Living It Up (1954)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Ben Hecht (play) and
Jack Rose
(more)

Release Date:

23 July 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

THEY'RE LAFFIN' IT UP! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

An unsophisticated stationmaster from provincial New Mexico fraudulently claims that he is dying in order to get an expense-paid dream tour of New York.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Suicide By Jumping | Media Hype | Super Chief | Basset Hound

Cast

Dean Martin	...	Dr. Steve Harris
Jerry Lewis	...	Homer Flagg
Janet Leigh	...	Wally Cook
Edward Arnold	...	The Mayor
Fred Clark	...	Oliver Stone
Sheree North	...	Jitterbug Dancer
Sammy White	...	Waiter
Sid Tomack	...	Master of Ceremonies
Sig Ruman	...	Dr. Emile Egelhofer
Richard Loo	...	Dr. Lee
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Conductor
Walter Baldwin	...	Isaiah Jackson
Fay Roope	...	Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brick Sullivan	...	Cop
John Alderson	...	Yankee Catcher (uncredited)
Art Baker	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Richard Barron	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Don Bender	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Ike, the Train Engineer (uncredited)
Frank Branda	...	Pump Room Chief (uncredited)
Jack Bruce	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bill Cartledge	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Charles Collins	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Booth Colman	...	Fernadez (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Newspaper Slugger (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Shoe Salesman (uncredited)
Roger Creed	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Frankie Darro	...	Bellboy Captain (uncredited)
Louise De Carlo	...	Public Stenographer (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	French Chef (uncredited)
Don Dunning	...	Slugger (uncredited)
Marla English	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Man at Bus Depot (uncredited)
Fritz Feld	...	The Barber (uncredited)
Jac Fisher	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Wonderland Ballroom Diner (uncredited)
Eduard Franz	...	Dr. Nassau (uncredited)
Kathryn Grant	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Dabbs Greer	...	Head Boy Ranger (uncredited)
Audrey Hansen	...	Hostess (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	New York City Official at Airport (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Newspaper Slugger (uncredited)
Jimmy Horan	...	Grocery Clerk (uncredited)
Gretchen Houser	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Extra (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Martin (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Police Chief (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Emmett Lynn	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Tank Commander (uncredited)
Rudy Makoul	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Bus Boy (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Chef (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Bum in Park (uncredited)
Michael O'Hara	...	Armed Guard (uncredited)
Ray Page	...	Intern (uncredited)
Max Power	...	Slugger (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Assistant Tailor (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Intern (uncredited)
Tommy Summer	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Grady Sutton	...	Gift Shop Owner (uncredited)
Fred Sweeney	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Ted Thorpe	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Stephen Wootton	...	Boy (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Taurog

Writing credits
Ben Hecht		(play "Hazel Flagg")
Jack Rose
Melville Shavelson
James H. Street		story

Produced by
Paul Jones	....	producer

Original Music by
Walter Scharf		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp		(director of photography) (as Daniel Fapp)

Film Editing by
Archie Marshek

Art Direction by
Albert Nozaki
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Emile Kuri

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(gowns)

Production Management
Don Robb	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael D. Moore	....	assistant director
Arthur Rosson	....	second unit director
Clem Jones	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
David Silver	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Gene Merritt	....	sound recordist
A.H. Barnett	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Herman Lewis	....	stage engineer (uncredited)
Keith Stafford	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Wallace Kelley	....	photographer: second unit (as Wallace Kelley)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Henderson	....	vocal arranger
Walter Scharf	....	conductor
Walter Scharf	....	music arranger

Other crew
Nick Castle	....	choreographer
Rudy Makoul	....	dialogue coach
Jack Mintz	....	assistant to producer
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Claire Behnke	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• York Pictures Corporation
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• AFEX (1956) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Winkler Film (2013) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16815, General Audience) | Australia:G | West Germany:6 (f)

Filming Locations:

East 111th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

York Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Homer Flagg:I wish I could go to New York with yuh.
Isaiah Jackson:Now, Homer, you're gonna be fillin' my shoes, stationmaster of Desert Hole!
Homer Flagg:[dejectedly] Yeah.
Isaiah Jackson:[optimistically] In exactly 52 years you'll be getting your pension. Then you'll be on your way to wine, women, and song.
Homer Flagg:In 52 years who'll be able to sing?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket

It's probably the worst Marttin & Lewis film...

I hated "Living It Up" and think it's probably the worst film made by Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. Now you should know that I am NOT a die-hard fan of the team--though I will watch a film if it comes on TV. A few of their films are very good (such as "The Stooge" and "That's My Boy"), but I have also felt that too often the team's films suffered from either having too much mugging from Lewis or too much music. Now I like Dean Martin's singing, but too often they included production numbers that were just distracting. Well, "Living It Up" has both LOTS of horrible mugging from Jerry, ridiculous and inappropriate production numbers that look like padding and, to top that off, it's a remake of a film that is a classic--"Nothing Sacred". "Nothing Sacred" starred Carole Lombard and Frederic March (a class team) and was a lot of fun. By comparison, Martin & Lewis simply look second-rate. All the subtlety and joy of the original film is gone--in its place, the new film is brash, loud and often irritating--plus the script often makes no sense (such as Jerry acting not 1% sick--even though he is supposed to be dying).

Before you assume I am an angry crank for not loving this film, try watching it yourself. The scene where Jerry poses as French, German and Japanese doctors is not only highly offensive, but it's just plain stupid. Jerry contorts his face and mugs and he instantly goes from a European to an Asian (without makeup)--just sticking his teeth out and saying "Ah, so..." repeatedly. This was just lazy and dumb. And, throughout the film the director and writer just chose to let the actors do their thing without restraint or finesse. As a result, the film often made me cringe. And, as a result of all these problems, there really is nothing positive I can say about the film. Yes, it's THAT bad and offers nothing over "Nothing Sacred". Oh, and PLEASE see "Nothing Sacred"--it's a great film. Plus, it may be interesting for you to see this and then this Martin & Lewis film--the contrast is striking.