THE CADDY screens at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) Friday August 3rd. The movie starts at 7:30.
THE CADDY is a Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis comedy from 1953. It’s directed by Norman Taurog and also stars Donna Reed & Barbara Bates. Also featured are some leading professional golfers of the time.
This is one of the most beloved Martin & Lewis movie that sticks rigidly to the formula that made them so popular. Jerry causes mayhem but always endears in doing so, while Dean croons and catches the eye of the ladies. Plot is told in flashback as the popular duo, now big musical hall stars, shows how they got together courtesy of golf. Cue some goofing around on golf courses and chaos unbound as Jerry upsets the upper class toffs of society. Cue carnage in a department store and chaos on the golf course.
Dean sings the Oscar nominated “That’s Amore,” as well as “It’s A Whistle In,” “Kinda Mornin,” “One Big Love” & “What Wouldcha Do Without Me?” Reed and Bates are pretty and adorable, and both play off of the boys with ease. All of which builds to a fun double-take ending to seal the deal as THE CADDY reaching its par on the course of Martin & Lewis movies.
Admission is:
$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty
Free for Webster students with proper I.D.
Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.
“Here y’are, baby. Take this, wipe the lipstick off, slide over here next to me, and let’s get started.”
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR will screen double feature with JERRY LEWIS, THE MAN BEHIND THE CLOWN will screen Saturday Nov 12th at 1pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood) as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. This event is FREE
Since his earliest days, SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Jerry Lewis had the masses laughing with his visual gags, pantomime sketches, and signature slapstick humor. But Lewis was far more than just a funny performer. After his breakup with partner Dean Martin, he moved behind the camera, writing, producing, and directing many of the adored classics in which he starred. In this double bill, Gregory Monro’s brisk, informative documentary reveals the man behind the clown, and THE NUTTY PROFESSOR provides the proof of Lewis’ comic genius. Lewis’ riff on “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” features the actor in a dual role: the nerdish professor who drinks a potion designed to improve his social life and, after the transformation, the handsome but obnoxious Buddy Love.
With exceptions of the comedy team of Martin and Lewis movies during the 1950’s THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, the classic masterpiece of split personalities from 1963 is the pinnacle of Jerry Lewis’s movie career. I can’t think of a better introduction to the wacky and unpredictable world of the Jerry Lewis genre. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR shows the panoramic range of characterization. On one hand you have the meek, stumbling Professor Julius Kelp. On the other hand, you have the suave, over assertive and obnoxious Buddy Love. Part of the Lewis genius here is that Jerry to this day boasts about the fact that he didn’t use any facial makeup to alter the characters. Instead he used mime and over- expression to make his alter imaginary beings different. The big debate about this movie is who is Lewis portraying while playing the part of Buddy Love? Some say Dean Martin; others say Frank Sinatra. Perhaps It’s just Jerry being himself. Lewis has been quoted as saying every person has an ugly, hostile side to their personality. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR has a moral to its story, Kelp at movie’s end says quite simply, “You might as well like yourself. Just think about all the time you’re going to have to spend with you, and if you don’t think too much of yourself, how do you expect other to? But don’t take it too seriously. Just sit back and watch the master at work. Familiar TV icons appear in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR such as Henry Gibson (The Poet) from LAUGH-IN, Norman Alden (Irate Father-In-Law) from MY THREE SONS, Howard Morris,The wild Ernest T. Bass ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and what Lewis movie would be complete without the bubbly Kathleen Freeman?
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR will screen double feature with JERRY LEWIS, THE MAN BEHIND THE CLOWN. Since his earliest days, SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Jerry Lewis had the masses laughing with his visual gags, pantomime sketches, and signature slapstick humor. But Lewis was far more than just a funny performer. After the breakup of his famed partnership with Dean Martin, Lewis moved behind the camera, writing, producing, and directing many of the adored classics in which he starred: “The Bellboy,” “The Ladies Man,” “The Errand Boy,” and “The Nutty Professor.” By becoming a “total filmmaker,” Lewis emerged as a driving force in Hollywood, breaking boundaries with his technical innovations, unique voice, and keen visual eye. Lewis garnered particular respect and praise overseas, especially in France. But if his French admirers regarded Lewis as a true auteur, American critics proved far more skeptical, often dismissing him as nothing more than a clown. Gregory Monro’s brisk, informative documentary offers answers to questions that have perplexed American pop culture for more than 50 years: Why do Europeans love Jerry Lewis? What is the inexplicable aversion many Americans have toward him? Is he just a brash, anything-for-laugh buffoon or is he a creative genius in the tradition of Chaplin and Keaton? Who is the man behind the clown?
