Hook, Line and Sinker (1969)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Rodney Amateau (story) and
David Davis (story) ...

Release Date:

6 June 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Jerry has to get away from it all! Even if it means a $100,000 spree on credit cards!

Plot:

Man (Lewis) is told by his doctor (Lawford), and best friend, that he has a terminal illness. At his wife's urging...

Plot Keywords:

Dying Man's Last Fling | Fraud | Beautiful Woman | Fishing

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Peter J. Ingersoll / Fred Dobbs
Peter Lawford	...	Dr. Scott Carter
Anne Francis	...	Nancy Ingersoll
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez	...	Perfecto (as Pedro Gonzales Gonzales)
Jimmy Miller	...	Jimmy Ingersoll
Jennifer Edwards	...	Jennifer Ingersoll
Eleanor Audley	...	Mrs. Durham
Henry Corden	...	Kenyon Hammercher
Sylvia Lewis	...	Karlotta Hammercher
Phillip Pine	...	Head Surgeon
Felipe Turich	...	Portuguese Mortician
Kathleen Freeman	...	Mrs. Hardtack - Baby Sitter

Also Known As:

Kook's Town (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:G | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Loures, Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Jerry Lewis Productions

Trivia:

The house set is the same used for "Bewitched" (1964).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The sink can be seen to wiggle (obviously loose) moments before Peter pulls it up with the plunger.

Quotes:

Dr. Scott Carter: There's only one decent thing left for you to do: turn yourself in.
Peter Ingersoll: Decent thing? That's insane!
Dr. Scott Carter: I'll be behind you all the way.
Peter Ingersoll: Oh, sure you will. A mile behind me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in I Walk the Line (1970)

Hook, Line and Stinker

Jerry Lewis (as Peter Ingersoll) is in a hospital, with a medical team ready to operate on him, and a bunch of people who seem like an audience reacting, as he tells his story: He had a TV situation comedy-like family, complete with a TV show set out of "Bewitched". His doctor Peter Lawford (as Scott Carter) tells Mr. Lewis that, due to a bad heart, he has only months to live. Lewis' wife Anne Francis (as Nancy) suggests he spend his last months traveling and spending credit card money.

The plot of this movie doesn't have any discernible logic. Lewis, Lawford, and Francis carry on what the filmmakers thought was a funny situation? You can follow along with the happenings, but it doesn't make any sense; and, it certainly isn't funny. The one "joke" that may jolt you comes at the end of the film. However, it doesn't have much to do with the story (other than the obvious fact that Jerry Lewis enjoys fishing). A better idea might have been for Lewis to stop making movies like this, get some good writers, and do a real TV comedy.

** Hook, Line and Sinker (5/7/69) George Marshall ~ Jerry Lewis, Peter Lawford, Anne Francis