The Nutty Professor (1963)

To improve his social life, a nerdish professor drinks a potion that temporarily turns him into the handsome, but obnoxious, Buddy Love.

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond

Stars:

Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Del Moore

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Lewis	...	Prof. Julius Kelp / Buddy Love
Stella Stevens	...	Stella Purdy
Del Moore	...	Dr. Mortimer S. Warfield
Kathleen Freeman	...	Millie Lemmon
Med Flory	...	Warzewski
Norman Alden	...	Football Player / Student
Howard Morris	...	Elmer Kelp
Elvia Allman	...	Edwina Kelp
Milton Frome	...	Dr. M. Sheppard Leevee
Buddy Lester	...	Bartender
Marvin Kaplan	...	English Student
David Landfield	...	College Student
Skip Ward	...	Football Player
Julie Parrish	...	College Student
Henry Gibson	...	Gibson - College Student

Storyline

Nerd. Milquetoast. Klutz. These are just three of the many undesirable words that can be used to describe Professor Julius Kelp. But all that changes when the chemistry expert invents a potion that transforms him into a suave, sexy chick magnet, whom Julius aptly names Buddy Love. Unfortunately, there's one side effect: Buddy can't control when he'll change back into Julius, an event that always happens at inopportune times. How will Julius/Buddy resolve his Jekyll-and-Hyde dilemma?

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Plot Keywords:

chemistry | professor | potion | nerd | jekyll and hyde | 

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Taglines:

Please do not reveal the middle of this picture! Jerry's a mousey chemistry prof who invents the greatest drink since Dracula discovered bloody marys.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1963 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

El profesor chiflado

Filming Locations:

Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$7,630,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures,Jerry Lewis Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Buddy Love, these are the ingredients for an Alaskan Polar Bear Heater: 2 shots vodka, 1 shot rum, 1 shot vermouth, 1 shot brandy, 1 shot gin, 1 shot scotch, a dash of bitters, a smidgen of vinegar, a lemon peel, an orange peel and a cherry. 1 more shot scotch. Mix it well and pour it into a tall glass.

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Goofs

The chemistry equipment and supplies on top of the three long lab tables in Kelp's classroom change, and eventually disappear altogether, from scene to scene.

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Quotes

Purple Pit Bartender: [Arrives with several bottles of spirits; to Buddy] Did you say a Polar Bear Heater?
Buddy Love: No, YOU said it! I said an Alaskan Polar Bear Heater.
Purple Pit Bartender: I never heard of that.
Buddy Love: Until now.
Purple Pit Bartender: [mumbles] Until now.
Buddy Love: All right, pay attention. Two shots of vodka.
Purple Pit Bartender: [starts mixing the drink] Two shots of vodka...
Buddy Love: A little rum.
Buddy Love: A little rum...
Buddy Love: Some bitters...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

False ending which first displays, "That's all, folks!!" then inserts a NOT in between "that's" and "all," then a 5-minute story epilogue goes to the actual ending, which is credited as "The beginning." The actor credits are done as curtain calls, with each performer bowing behind their name.

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Connections

Referenced in Golden Years: Time and Time Again (1991)

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Soundtracks

Love Is a Lonely Thing
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren

User Reviews

Still the best version there is

The original Jerry Lewis version of this movie is still the best one ever. Irregardless of the special effects employed in the Eddie Murphy version, or the novelty of him playing multiple characters at the same time, the original has something the copycat doesn't - Jerry Lewis, still one of the best comedians on the planet. Lewis doesn't need the power of special effects or multiple roles to fully convey the story here. How he transforms from a nerdy professor to a suave and sweet-talking singing/dancing/kissing Romeo is a sight to behold. He employs acting techiques which manage to convince us that these are 2 distinct people with distinct personalities and characters. No one can top Lewis in his prime, and this is one of better movies.