TServo4 wrote:
And sadly, no one has mentioned Jerry Lewis, who not only at the top of his game was selling out night after night performances in houses that had 4,000-5,000
seat counts, but has overcome several health problem of his own to great success, while raising funds to help others.



Jerry Lewis is a very unique case. He's been ridiculed and vilified despite his tremendous efforts for charity (many have more than just insinuated it is purely for his own self-serving interests). His film career is somewhat tarnished by his glorification by film critics and historians in France, widening a schism between French and U.S. popular culture pundits. Here in the U.S. he's generally regarded as a buffoon who doesn't know when a gag should end and when one is overplayed.

As a Director and Producer, he has contributed much (including initiating video replay of filmed takes for his film THE LADIES MAN in 1961) to the art and a few of his films are somewhat highly regarded including THE BELLBOY (no story, no plot), and of course THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. I even like THE PATSY in many spots.

But his comedy is rather a guilty pleasure. I do laugh at much of his stuff, although I find myself laughing many times at Lewis himself and what is going on beyond the clowning on screen. For instance, I find it funny in the film WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT? when Lewis (disguised as Field Marshall Kesselring) does this "hearts and flowers" run and dance with Hitler in the bunker in slow motion. That in itself isn't very funny, but what is funny is that it goes on for close to 40 seconds!
That Lewis thought this was funny and that there was nobody surrounding him with courage enough to persuade him of the opposite is what really gives me a belly laugh.

When his time eventually does come, I don't know what the reaction will be. Usually when someone dies, their faults are generally glossed over and their accomplishments overshadow everything else, but as I stated before, Jerry Lewis is a very unique case.

"How can I handcuff a bloomin' shirt??!?"