Jumping Jacks (1952)

Nightclub comic Hap Smith assumes the identity of another soldier so he can tour army bases in a revue with his ex-partner Chuck Allen.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Robert Lees (screenplay), Frederic I. Rinaldo (screenplay),

Stars:

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Mona Freeman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dean Martin	...	Corp. Chick Allen
Jerry Lewis	...	Hap Smith
Mona Freeman	...	Betsy Carter
Don DeFore	...	Lt. Kelsey
Robert Strauss	...	Sgt. McClusky
Richard Erdman	...	Pvt. Dogface Dolan (as Dick Erdman)
Ray Teal	...	Brig. Gen. W.W. Timmons
Marcy McGuire	...	Julia Loring
Danny Arnold	...	Pvt. Evans

Storyline

Hap Smith, nightclub entertainer, has a new act since his former partner Chick Allen joined the army: with lovely new partner Betsy Carter, Hap plays a clownish parody of a soldier. Meanwhile, Chick is organizing a soldier show at Fort Benning and finds he needs his old partner's help. To get onto the base, Hap impersonates a hapless real soldier, Dogface Dolan; but circumstances force them to prolong the masquerade, creating an increasingly tangled Army-sized snafu.

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Plot Keywords:

nightclub | entertainer | u.s. soldier | singer | canteen | 

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Taglines:

IT'S A RIP-ROARING RIOT! When Dean and Jerry Reach For Their Rip-Cords...

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 June 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Parachutiste malgré lui

Filming Locations:

Fort Benning, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Hap is in the parachute jump tower, and has to keep the rubber ball in his hand throughout his fall, notice Hap drops not one, but two balls. At the end of the fall he has the ball in his hand.

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Quotes

Sgt. McClusky: You know I'm beginning to like you.
Hap Smith: You are? Is that good?
Sgt. McClusky: Yeah! And I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.
Hap Smith: What?
Sgt. McClusky: I'm not half as tough as I sound.
Hap Smith: You're not?
Sgt. McClusky: Nah! It's just something that comes over me. Sometimes I think I'm my own worst enemy.
Hap Smith: No, you're not, Sarge. Not as long as I'm alive.

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Connections

Featured in The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender (1997)

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Soundtracks

"THE PARACHUTE JUMP"
Music by Jerry Livingston
Lyrics by Mack David
Sung by Dean Martin and danced with chorus

User Reviews

Martin & Lewis get an almost equal share of laughs in Jumping Jacks

This is another Martin & Lewis movie I watched on YouTube. Two years after At War with the Army, they're back there although Jerry's only there because Dean needs his old performing partner back to put on a show. Mona Freeman is Lewis' new partner back in New York where they're supposed to prepare for a Broadway show. So Jerry's there under false pretenses and...oh, watch the movie to see how it all turns out. In chronologically reviewing this iconic team's movies, I've mentioned when their leading ladies did another film with them. Now I can say what male co-stars have made return appearances: First, there's Robert Strauss-previously their superior officer in their last picture Sailor Beware-once again as their sergeant who eventually warms up to Lewis. Then there's Don DeFore-previously Dean's rival in My Friend Irma-as one of Dean and Jerry's fellow privates. Since there's a show business angle involved, there's plenty of musical numbers with Dean either by himself with some dancers or with Jerry clowning around. Jerry himself has a number with Ms. Freeman though her singing voice is dubbed by Imogene Lynn. In summary, this was quite hilarious to me with Dean himself, for once, getting almost as equal laughs as Jerry especially during that lunch-on-a-train sequence with Strauss and another actor named Richard Erdman who's character Lewis is impersonating. So on that note, I highly recommend Jumping Jacks.