Cracking Up (1983)

Suicidal nerd seeks help from psychiatrist, runs into various nutty characters.

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond

Stars:

Jerry Lewis, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis Jr.

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jerry Lewis	...	Warren Nefron / Dr. Perks / Gangster / Speed Armeter (as Jerry --- Who Else?)
Milton Berle	...	Ms. Sultry
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Sammy Davis, Jr.
Herb Edelman	...	Dr. Jonas Pletchick
Foster Brooks	...	The Pilot
Zane Buzby	...	Waitress / Valet / Woman in Line (as Zane Busby)
Dick Butkus	...	Anti-Smoking Enforcer
Francine York	...	Marie Du Bois
John Abbott	...	Surgeon
Bill Richmond
Donna Ponterotto	...	Stewardess
Robin Bach
Buddy Lester	...	Passenger
Paul Lambert	...	Joe - Carpet Installer
Ben Davidson	...	Big Bearded Plane Passenger

Storyline

Warren Nefron is a hopeless klutz who has some of the worst luck in the world: when he tries to end it all with a foolproof suicide plan, he still manages to mess it up. In desperation, he goes to a psychiatrist to see if there is some way for him to end his troubles. As the doctor talks with him, the film cuts to a series of shorts about scenes from Nefron's life, and the lives of the people around him.

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Plot Keywords:

slapstick comedy | attempted suicide | written by cast member | directed by cast member | co written by director | 

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Taglines:

T'es fou, Jerry! Ben je gek, Jerry? (You're crazy, Jerry! Are you crazy, Jerry?)

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's actual title as printed on the opening credits is "Smorgasbord (The Movie)".

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Goofs

The chair used in the opening hanging sequence disappears entirely and then suddenly reappears.

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Crazy Credits

The music stops when composer Morton Stevens name appears in the opening credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

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Soundtracks

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Played during concert scene

User Reviews

Viva Jerry!

THIS is the film Jerry Lewis should have made his min-comeback with instead of the mawkish "Hardly Working". Yes, there isn't much of a story here, but like "The Bellboy" the gags for the most part are really pretty funny. The opening title sequence may contain Jerry's best moment in the film as he tries to cross a highly polished floor. Then listen what happens when the title card of the film's composer comes up. The scene where Jerry plays a cop and pulls over a overweight speeder is also one of his funniest in years. Can't argue this is a great film, but it IS funny and that's something Jerry had not been since at least "The Big Mouth" back in 1967. The other films Jerry made around this time were either just terrible ("Slapstick Encounters") or featured more of his dramatic side ("KIng of Comedy", "Funny Bones"). This film is just plain funny and its too bad it never got a wide theatrical release.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 1983 (France)

Also Known As:

Cracking Up

Filming Locations:

Irving Ave & Bel Aire Dr, Glendale, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1