The Disorderly Orderly (1964)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Ed Haas (story)
Norm Liebmann (story)

Release Date:

16 December 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

When he flunks out of med school, Jerome Littlefield goes to work as an orderly in a private rest home where he wreaks havoc for everyone concerned...

Plot Keywords:

Slapstick | Psychosomatic Illness | Gurney | Hospital

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Jerome Littlefield
Glenda Farrell	...	Dr. Jean Howard
Everett Sloane	...	Mr. Tuffington
Karen Sharpe	...	Julie Blair
Kathleen Freeman	...	Nurse Higgins
Del Moore	...	Dr. Davenport
Alice Pearce	...	Miss Fuzzibee, Talkative Patient
Milton Frome	...	Board Member
John Macchia
Jack E. Leonard	...	Fat Jack
Barbara Nichols	...	Miss Marlowe, Actress patient
Susan Oliver	...	Susan Andrews
Danny Costello	...	1st Ambulance Driver
Michael Ross	...	1st Ambulance Intern
Benny Rubin	...	Waiter

Runtime:

Finland:89 min | USA:90 min | UK:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:S | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Jerry Lewis Productions

Trivia:

In the travel agency's window is a sign that reads, "TWA movie-in-flight: Jerry Lewis in 'The Disorderly Orderly'".

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Jerome is chasing the patient with the full-body cast, you can see the string attached to the cast that is pulling it down the hill.

Quotes:

Julie Blair: Can you drive an ambulance?
Nurse Higgins: Well, in the Army I drove a tank...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Disorderly Orderly

Lewis Landmark

With all due respect to THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, THE DISORDERLY ORDERLY is the funniest movie Jerry Lewis ever made. He didn't direct it --- instead he wisely turned those duties over to the master Frank Tashlin. Tashlin keeps Lewis on slapstick track while forgoing much of the maudlin sentimentality that Lewis usually allowed to overwhelm his self-directed movies. As Jerome Littlefield, Lewis is an extremely inept orderly allowed to run amok by hospital administrator Glenda Farrell much to the chagrin of the shrewish head nurse, played by regular Lewis foil Kathleen Freeman.

The gags are plentiful and all on target: Lewis grappling with an inordinate amount of laundry and a very uncooperative laundry chute; Lewis having to relieve himself while a hypochondriac patient recalls her extremely small bladder; the silent ward has subtitles! Lewis is great and Freeman is her usually tightly wound crank. Alice Pearce is very funny as Mrs. Fuzzybee, who insists on revealing her ailments in very vivid detail.