Jerry la grande gueule

Smugglers have a falling out, and one of them high-tails it with the loot. When the gang finds out that Jerry unknowingly received the stones, they pull out all stops to get at him. That should have been easy, but the fools are more inept than Jerry. Of course, along the way Jerry falls in love. An amusing film.

I've lost track of all the times I've seen this one from the first 16mm print at a summer camp in 1970. But I always loved it, no matter how stupid and inane it really is. The plot holes and pure unbelievability of the film must be put aside just for the sillyness. A few things stand out. A cameo by Col. Harland Sanders of KFC, and a view of early Sea World in San Diego. When I worked there in 1985, I found all the places that the film was shot. And the best of all, is Charlie Callas' totally hilarious bit when he sees the appranently dead Sid Valentine (Lewis' other role) come to life again. He comes apart, as do his other friends, but with much more panache and skill. His stuttering, eye-popping gibberish is so funny you have to watch the same dialogue over and over again. It's a classic bit, and one that actually saves the film from being a total Lewis stinker. "That's him, thats him, that's aaaahh, that's im-POSSIBLE!"

A tepid, extremely mild, fairly tedious, slightly overlong comedy. The first half has some reasonably funny bits (like the one that takes place in a phone-booth), but in the second half things get pretty desperate. Jerry Lewis himself is appealing when he is playing the "straight man", but irritating when he appears disguised. And the direction has no comic timing whatsoever.

This one is just all over the place! When gerald goes fishing in san diego, he finds a spy who has been shot. Or something. Something about some diamonds.. hidden... somewhere. There's a narrator, who keeps busting in to break the fourth wall, picking on the film. But when gerald gets in trouble with the hotel clerk, he takes on an offensive japanese character, complete with over-size teeth, and every stereotype there is. And falls in love with the blonde bambi and the dark haired suzie ( played by mrs. Leonard nimoy aka susan bay !) also cameos by rob reiner and charo, although they are both easy to miss. Don't forget lewis' pals buddey lester and charlie callas. Eve the original colonel sanders!! There's just way too much going on here. Some pretty funny bits now and then, but it's so silly and complicated. Too many side stories. Lots of time spent at sea world. It's okay.

Why this Jerry Lewis comedy isn't better known or more widely available is a mystery since it's a classic and as consistently funny as anything he did. Here the slapstick verges on the surreal while its 'thriller' plot is virtually irrelevant. As well as starring, Jerry wrote, produced and directed and if it never amounts to anything more than a series of sketches they are, at least, very funny. It's certainly a movie ripe for rediscovery that, for now at least, will have to settle for ultimate cult status.