“Heavenly shades of night are falling…it’s twilight time”, and we’re not talking about sparkly teen vampires. No, those lyrics from the Platters golden oldie could very well be used as the theme for this movie, and perhaps its iconic lead actor. As many “golden age” film stars reach their “golden years”, they often look toward a project that may be the perfect coda to their long career, maybe a farewell to their screen persona. Hey wouldn’t you rather ride into the sunset with THE SHOOTIST (as John Wayne did) than headline a flick called TROG ( Joan Crawford’s finale’)? Perhaps this is the case for fabled film funny man Jerry Lewis. At the tail end of the “golden age” of Hollywood (1948), he and then partner Dean Martin ruled the box office for eight years. After their split, Jerry had even greater success as a solo for a good twelve years, even directing his films, until the new young turks and adult movie subject matter had Lewis retreating to TV and the stage. He did return to film occasionally, most memorably in a dramatic role with Martin Scorsese’s KING OF COMEDY as talk show host Jerry Langford. Now Lewis is back in movie theatres playing another dramatic role, like himself, a longtime entertainer, named MAX ROSE.
Under the opening titles and credits, the camera gives us a slow tour of memorabilia telling us of the life of celebrated jazz pianist Max Rose: family photos, record albums, and newspaper clippings. A dissolve to a hospital hallway tells us that Max (Lewis) has just lost his wife of 65 years, Eva (Claire Bloom). Back at the home they shared, Max looks lost as his only son Chris (Kevin Pollak) and his daughter Annie (Kerry Bishe’) tidy up. He tries to shoo them out, but Annie insists on staying. Max imagines that Eva is still speaking to him from another room. The next day he gives a rambling speech at Eva’s funeral, calling himself a failure over and over until Annie gently leads him back to his seat. Returning home, Annie still wants to stay despite Max’s protests. Then he discovers an old compact of Eva’s tucked away in the corner of a drawer. Under the powder-puff he sees a puzzling engraved message from someone named Ben and dated November 1959, when Max and Eva were still married. Could she have had a secret lover? After Annie finally returns to her job, he rummages through all of Eva’s old sketchbooks, hoping to find a portrait of “Ben”. Trudging up and down the stairs, Max collapses and blacks out. He wakes up in a strange room. Chris has placed him in an assisted care retirement center, while he has sold the family home. Max tries to adjust to his new surroundings, even making a few new friends. But he still has that compact, and with the help of his new pals, he is determined to learn of his wife’s secret life.
Lewis gets to work his dramatic chops as the mournful Max, showing us his tender side with the grand-daughter he adores, but then can turn on a dime by spewing vicious bile at the son he can barely stand, with a glare that “shoots daggers”. Shuffling about his empty house it seems that every second of his eighty plus years weighs heavily. A bit of the happy clown reappears in the scenes with his new pals at the”home”, but the only thing that seems to energize Max is his great quest into his wife’s past. Lewis shows us that this mystery may be the only things that gets Max out of bed, or the cemetery. He’s always compelling, still making us follow him anywhere. Bishe’ makes a great partner, though not quite the great Dino, as the doting Annie. At times she acts as a mother figure to her sullen grandpa’, resorting to corny grade-school jokes and visual gags (the ole’ escalator behind the couch bit) in an effort to bring him out of his funk. She also shows us the toll that her devotion puts on her life, straining her now long-distance marriage. While Bishe’ is the cheerleader, Pollak is the punching bag through most of the story, enduring his father’s wraith and disdain, making us wonder how he fell so far out of favor. Luckily Pollak shows us Chris’s concern and courage as he finally stands up to his pop and reads him the “riot act”. Bloom is a luminous wise-cracking ghost haunting Max’s mind at all hours, an enigma just out of his reach. 1960’s satirist Mort Sahl along with veteran actors Vance Howard (Ron’s papa) and Lee Weaver display lots of mischievous energy as the hellions of the senior center, while Ileana Douglas has a wonderful cameo as that center’s director. And it’s great to see Dean Stockwell shine in a pivotal role in the film’s final moments.
