Hollywood or Bust (1956)

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writer:

Erna Lazarus (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

6 December 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A COAST TO COAST FUN TOOT! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

A singer who can't pay his bookie joins a nerdy, star-struck movie fan and his Great Dane in a cross-country convertible ride to Hollywood.

Plot Keywords:

Great Dane | Convertible | Gambler | Bookie | Raffle

Cast

Dean Martin	...	Steve Wiley
Jerry Lewis	...	Malcolm Smith
Pat Crowley	...	Terry Roberts
Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom	...	Bookie Benny (as Maxie Rosenbloom)
Anita Ekberg	...	Actress Anita
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Valerie Allen	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Adelle August	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Catherine Brousset	...	Girl (uncredited)
Drew Cahill	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Kathryn Card	...	Old Lady (uncredited)
Beach Dickerson	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Minta Durfee	...	Miss Pettywood (uncredited)
Dominic Fidelibus	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Hotel Extra (uncredited)
Gretchen Houser	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Lorna Jordon	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Richard Karlan	...	Sammy Ross (uncredited)
Claudia Martin	...	11 Year Old Girl (uncredited)
Deana Martin	...	7 Year Old Girl (uncredited)
Gail Martin	...	9 Year Old Girl (uncredited)
Jack McElroy	...	Stupid Sam (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Dee Moore	...	Girl at Mailbox (uncredited)
Del Moore	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Wendell Niles	...	Wendell Niles (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Truck Driver Who Yells 'Sunday Driver!' (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgeway	...	Extra at Craps Table (uncredited)
Tracey Roberts	...	Redhead (uncredited)
Michael Ross	...	Paramount Studio Gate Guard (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Crap Table Stickman (uncredited)
Tommy Summers	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Gloria Victor	...	Usherette (uncredited)
Loreli Vitek	...	Girl (uncredited)
Willard Waterman	...	Manager Neville (uncredited)
Ben Welden	...	Boss (uncredited)
Ross Westlake	...	Sheep-Haired Woman in Balcony (uncredited)
Sandra White	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Director (uncredited)
Chief Yowlachie	...	Chief Running Water (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Tashlin

Writing credits
Erna Lazarus		(written by)
Frank Tashlin		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Paul Nathan	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer

Original Music by
Walter Scharf		(uncredited)

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

Film Editing by
Howard A. Smith		(as Howard Smith)

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Fay Babcock		(as Faye Babcock)
Sam Comer

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James A. Rosenberger	....	assistant director (as James Rosenberger)
William Watson	....	second unit director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Gary Nelson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist

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)
Murray Young	....	key grip (uncredited)

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

Music Department
Norman Luboff	....	vocal arranger
Charles O'Curran	....	musical numbers creator and stager
Walter Scharf	....	conductor
Walter Scharf	....	music arranger

Other crew
Rudy Makoul	....	dialogue coach
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Les Films Paramount (1957) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (197?) (USA) (TV)

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 | Sweden:Btl | West Germany:12 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Boulder Dam, Nevada, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The last film that Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis did together before breaking up as a comedy team.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The last scene supposedly occurs during premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater but there are no hand or footprints in the forecourt as the stars walk red carpet.

Quotes:

Steve Wiley:[to Malcolm] I'm thinkin' of somethin'. I'm thinkin' of double homicide - one for each of your heads!

Movie Connections:

References Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

Soundtrack:

Let's Be Friendly

Martin & Lewis ended their partnership on a good note with Frank Tashlin's Hollywood or Bust

Having spent the last two or so weeks watching Martin & Lewis movies in chronological order on YouTube, I just finished their very last one on the same site. Once again, a couple of female players from their previous ones have appeared here: Pat Crowley, previously Jerry's girl in Money from Home, is now Dean's here though she initially plays hard to get. And Anita Ekberg, who was a model in Artists and Models, plays herself as the movie star Jerry has a massive crush on. Since this is directed by Frank Tashlin, expect plenty of well-endowed women in view, particularly when Dean and Jerry are watching the views of various farming countrysides on the road. Oh, and there's also a dog named Mr. Bascomb in tow to add to the hilarious comedy that's almost nonstop throughout. Watching this, you wouldn't know that Martin & Lewis weren't talking to each other off-set and that they would break up the act for good. Maybe it's just as well as they both would continue to have success solo (Jerry) and with others (Dean). I've had the best time seeing them grow as performers during this time and I'm looking forward to watching what I can of their subsequent films separate from each other. So on that note, I highly recommend Hollywood or Bust. P.S. While the IMDb cast list doesn't identify him, I swear the guy who announces the winning car ticket that Dean & Jerry claim is Harold Peary, best known to me as The Great Gildersleeve on radio, especially when he enunciates certain words. And I immediately recognized when they went through my birthtown of Chicago, Ill., by the Prudential building.