected would happen. Well, the result was that Jerry didn't just add a few comic touches to the already proved formula. He took the thing over entirely and made "One More Time" a pure 100% Jerry Lewis film, with all that means for good and bad. If you're familiar with Lewis' film-making, you know that his films are very light on plot (ranging from hardly any as in "Cinderfella" to none at all as in "The Bellboy" and "Hardly Working.") and very heavy on surreal jokes, visual gags and his own patented mugging and clowning. Well, the plot of "One More Time" is this: Lawford impersonates his rich brother, who is mysteriously murdered, and Davis Jr. doesn't figure it out until near the end. That's about it. The film is 90 minutes long and at least an hour of that is just Sammy Davis Jr. doing a spot on Lewis imitation in a series of increasingly strange and barely connected (but often funny) vignettes as he rambles about in Lawford's ill-gotten English manor. If you go into this film expecting anything different (as the audiences in 1970 did) then you're going to be sorely disappointed (as the audiences in 1970 were). But if you go in expecting a Jerry Lewis film—you get a pretty good one!

Through the course of the 1960s, the so-called 'Rat Pack' splintered apart. After a perceived slight, Frank Sinatra completely broke off his relationship with Peter Lawford and the old Vegas Rat Pack days were over. Despite this, Lawford managed to maintain his friendship with another Rat Packer...Sammy Davis. So, it's not particularly surprising that the pair made a film together in 1968, "Salt and Pepper". What WAS surprising about this vanity project was that two years later, they made a sequel...and this one was directed by none other than Jerry Lewis.

Once again, Charlie Salt (Sammy Davis) and Christopher Pepper (Peter Lawford) are swinging friends in London. However, after getting in trouble with the law, the pair go to Christopher's brother, Lord Sydney Pepper (also played by Lawford) for money. Chris' estranged twin brother wants little to do with him and the pair have a big fight. Later, when Chris returns to Lord Sydney's flat, he finds his brother on the floor...dead. For some inexplicable reason (none of which is apparent to the audience), Chris pretends to be Sydney....and doesn't tell his partner that he's alive. What also is inexplicable is that Chris isn't particularly curious about WHO killed his brother...as well as worrying that they might now try to kill him! Plot holes? Oh, you betcha!

The film is a combination buddy film, comedy and action/adventure film...with some musical numbers by Davis tossed into the mix...even though they really seem out of place. Overall, the film screams 'Vanity Project!!'....and it looks clear that Lawford and Davis had a great time making the film...though only the most ardent fans would share this enthusiasm. The laughs are mostly tired and over-done, there is excessive mugging at the camera, the plot illogical and the film tough going for the average person...particularly someone NOT enamored or familiar with these actors.

By the way, fans of British horror might at least enjoy seeing a cameo by Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing...which somes from out of no where in the last half of the film. Also, there is talk about a sequel to "One More Time" at the end of the movie...this never came to be.