Director/screenwriter Daniel Noah’s film is full of noble intentions, trying to shine a light on the lives of the aged and their families. Unfortunately it gets bogged down with sentimentality that slows the story to a snail’s crawl (going through Eva’s art goes on and on and…). The lead character is often unsympathetic, not only when he pushes away his son, but by his surly obstinate demeanor with nearly everyone he encounters. And once the mystery has been resolved the movie just seems to evaporate after a syrupy scene at a pay phone (how long’d he search for that?). This type of tale has been told with more style and wit in NEBRASKA, but for the hardcore admirers of “the kid”, Mr. “Hey Laaaady!”, not just his French fanatics, MAX ROSE will be a welcome, if somewhat maudlin, long overdue cinema reunion. 2.5 Out of 5
MAX ROSE opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
The 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival will honor legendary actor, filmmaker and humanitarian Jerry Lewiswith a multi-tiered celebration of his remarkable career. Highlighting the tribute, Lewis will have his hand and footprints enshrined in concrete in front of the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. In addition, Lewis will be on-hand for a screening of one of his most memorable films: The Nutty Professor (1963). Marking its fifth year, the TCM Classic Film Festival will take place April 10-13, 2014, in Hollywood. The gathering will coincide with TCM’s 20th anniversary as a leading authority in classic film.
“Jerry Lewis is a very important name whenever movie comedy is discussed and enjoyed,” said TCM host Robert Osborne, who also serves as the official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Jerry has provided the world with great merriment and laughter, while also showing, in such films as Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, what an exceptional dramatic actor he can be. Add to that his many credits as a popular director, producer and writer, and you see the reasons we are pleased to be able to honor him for his more than 60 years of contributions to the world of motion pictures.”
Lewis’ hand and footprints ceremony will take place Saturday, April 12, in front of TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. This marks the fourth consecutive year TCM has featured a hand and footprint ceremony at the legendary theater. In 2011, Peter O’Toole was the honoree, followed by Kim Novak in 2012 and Jane Fonda in 2013.
Following the hand and footprint ceremony, Lewis will attend a screening of his comedy hit The Nutty Professor, which he also directed. As a special prelude to film, Lewis will join award-winning actress Illeana Douglas on-stage for an interview about his extraordinary career, as well as about the making of the movie. After The Nutty Professor, Lewis will stick around to answer questions from the audience.
Passes for the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival can be purchased exclusively through the official festival website: http://www.tcm.com/festival.
A consummate entertainer and world-renowned humanitarian, Jerry Lewis is not just a cultural icon in the U.S. and France, he’s one of “The Most Recognized Personalities on the Planet,” named so by Newsweekmagazine. He is also the only entertainer ever to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
One of the most successful performers in show business history – with worldwide box office receipts in excess of $800 million (when most tickets were sold for 25-50 cents) – Jerry has received global acclaim for his groundbreaking comedy. He has been said to carry the torch lit by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, which has earned him the moniker “The King of Comedy.” As the top box office star in the world from 1952-56 with Dean Martin and from 1957-64 solo, Jerry’s brand of comedy has influenced generations.
Celebrated for his groundbreaking physical comedy, “Jerry went back to the silent era and brought visual sight gags back to the American movie theaters,” says Steven Spielberg, who once attended a class in film direction taught by “Professor” Lewis at the University of Southern California.
First on stage at age 5, Jerry performed alongside his parents in Vaudeville and later left high school to embark on a career of “Satirical Impressions and Comedic Pantomimicry.” He began performing stand-up at the age of 15. After a few menial jobs (drugstore lunch counterman, usher and shipping clerk in a hat factory), his meteoric rise to fame began in 1946 at the age of 20, when he teamed with Dean Martin … and the rest is history! “They were the biggest stars in the world as a comedy team,” said Billy Crystal about the duo, who caused Beatles-esque pandemonium wherever they went.
