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Jerry Lewis
[1926-2017]
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short profile
books by Jerry Lewis
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"There is no gap between comedy and tragedy."
"Marriage is a lottery, but you can't tear up your ticket if you lose."
"Every man’s dream is to be able to sink into the arms of a woman without also falling into her hands."
"We're leaving [Congress] to people who either were born with a silver spoon in their mouth . . .
or couldn't get better jobs in the first place."
"People hate me because I am a multifaceted, talented, wealthy, internationally famous genius."
— Jerry Lewis
B I O
h e r e
Jerry had open heart surgery in 1983; in 1992 he underwent surgery for prostate cancer; he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2001;
and suffered a minor heart attack on 11 June 2006 which caused him to postpone a planned comeback in Las Vegas.
Jerry Lewis entry at Wikipedia
Jerry Lewis credits [since 1948] at Internet Movie Database
The Jerry Lewis Website
http://users.aol.com/norky1995/index.html
Dean Martin Fan Center
http://www.deanmartinfancenter.com/index/rightframe/07mandl/07mandl.html
  
| Jerry Lewis won a Governor's Award Emmy in 2005 and won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Oscar in 2009 |
a Photoplay Special Award, 1952 (shared with Dean Martin}
a Golden Apple Award, 1954 (shared with Dean Martin}
a Golden Laurel Special Award, 1965 - plus 8 other nominations, 1958-66
nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, 1977
Jefferson Award for Public Service, 1978
Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor in 1984, and then Commandeur in 2006
Theatre World Special Award for "Damn Yankees" on Broadway, 1995
Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Comedy Awards, 1998
Career Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, 1999
Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, 2004
Golden Camera Award (Germany) for Lifetime Achievement in 2005
induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, 2009
Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 2011
Honorary Member of the Order of Australia, 2013
and two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for Movies & for TV)
Movies of Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis credits [since 1948] at Internet Movie Database
Jerry Lewis filmography & TV appearances listing at Wikipedia
browse Jerry Lewis {as actor} on DVD at Amazon
browse Jerry Lewis {as director} on DVD at Amazon
 | "The Jerry Lewis Films: An Analytical Filmography of The Innovative Comic" [1994] by James L. Neibaur & Ted Okuda, Foreword by Kathleen Freeman McFarland & Co. 9x6 pb [2/2013] for $18.99 McFarland & Co. 9¼x6 library hardcover [12/94] out of print/used |
 | "The 'Legendary Jerry' Collection" DVD Box Set [2005]
Paramount color/b&w DVD set [10/2005] 10 disks for $349.94 contains ten feature films: "The Stooge" [1952] starring Martin & Lewis; "The Delicate Delinquent" [1957]; "The Bellboy" [1960]; "Cinderfella" [1960]; "The Errand Boy" [1961]; "The Ladies Man" [1961]; "The Nutty Professor" [1963]; "The Patsy" [1964]; "The Disorderly Orderly" [1964]; and "The Family Jewels" [1965]; extras include commentaries, theatrical trailers & featurettes |
Movies of Martin & Lewis, 1949-56
 | "Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume One" DVD Box Set [2006]
Paramount b&w DVD set [10/2006] 4 disks - out of prodn/used contains 8 feature films starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis: "My Friend Irma" [1949]; "My Friend Irma Goes West" [1950]; "That's My Boy" [1951]; "Sailor Beware" [1952]; "Jumping Jacks" [1952]; "The Stooge" [1952]; "Scared Stiff" [1953]; and "The Caddy" [1953] "Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection, Volume Two" DVD Box Set [2007] Paramount color DVD set [6/2007] 3 disks - out of prodn/used contains 5 feature films starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis: "Living It Up" [1954]; "You're Never Too Young" [1955]; "Artists and Models" [1955]; "Pardners" [1956 Western]; and "Hollywood or Bust" [1956] |
"My Friend Irma" [1949]
"My Friend Irma Goes West" [1950]
"At War With The Army" [1950]
"That's My Boy" [1951]
