The Patsy (1964)

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Jerry Lewis
Bill Richmond

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:

Bellboy | Patsy | Manager | Stock Footage | Goofball

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
Norman Alden	...	Bully at the Gym
Jack Albertson	...	Theatergoer with Helen
Henry Slate	...	Paul
Gavin Gordon	...	Executive on Golf Course
Ned Wynn	...	Band Member
Rhonda Fleming	...	Herself
Phil Foster	...	Mayo Sloan
Hedda Hopper	...	Herself
George Raft	...	Himself
The Four Step Brothers	...	Themselves (as The Step Brothers)
Mel Tormé	...	Himself (as Mel Torme)
Ed Wynn	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clyde Adler	...	Bald Man (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	Bowler (uncredited)
Phil Arnold	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Richard Bakalyan	...	Boy at Spring Hop (uncredited)
Billy Beck	...	Band Member (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Table Captain #3 at Italian Cafe (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Bowler (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Table Captain #2 at Italian Cafe (uncredited)
Chick Chandler	...	Hedda Hopper's Escort (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Robert Christian	...	Barbershop Porter (uncredited)
Adele Claire	...	Elderly Lady (uncredited)
Jerome Cowan	...	Business Executive (uncredited)
Lorraine Crawford	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Michael Crockett	...	Radio Newscaster (uncredited)
Bob Denner	...	Band Member (uncredited)
Fay DeWitt	...	Woman at Party (uncredited)
Jerry Dexter	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jerry Dunphy	...	TV Newscaster (uncredited)
Isabelle Dwan	...	Elderly Lady (uncredited)
William Enge	...	Barbershop Porter (uncredited)
Herbie Faye	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Fritz Feld	...	Maitre D' (uncredited)
Joe Finnegan	...	Himself (Reporter at Party) (uncredited)
Nancy Patricia Fisher	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Kathleen Freeman	...	Katie (uncredited)
Marianne Gaba	...	Waitress (uncredited)
John Gallaudet	...	Barney (uncredited)
Richard Gehman	...	Himself (Reporter at Party) (uncredited)
Bob Harvey	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Jerry Hausner	...	Floorman (uncredited)
Robert Ivers	...	Boy at Spring Hop (uncredited)
Bobby Johnson	...	Barbershop Porter (uncredited)
Joey Johnson	...	Barbershop Porter (uncredited)
Byron Kane	...	Table Captain #1 at Italian Cafe (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Gary Lewis	...	Boy at Spring Hop (uncredited)
Bill Leyden	...	TV Announcer (uncredited)
David Lipp	...	Frozen-Stare Man (uncredited)
Darlene Lucht	...	Checkroom Girl (uncredited)
John Macchia	...	Student (uncredited)
Marlene Maddox	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Copa Cafe Heckler (uncredited)
John Marlowe	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Dee Jay Mattis	...	The Broad (uncredited)
Bob May	...	Fireworks Boy (uncredited)
Peggy Mondo	...	Bowler (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland	...	Barbershop Porter (uncredited)
Hollis Morrison	...	Juke Box (uncredited)
Terry Naylor	...	Barbershop Customer (uncredited)
Quinn O'Hara	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Bowler (uncredited)
Sherwood Price	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Joanne C. Quakenbush	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Bill Richmond	...	Piano Player (uncredited)
Sheila Rogers	...	Woman at Party (uncredited)
Edmundo Ros	...	Bandleader (uncredited)
Michael Ross	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Benny Rubin	...	Waiter #1 at Italian Cafe (uncredited)
Eddie Ryder	...	Man at Party (uncredited)
Ernest Schworck	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Vernon Scott	...	Himself (uncredited)
June Smaney	...	Pedicurist (uncredited)
Mabel Smaney	...	Woman in Phone Booth (uncredited)
Walter Smith	...	Barbershop Porter (uncredited)
Harry Spear	...	Salesman (uncredited)
Anthony Spinelli	...	Man on the Phone (uncredited)
Joe Stabil	...	Lead Musician (uncredited)
Ed Sullivan	...	Himself (uncredited)
Joan Swift	...	Girl (uncredited)
William Wellman Jr.	...	Band Member (uncredited)
Edward C. Widdis	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Alec (uncredited)

Directed by
Jerry Lewis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jerry Lewis
Bill Richmond

Produced by
Ernest D. Glucksman	....	producer
Arthur P. Schmidt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
David Raksin

Cinematography by
W. Wallace Kelley		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Woodcock

Casting by
Edward R. Morse		(as Ed Morse)

Art Direction by
Cary Odell
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Wally Manley	....	hair stylist
Harry Ray	....	makeup artist
Jack Stone	....	makeup artist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
William Davidson	....	production manager (as Bill Davidson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Axness	....	assistant director
Dale Coleman	....	assistant director
Howard Roessel	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jim Cottrell	....	props
Earl Olin	....	props
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Martin Pendleton	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Howard Beals	....	sound effects editor
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Bud Parman	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
Paul K. Lerpae	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Barbier	....	still photographer
Robert Dabke	....	grip
James Knott	....	camera operator
Lorne Netten	....	gaffer
Russ Brown	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Bruce Denney	....	video assist operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sy Devore	....	wardrobe: men
Frank Somper	....	furs
Nat Wise	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Arthur P. Schmidt	....	editorial supervisor
Russel Wiles	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Paul Haggar	....	music editor
Ruby Raksin	....	playback singer (uncredited)
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
George Barris	....	picture vehicles (uncredited)

Other crew
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Marvin Weldon	....	dialogue coach
Dorothy Yutzi	....	script supervisor
Marshall Katz	....	assistant: Mr. Lewis (uncredited)
Jack Keller	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Marvin Levy	....	physician: Mr. Lewis (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Patti Enterprises

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (1964) (France) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Avid Home Video (1991) (USA) (video)
• USA Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• World Movies (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

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

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Final film of Peter Lorre.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie

The Entourage That Wouldn't Die

There isn't a big star that you can name who doesn't have an entourage. These folks have their careers rise and fall with the stars that time and circumstance has attached them to. But what does happen to these people if the star is taken out of the picture. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were known for their large entourages and I daresay right at this moment there any number of people trying to figure out what the future holds for them with Michael Jackson's demise.

The Patsy examines one such entourage who when its star, a popular comedian is killed in a plane crash, they will not just disperse. They function as a team and all they need is another star. Where to find one however.

And that's where Jerry Lewis comes in, an innocent schlep of a bellboy who comes in with an ice tray wreaking havoc in the typical Lewis manner. The rest of the film is devoted to how well they succeed in their objective.

As one of the last players under studio contract, Paramount kept in the black pretty much during the Fifties and Sixties because of Jerry Lewis. Either with Dino or later as a solo, Jerry's films made money and gradually he got creative control over them. In this one he directs as well.

It's not his best work, but it's still pretty good with some really hilarious performances. Jerry Lewis has a reputation as an egotist, but you would not know it in The Patsy, he was quite generous in giving time to the fine cast he assembled. The entourage consists of Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Ina Balin, John Carradine, Keenan Wynn, and in his last film Peter Lorre. You're not going to hold too tight a rein on this group of scene stealers and Lewis doesn't even try.

Best scene in the film however is with Hans Conreid as a voice teacher the entourage hires for Lewis. It involves Jerry with a snooty Hans who is also an antique collector. Let's just say the laughs are equally for Hans as they are for Jerry.

And the ending is something that Mel Brooks could have used. In fact I'm not sure Brooks didn't appropriate an idea or two for some of his films.

The Patsy is a great introduction to Jerry Lewis and I know his fans count it among his best.