Jerry was the first mainstream filmmaker since Chaplin to do it all himself – writing, producing, directing and starring in his own movies. Still performing at the age of 85, he has appeared in more than 50 films, directed a dozen movies, had 13 television specials, three television series (including a stint as host of the immensely popular Colgate Comedy Hour from 1950-55 with Dean Martin), an NBC radio show, recorded numerous records and albums (Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody sold over a million copies in 1956); been the hero of a comic book series; authored four books (and been the subject of many more); and made thousands of other appearances on TV, stage (including a hit Broadway and tour run in Damn Yankees from 1994-97) and in nightclubs all over the world.
As well as being an entertainer, “Jerry Lewis was a major innovator in motion pictures,” stated director Francis Ford Coppola. “His invention of putting a video camera next to the motion picture camera so he could play it back and direct himself, has been used for decades by every director in the movie industry. I watched him on the set of The Ladies Man in 1961 and was amazed by his groundbreaking innovation, the Video Assist.”
Some of his most-celebrated films include The Nutty Professor (1963), Who’s Minding the Store? (1963), The Disorderly Orderly (1964), The Patsy (1964), The Family Jewels (1965), The Ladies Man (1961), The Errand Boy (1961), Cinderfella (1960), The Bellboy (1960), Visit to a Small Planet (1960), The Geisha Boy (1958), Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958), The Delicate Delinquent (1957) and 16 Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis films between 1949 and 1956 that showcased them at the pinnacle of show business.
Jerry has been honored with numerous awards including not one but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (one for his work in film and one for television); the Governor’s Award at the Emmy Awards (2005); a Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (2004); a Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy at the American Comedy Awards (1998); and many, many more.
Enormously popular in Europe, particularly France, Jerry was awarded that country’s two most distinguished honors in 1984, making him a Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters and inducting him into the Legion of Honor by the Decree of President Francois Mitterrand.
In addition to his status as a legendary performer, Jerry has long been a tireless and dedicated philanthropist. For more than 60 years, he has been the driving force behind the fight against muscular dystrophy. As national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry raised more than $2 billion for patient care and research and made the term “Jerry’s Kids” a part of the modern American lexicon. His creation, the MDA Labor Day Telethon, is the most successful fundraising program in the history of television and established a new benchmark in charitable giving.
Wrote late Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, then a congressman from Wisconsin, when nominating Jerry for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, “Jerry Lewis is a man for all seasons, all people and all times. His name, in the hearts of millions, has become synonymous with peace, love and brotherhood.”
Jerry has received numerous awards for his charitable endeavors, including: an honorary Oscar®, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (2009), presented on special occasions by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to an individual whose humanitarian efforts have brought notable credit to the industry; the American Medical Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming only the fifth person in AMA history to receive the honor (1996); and the U.S. Defense Department’s highest civilian award, the Medal for Distinguished Public Service (1985), among many others.
Today – after more than eight decades as a performer – Jerry remains busy with a myriad of appearances (in Las Vegas where he resides, around the country and overseas) and developing entertainment projects for film, television, DVD and stage. Beyond the pratfalls, jokes and public persona, he is a devoted family man with seven children, 10 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and two chihuahuas.
Jerry has a motto that reflects more than anything else his ongoing love affair with humanity: “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again!”
The Nutty Professor (1963) is Jerry Lewis‘ blockbuster comedy loosely based on the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. Lewis stars as Professor Julius Kelp, a socially inept scientist who comes up with a formula to turn himself into the perfect ladies man, a dashing altar ego known as Buddy Love. He soon begins pursuing one of his students, portrayed by Stella Stevens, leading to all sorts of complications. In addition to Lewis and Stevens, The Nutty Professor stars Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman and Howard Morris.
Lewis not only stars in The Nutty Professor but also directed and produced the film. In addition, he co-wrote the screenplay with Bill Richmond. The film was shot primarily on the Airzona State University campus in Tempe, Ariz. The musical score by Walter Scharf incorporates elements of Victor Young’s famous song “Stella By Starlight.”
The Nutty Professor was named to AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs list in 2000 and was selected for the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2004.
In addition to Lewis, this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival will pay tribute to Quincy Jones, who will appear at multiple events during the festival, including a 50th anniversary screening of Sidney Lumet’s powerful drama The Pawnbroker (1964), which marked Jones’ debut as a film composer. Other previously announced events during this year’s festival include a screening of the recently restored Gone with the Wind (1939) and a presentation of The Wizard of Oz (1939) in its stunning new IMAX® 3D format. Both films are celebrating their 75th anniversaries in 2014.