"Sailor Beware" [1952]
"Jumping Jacks" [1952]
"Road To Bali" [1952] 'woman' cameo in Lala's Dream
"The Stooge" [1952] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"Scared Stiff" [1953] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"The Caddy" [1953] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"Money From Home" [Paramount Dec 1953]
 | Filmed in three-strip Technicolor™ and in 3-D; suave Herman is in trouble with the mob over his gambling debts, so he enlists his geeky and animal-loving cousin to fix a horse race • Produced by Hal B. Wallis; directed by George Marshall; written by Hal Kanter & James B. Allardice, based on a story by Damon Runyon; starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Marjie Millar, Pat Crowley, Richard Haydn, Robert Strauss, Gerald Mohr, Sheldon Leonard, Romo Vincent, Jack Kruschen
Legend Films widescreen color DVD [7/2008] for $12.35 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia |
"Living It Up" comedy musical [Paramount Pictures July 1954]
 | Technicolor™ remake of 1937 "Nothing Sacred" {see below} and the 1953 stageplay "Hazel Flagg"; an unsophisticated stationmaster from provincial New Mexico fraudulently claims that he is dying of radiation poisoning in order to get an expense-paid dream tour of New York City • Directed by Norman Taurog; written by James Street, Ben Hecht, Jack Rose, Melville Shavelson; co-produced by & starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis; music by Walter Scharf, 3 songs by Jules Styne; also starring Janet Leigh, Edward Arnold, Fred Clark, Sheree North, Sammy White, Sid Tomack, Sig Ruman, Richard Loo, Raymond Greenleaf, Walter Baldwin, Fay Roope, Art Baker, Stanley Blystone, Frank Branda, Frankie Darro, Franklyn Farnum, Fritz Feld, Eduard Franz, Kathryn Grant, Dabbs Greer, Jewel McGowan, Grady Sutton; special AT&SF Chief passenger train loaned for New Mexico scenes that were filmed in the Mojave desert
Paramount Home Video widescreen color DVD [9/2016] for $22.98 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia • watch official trailer [1/2015 upload; 1:44] online at YouTube |
"3 Ring Circus" [1954] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
re-released in 1978 as "Jerrico The Wonder Clown"
"You're Never Too Young" [1955] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"Artists and Models" [1955] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"Pardners" [1956 Western] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
"Hollywood or Bust" [1956] starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
Dean Martin's participation in their films was shrinking, and the Martin-Lewis relationship became strained. Some say that the team broke up after LOOK Magazine published a publicity photo of the team on the cover in 1954 but cropped Martin out. Neither Martin nor Lewis ever publicly discussed the rift; the partnership officially ended on 24 July 1956.
· ·
Jerry's Heyday, 1957-70
"The Delicate Delinquent" [1957]
"The Sad Sack" [1957]
"Rock-A-Bye Baby" [1958]
"The Geisha Boy" [1958]
"Don't Give Up The Ship" [1959]
"Li'l Abner" [1959] cameo
"Visit To A Small Planet" [1960]
"The Bellboy" [1960] also directed
"Cinderfella" [1960]
"The Ladies Man" [1961] also directed
"The Errand Boy" [1961] also directed
"It's Only Money" [1962]
"The Nutty Professor" [1963] also directed
"It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" [1963] cameo
http://www.amazon.com/Its-Mad-World/dp/B0000CBY1C/
"Who's Minding The Store?" [1963]
"The Patsy" [1964] also directed
"The Disorderly Orderly" [1964]
"The Family Jewels" [1965] also directed
"Boeing Boeing" [1965]
"Three On A Couch" [1966] also directed
"Way ... Way Out" [1966]
"The Big Mouth" [1967] also directed
"Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower The River" [1968]
"Hook, Line & Sinker" [1969]
"One More Time" [1970] offscreen voice of the bandleader; also directed
"Which Way To The Front?" [1970] also directed
· ·
Jerry's Later Career, 1971-2011
"The Day The Clown Cried" [filmed in 1971-72; not released]
"Hardly Working" [Europe 1980; USA 1981] Also directed
"The King of Comedy" [filmed 1981; Europe 1982; USA 1983]
directed by Martin Scorsese
"Cracking Up" [1983 cable/video release] Also directed
theatrical release in 1985 as 'Smorgasbord'
