Elmer Pintar
2003-11-18 22:39:11 UTC
is obviously the jonathan winters service station scene, with who better
than arnold stang and marvin kaplan of "top cat" fame. Even the kids
knew immediately (like me at age 9) who those voices belonged to. It
is that scene that makes the comedy in the movie. And even there, the
comedy is of a "campy" nature.
The comedy in that scene was forced, like all of the scenes in that
movie. If Jerry Lewis had been the star, say in the Sid Caesar or
Milton Berle role, I feel that the movie would be a more widely-accepted
classic. It was Jerry's kind of movie. Both Sid and Milton (and
Dorothy Provine)did not have the necessary THEATRICAL movie experience.
They were TV stars! In a sense, it was the first TV movie ever
made...on the big screen! Only Merman, Tracy and Rooney had true
box-office assurance (and don't leave out William Demarest). I feel
that's that why the movie sold tickets. Durante, I remember, was given
huge billing, though his role was short (and memorable).
The movie's length (which kept my outdoor-theatre attention span at age
9) is what make it the most NOTORIOUS comedy ever made (in addition to
the cast). But it is far from the funniest. It REMAINS, however, the
best SATIRE on the state of America and the dog-eats-dog society we have
lived in ever since the Constitution.
Elmer Pintar
than arnold stang and marvin kaplan of "top cat" fame. Even the kids
knew immediately (like me at age 9) who those voices belonged to. It
is that scene that makes the comedy in the movie. And even there, the
comedy is of a "campy" nature.
The comedy in that scene was forced, like all of the scenes in that
movie. If Jerry Lewis had been the star, say in the Sid Caesar or
Milton Berle role, I feel that the movie would be a more widely-accepted
classic. It was Jerry's kind of movie. Both Sid and Milton (and
Dorothy Provine)did not have the necessary THEATRICAL movie experience.
They were TV stars! In a sense, it was the first TV movie ever
made...on the big screen! Only Merman, Tracy and Rooney had true
box-office assurance (and don't leave out William Demarest). I feel
that's that why the movie sold tickets. Durante, I remember, was given
huge billing, though his role was short (and memorable).
The movie's length (which kept my outdoor-theatre attention span at age
9) is what make it the most NOTORIOUS comedy ever made (in addition to
the cast). But it is far from the funniest. It REMAINS, however, the
best SATIRE on the state of America and the dog-eats-dog society we have
lived in ever since the Constitution.
Elmer Pintar