The festival will also include three world premiere restorations: Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity (1944), which will be celebrating its 70th anniversary; Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958); and William Wyler’s Best Picture Oscar® winner The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). In addition, the festival will feature a screening of the Harold Lloyd comedy classic Why Worry? (1923), with legendary silent-film composer Carl Davis conducting the live world premiere performance of his new original score.
Additional screenings and events for the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival will be announced over the coming months.
For the fifth consecutive year, thousands of movie lovers from around the globe will descend upon Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2014 festival is set to take place Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, April 13, coinciding with TCM’s 20th anniversary as a leading authority in classic film. Over four packed days and nights, attendees will be treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events and more.
The theme for the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival will be Family in the Movies: The Ties that Bind. Throughout the four-day lineup, the festival will showcase on-screen clans of all types – big and small, happy and imperfect, musical and dramatic. In addition, the festival will spotlight the first families of Hollywood and the filmmaking dynasties that have entertained generations. And it will explore the kinship that connects close-knit groups of professionals behind the camera, such as the stock companies of classic Hollywood.
Passes for the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival can be purchased through the festival website at http://www.tcm.com/festival. Pass availability is limited, so those wishing to attend the festival are encouraged to buy their passes quickly.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony, is set to serve as the official hotel and central gathering point for the TCM Classic Film Festival for the fifth consecutive year. The Hollywood Roosevelt also offers special rates for festival attendees. Festival screenings and events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre.
Motion picture and television legend Jerry Lewis will return to Cannes this year for a special screening of Max Rose, a feature film starring Lewis, Claire Bloom (The King’s Speech), Kevin Pollak (Three Nights, The Usual Suspects), Kerry Bishé (Argo), and Mort Sahl. A Lightstream Pictures production, the film is directed by Daniel Noah, from his original screenplay. Max Rose is produced by Lawrence Inglee (The Messenger, Rampart) and Garrett Kelleher (Rampart), executive produced by Paul Currie, Matthew Malek, Charlie O’Carroll, Gaston Pavlovich and William L. Walton. ICM Partners will represent the domestic sale while International Film Trust (IFT) will handle international sales beginning in Cannes.
In addition, Lewis’ The Ladies Man will be screen in Cannes Classics, a program presenting old films and masterpieces from cinematographic history that have been carefully restored.
President Ariel Veneziano of the newly announced IFT said, “To have a title in the Official Selection as part of our debut sales slate at Cannes is a wonderful start for IFT. Our goal is to be a supplier of quality driven feature films across all genres with clear commercial appeal for the right distributors. Max Rose ticks all those boxes.”
In Max Rose, Lewis portrays the title role of Max, an 87-year old jazz pianist who has recently lost his wife of over six decades. A discovery made days before his wife’s death causes Max to believe his marriage was a lie. Max embarks on an exploration of his own past that brings him face to face with a menagerie of characters from a bygone era.
Lewis’ contributions to the entertainment industry are legendary, having made his mark as an actor, writer, producer and director. His films have entertained billions around the globe, and they continue to attract and enchant new audiences and fans.
Three-time Academy Award-winner Michel Legrand composed the film’s score and features the original song “Hurry Home” by three-time Academy Award winners Marilyn and Alan Bergman. Max Rose marks the first time Lewis has stepped in front of a movie camera in 18 years and re-unites him with Mort Sahl, who in 1963, appeared in two episodes of Jerry’s comedy variety show.
Lightstream Pictures (LSP) is a privately funded independent film company with a mandate to develop, produce and finance high quality motion picture properties with mainstream appeal. With offices in Los Angeles and London and a boutique animation studio in Petaluma, CA, the company employs a unique business model that focuses on story development to a “proof of concept” stage.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally decided to notice actor/comedian Jerry lewis, but it’s not for his work in the film biz. No, Mr. Lewis is receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his work with children afflicted with muscular dystrophy. While Jerry Lewis has never been nominated for an Oscar, he will receive one of the coveted golden statues during the 81st Annual Academy Awards ceremony, in honor of his charitable work.
“Jerry is a legendary comedian who has not only brought laughter to millions around the world but has also helped thousands upon thousands by raising funds and awareness for those suffering from muscular dystrophy,” Academy president Sid Ganis said.
