The Patsy (1964)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Jerry Lewis (writer)
Bill Richmond (writer)

Release Date:

12 August 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

When a star comedian dies, his comedy team, decides to train a nobody to fill the shoes of the Star in a big TV show (a Patsy)...

Plot Keywords:

Hurting Fingers On Piano

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Stanley Belt / Singers of the Trio
Ina Balin	...	Ellen Betz
Everett Sloane	...	Caryl Fergusson
Phil Harris	...	Chic Wymore
Keenan Wynn	...	Harry Silver
Peter Lorre	...	Morgan Heywood
John Carradine	...	Bruce Alden
Hans Conried	...	Prof. Mulerr
Richard Deacon	...	Sy Devore
Scatman Crothers	...	Shoeshine Boy
Del Moore	...	Policeman
Neil Hamilton	...	The Barber
Buddy Lester	...	Copa Cafe MC
Nancy Kulp	...	Helen, Theatergoer
Lloyd Thaxton	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Son of Bellboy (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:S

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This is the only Jerry Lewis solo film that mentions Dean Martin by name. Ed Sullivan includes Martin & Lewis in a list of famous acts that made their debuts on his show.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie

Jerry Lewis, one of the kind

This is Jerry Lewis at his best.Sure I could say the same thing about him in many other movies.The master clown plays this time a bellboy named Stanley Belt.A star comedian dies, so they want to train a nobody, in this case Stan the bellboy, to be the new star.But hiring Stan to fill the shoes of the comedian really isn't such a good idea.He can't do anything right and there are so many things he has to do.So many things he has to learn, and there's not too much time to learn it all.The Patsy (1964): directed by Jerry Lewis, writing credits Jerry Lewis and Bill Richmond.This is a funny comedy with a deeper meaning.Jerry does his comic act with his own unique style, that many have tried to imitate.But let's face it; nobody is better than the original.Ina Balin is a terrific leading lady.She plays Ellen Betz and is really sweet in her part.Everett Sloane is Caryl Fergusson and he's marvelous.Phil Harris is great as Chic Wymore.Keenan Wynn is wonderful as Harry Silver.Also his father, Ed Wynn can be seen in the movie.And so can Keenan's son Ned Wynn.Peter Lorre does his final movie role in The Patsy.He was a great, great actor in both comedies and more serious roles.Scatman Crothers is there to give shine to the shoes.Then there are people you may recognize from other Lewis movies, like Del Moore, Buddy Lester and Nancy Kulp.Some people are there as themselves, like Hedda Hopper, Rhonda Fleming, George Raft, Mel Tormé and Ed Sullivan.Not too many movies have a cast like that! Two of my favorite scenes are where Jerry paints a tuxedo on himself and the flashback sequence showing Jerry as a youngster in a dance where the girls don't want to dance with him.Those scenes show what a great mime Jerry really is.Here in Finland they have been showing Jerry Lewis movies on Sundays this summer.The last time they showed his movies successively was in 1998.Now I can see the tragedy in Jerry's characters better than I did back then.Then I saw only the crazy and zany and funny man.Now I can see his characters are often tragic figures who also happen to be very funny.Jerry Lewis can still make me laugh like crazy.Jerry is a fool with heart.Nobody can do it like Jerry Lewis.