"Slapstick (of Another Kind)" [Europe 1982; USA 1984]
based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. [1922-2007]
"Retenez Moi ... Ou Je Fais Un Malheur" [France 1984]
"Par Où T'es Rentré? On T'a Pas Vu Sortir" [France 1984]
"Cookie" [1989]
"Mr. Saturday Night" [1992] cameo
"Arizona Dream" [filmed in 1991; Europe 1993; USA 1994]
Directed by Emir Kusturica; starring Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway & Jerry Lewis
"Funny Bones" [March 1995] /tt0113133/ starring Oliver Platt, Jerry Lewis
"The Nutty Professor" animated direct-to-video sequel [2008]
"Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!" [2010]
Announced 1/2011: Artificial Intelligence Entertainment & Social Capital Films – producers Christopher Tuffin,
John Baca & George Paige – acquired remake rights to the films in Jerry Lewis’ Paramount library; the first projects
are 1960s hits “The Bellboy”, “Cinderfella”, and “The Family Jewels”; other titles include “The Errand Boy”,
“The Patsy”, and “Who’s Minding The Store”; Jerry Lewis is attached as exec producer
"Max Rose" [Lightstream Pictures Sept 2016]
 | Tagline: The legend is back • Announced in 2011 with Jerry Lewis & Ben Gazzara [1930–2012] attached; screened at Cannes Festival (5/2013) and at MoMA (4/2016). PLOT: just days before the death of his wife, an 87-year-old jazz pianist makes a discovery that causes him to believe that his sixty-five-year marriage was a lie; he embarks on an exploration of his own past that brings him face to face with a menagerie of characters from a bygone era. • Written & directed by Daniel Noah; starring Jerry Lewis, Claire Bloom, Dean Stockwell, Kerry Bishé, Illeana Douglas, Kevin Pollak, Rance Howard, Fred Willard, Stephanie Katherine Grant, Lee Weaver, Angela Elayne Gibbs, Mort Sahl & Valerie Hurt
DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official placeholder movie site • movie entry at Wikipedia watch 5/2013 film clip [2:32] at YouTube |
Books by Jerry Lewis
 | "The Total Film-Maker" [1971] by Jerry Lewis Warner mass pb [3/73] out of print/rare Random House hardcover [8/71] out of print/used |
 | "Jerry Lewis: In Person" autobiography [1982] by Jerry Lewis, with Herb Gluck Pinnacle mass pb [9/83] out of print/many used Atheneum 8¼x5¾ hardcover [8/82] out of print/many, many used |
 | "Instruction Book For . . . Being A Person (or Just Feeling Better)" [2004] by Jerry Lewis Executive Books 7x4½ pb [3/2004] for $9.95 Executive Books 8½x5½ hardcover [11/2005] for $15.56 |
 | "Dean and Me: A Love Story" [New York Times bestseller 2005]
memoir by Jerry Lewis, with James Kaplan Three Rivers Press 8x5 pb [10/2006] for $10.87 Doubleday 9½x6¼ hardcover [10/2005] out of print/hundreds used |
Recordings of Jerry Lewis
recorded "I Love A Murder Mystery", a spoken novelty record, in the early 1940s
 | "Hollywood Sings" soundtrack album [2003]
K-Tel soundtrack CD [12/2003] 20 tracks for $7.98 K-Tel soundtrack CD [12/2003] out of prodn/used performers include June Allyson & Peter Lawford, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney & Ruby Keeler, Joan Crawford (2), Bette Davis, Doris Day, Walter Huston, Laurel & Hardy (2), Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe, Eleanor Powell & James Stewart, Shirley Temple, Orson Welles, and Mae West |
Stageplays, Television & Other Media
Jerry Lewis filmography & TV appearances listing at Wikipedia
® ®
Jerry Lewis's Broadway credits
"Jerry Lewis At The Palace Theatre" one-nighter? [Jan 1953]
"Damn Yankees" revival [3/94 to 8/95]
Jerry was the highest paid performer in history in his role as the devil in the Broadway hit "Damn Yankees"
"The Martin and Lewis Show" [N.B.C. Radio 1949-53]
"The Colgate Comedy Hour" [1950]
Martin & Lewis comedy team were one of a series of rotating hosts
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Colgate-Comedy-Classic-Episodes/dp/B000AQKUFY/
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Lewis-Colgate-Comedy-Hour/dp/B000E0ODMC/
DC Comics "The Adventures of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis" [1952-57]
