SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

a_chinn This was Jerry Lewis' favorite of his Martin and Lewis films. I'm guessing this is because this film had the type of maudlin sentimentality that Jerry would often include in the films he would go on to write, produce, and direct. The story has singer Dean Martin as a singer who during one performance has a hilarious back-and-forth banter with audience member Jerry. The two then scheme to plant Jerry in the audience for future performances to recreate the gag. Jerry becomes the real star of the show, but gets no billing or equal pay, and generally is exploited by Dean, to which Dean's wife, Polly Bergen, eventually confronts him over. It's a pretty lightweight drama and the sappiness works to a point, mostly thanks to Jerry's very sympathetic performance, but this isn't your usual wacky Martin & Lewis outing and the mix of comedy and drama doesn't quite mesh. Still, it is worth watching for fans of the comic duo and for fans of Jerry in particular.

edwagreen This picture may have been so well placed to the truth and success of the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis team of the 1950s.To begin with, even though it was made in 1951, Polly Bergen is totally unrecognizable. Her voice was as beautiful as ever but even that seemed different.Dino is the selfish song and dance man who decides to go it alone but soon takes Lewis as his partner to add to the act. Did I say add to the act? Lewis was the act. His zany antics with that childish voice were beyond comprehension and just fabulous.Dean's refusal to give any acknowledgment to Lewis in the act begins to alienate his manager and fan and in a rage, he throws Lewis out only to flat on stage with Lewis coming to the rescue.A film proving that it takes an act to make a success, not necessarily one individual.

MartinHafer I would LOVE to know more about the background for this film. After all, so many elements are reminiscent of the real team of Martin & Lewis that it's hard to know how much is fiction and how much is autobiographical. I do know, however, why Jerry Lewis loved this film. And, you could probably assume that Dean Martin didn't, as it really made him look like an awful person.In many ways, this film is not really a comedy--making it unique for the team. And, in many ways, the act on screen looked a lot like Martin & Lewis' real stage act--something that people particularly loved on television where they made a HUGE splash. Dean plays a straight man who croons and Jerry an obnoxious guy in the crowd who disrupts the act and acts really goofy. However, unlike the real team, Jerry plays a really dumb guy--a guy who is successful just being himself. The problem in the film is that Dean's character is totally selfish and exploits Jerry. They are less a partnership and more Dean having hired help. But, as the act becomes more and more popular, it's more and more obvious that Jerry is an important part of the act--something Dean just doesn't want to admit. And, because Jerry is no nice and guileless, people around Dean grow to hate him. As I said, the film makes Dean look like a horrible person and Jerry a poor victim. It's very entertaining and dramatic....but as I said above, you wonder how close this is to fact.On the plus side, Jerry's performance isn't quite as broad and obnoxious as many of his other films. Dean is just fine but I would give $100000 to have been able to read his mind when this film was being made. You also wonder if, perhaps, this film may have laid some of the groundwork for the team's break up several years later. Because of this, it's a bit uncomfortable to watch--is it a case of art imitating life (or vice-versa)? Compelling and very interesting.

drtoner123 I'm 25 years old and have always had a huge respect for Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. I hope one day to shake the hand of Jerry Lewis. Thing is, I never really sat down through any of their full length films because I'm your typical new movie kinda guy. I like to see what's just coming out in theaters and these older movies, well I usually just think of them as having poor quality and over drawn out moments. I caught this film on HBO and was absolutely hooked. Everything was so beautiful, so perfect in this film. The acting is terrific. The only thing that could have made this film even better is if they showed a few more cars but hey, we can't have everything, and well, I'm just a major car guy. The movie was made in 1953, pardon me, released in 1953. My daily driver is a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air. This movie has really fired me up to watch a lot of older films. Pretty soon I'm sure I'll be commenting on a few others. I'm filling up my DVR with everything 50's and back as we speak. Here's the thing, I love new movies and anytime I find a new release that is set back in the 50's, I'm a major sucker for it. With this, there is no error in these movies; no "hey did you see that? That was a 1980's van in the background!" Okay, yes it's a bit cheesy but this movie really gave me a lot of inspiration to watch more classics. I LOVE this film!