Hollywood or Bust (1956)

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.

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writer:

Erna Lazarus

Stars:

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Pat Crowley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dean Martin	...	Steve Wiley
Jerry Lewis	...	Malcolm Smith
Pat Crowley	...	Terry Roberts
Maxie Rosenbloom	...	Bookie Benny
Anita Ekberg	...	Anita Ekberg

Storyline

The last movie with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin together, is a satire of the life in Hollywood. Steve Wiley is a deceiver who cheats Malcolm Smith when he wins a car, claiming that he won it too. Trying to steal the car, Steve tells Malcolm that he lives in Hollywood, next to Anita Ekberg's. When Malcom hears that, they both set out for Hollywood and the adventure begins...

---

Plot Keywords:

big breasts | breasts | breast | great dane | cross country | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 1956 (UK)

Also Known As:

Beginner's Luck

Filming Locations:

Taos, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$3,300,000, 31 December 1956

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dean & Jerry did not speak to each other at all off the set during the filming of Hollywood or Bust.

---

Goofs

When the bull throws Malcolm after a short ride, you can briefly see a rope around its neck, presumably used by the stunt double. But the rest of the bull scenes show no rope.

---

Quotes

[on his jingle]
Malcolm Smith: You like it?
Steve Wiley: I think it'll live forever. Maybe longer!

---

Connections

References Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

---

Soundtracks

It Looks Like Love
Music by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

User Reviews

End of an era

This is the last of the 16 movies which Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made together, and by this point they weren't even speaking to each other off-camera, but this time the screen is filled with even more inventiveness than usual. That's because the director is master satirist Frank Tashlin, who, having already taken on rock and roll (The Girl Can't Help It) and comic books (Artists and Models, also with Dean and Jerry), now turns his attention to movie fandom.

Dean plays Steve, a down-on-his-luck gambler who wants to pay off his debts by cheating in a raffle to win an expensive car, but the legal winner (Malcolm, played by Jerry) also turns up, and the contest holder rules that they have to share the car. Malcolm (a movie fan who's obsessed with Anita Ekberg) wants to drive the car to Hollywood to meet her, and Steve goes along for the ride, planning to ditch him somewhere along the way. Unfortunately, Malcolm is also bringing his gigantic dog "Mr. Bascom," who manages to thwart a few of Steve's plans.

Besides the numerous references to movies real and fictional (i.e., "Chloroform and Old Calico"), we also get romance, great musical numbers, beautiful Technicolor, Jerry doing a bullfighting routine a la Rudolph Valentino, a hilarious gambling sequence in a Vegas casino, and much more. Dean and Jerry part ways after this, but at least they leave on a high note.