 | "What's My Line?" [Goodson-Todman Prodns/CBS-TV 11 Nov 1956] Walt Disney appeared as the Mystery Guest after two other contestants; Bennett Cerf recognized Walt's voice • Directed by Franklin Heller; with moderator John Daly, panelists Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen & Bennett Cerf, and guest panelist Jerry Lewis • episode credits at IMDb watch full episode [12/2013 upload; 26:11] online at YouTube |
"The Jerry Lewis Show" [1957]
DC Comics "The Adventures of Jerry Lewis" [1957-71]
"Raymie" [1960] sang the title song only
"The Jerry Lewis Show" [1963]
"The Jerry Lewis Show" [1967-69]
"Will The Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down" TV series [1970-72] /tt0065355/
"Jerry Lewis M.D.A. Labor Day Telethon" [1973-2011]
"Circus of The Stars" [1979] played the ringmaster
"The Jerry Lewis Show [1984]
"Fight For Life" TV movie [ABC-TV 1987]
The Nostalgia Collection: Jerry Lewis - The Jerry Lewis Show (2008)
http://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-Collection-Jerry-Lewis-Show/dp/B0011E9NTS/
Works About Jerry Lewis
 | "The Best of Person To Person" [1953-59] Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner; narrated by Connie Chung; programs hosted by Edward R. Murrow; interviewees include Marlon Brando, Sammy Davis Jr., John F. Kennedy, Jerry Lewis, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor & Joanne Woodward Koch Vision b&w DVD [11/2006] 3 disks for $34.99 Fox b&w VHS [8/93] out of prodn/used docufilm credits from IMDb • series credits from IMDb |
 | "Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown" [A&E Biography Aug 1997] Hosted by Peter Graves A&E Home Video color DVD-R [5/2006] direct from manufacturer A&E Home Video color VHS [10/97] for $3.82 {sic} full credits at IMDb |
portrayed by Sean Hayes in "Martin and Lewis" [2002 TV movie]
 | "Why The French Love Jerry Lewis: From Cabaret To Early Cinema" [2002] by Rae Beth Gordon Stanford Univ Press 8½x6 pb [4/2002] for $5.00 {sic} Stanford Univ Press 9x6 hardcover [4/2002] for $62.00 |
"Enfant Terrible!: Jerry Lewis In American Film" [11/2002] by Murray Pomerance
http://www.amazon.com/Enfant-Terrible-Jerry-Lewis-American/dp/0814767060/
http://www.amazon.com/King-Comedy-Life-Jerry-Lewis/dp/1574531263/
http://www.amazon.com/King-Comedy-Life-Jerry-Lewis/dp/0312132484/
http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Lewis-Films-Analytical-Filmography/dp/0899509614/
http://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Jerry-Lewis-KRUTNIK-FRANK/dp/1560983698/
"Method To The Madness of Jerry Lewis" docufilm [Encore! Oct 2011]
not yet listed on IMDb
"Jerry Lewis (Contemporary Film Directors Series)" [] by Chris Fujiwara
http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Lewis-Contemporary-Film-Directors/dp/0252076796/
Image Gallery
Family & Friends
first wife Patti Palmer Lewis {birth name Esther Grace Calonico} [] - married October 1944, divorced October 1982
http://www.amazon.com/Laffed-Till-Cried-Thirty-Six-Marriage/dp/1567960359/
oldest son Gary Lewis [b. July 1946]
Gary Lewis and the Playboys are best known for their hit song "This Diamond Ring"
#2 son Ronald Steven 'Ronnie' Lewis [b. Dec 1949] - adopted
#3 son Scott Anthony Lewis [born Feb 1956]
#4 son Christopher Lewis [b. Oct 1957]
#5 son Anthony Lewis [b. Oct 1959)
#6 son Joseph Lewis [1964-2009]
lover / model Lynn Dixon [] together three years in the 1950s
unacknowledged daughter Suzan Lewis [b. 1950s] is a homeless person in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2017).
second wife SanDee Pitnick Lewis [] married February 1983, widowed August 2017
daughter Danielle Sara Lewis (adopted March 1992)
Jerry teamed up with Dean Martin from 1946 until 1956
closest friend he ever had was Sammy Davis, Jr.
friend of comic Lenny Bruce [1925-66]
L i n k s
The Official Jerry Lewis Comedy Museum & Store
http://www.jerrylewis.com/ = Patty Palmer
Jerry Lewis entry at Wikipedia
Jerry Lewis credits [since 1948] at Internet Movie Database
not to be confused with Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis [CA-41; since 1979]
nor to be confused with rocker Jerry Lee Lewis
here on the Jerry Lewis [1926-2017] Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store
top of page •• short profile •• movies of Jerry Lewis •• books by Jerry Lewis •• recordings ••
stageplays, TV, other media •• works about Jerry Lewis •• image gallery •• family & friends •• links
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