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The Patsy
When a star comedian dies, his comedy team decides to train a 'nobody' to play the Star in a big TV show (a Patsy). But the man chosen, bellboy Stanley Belt (Lewis), can't do anything right. The TV show is getting closer, and Stanley is getting worse.
Release : | 1964 |
Rating : | 6.2 |
Studio : | Paramount, Patti Enterprises, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Art Direction, |
Cast : | Jerry Lewis Ina Balin Everett Sloane Phil Harris Keenan Wynn |
Genre : | Comedy |
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Reviews
Perfect cast and a good story
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Accident-prone bellhop at the Beverly Hilton is groomed for stardom by a group of show biz people eager to keep their cushy jobs after their star-client perishes in a plane crash (oh, the hilarity!). Jerry Lewis in another plush Paramount comedy, which he also directed and co-wrote with Bill Richmond, but one that doesn't have any central interest in its own plot. Lewis' klutz is supposed to be replacing a TV comedy star, but first he has to cut a hit record and lip-synch it on a teenage dance show. One isn't sure if the project got away from Lewis or if he just lost interest in seeing the picture through. He's assembled a colorful cast of old pros, and there's a hilarious bit involving music teacher Hans Conried, but after the first 30 minutes it's just frittered away. The worst line is given to Ina Balin, describing Jerry's bellboy: "He's really very shy." Who were they kidding? *1/2 from ****
What makes this movie a Lewis gem is his terrific direction behind the lens.Jerry breaks the boundaries between fiction and reality,audience and story.The ending of the film shows that Stanley is actually Jerry,and his falling off the building leads to a shot of camera and crew.Jerry then states,"The people in the theater know i ain't gonna die;I'm gonna make more movies,so i couldn't die" while walking off the set with Ina Balin calling him a nut.So the ending is not a closing of a fictional tale but a revealing of reality in the form of Jerry exiting stage left off to make another movie.This can be maddening to some but what makes Lewis revolutionary to me. His opening of the film with Stanley falling out a window and falling with credits running only to hit a diving board and landing back in the room is terrific in form.The use of the mirror when Stanley is being fit for a suit wanting to look like is idol George Raft,Raft appearing in the shot as a reflection of Stanley.The Director is the star,brilliant.
Jerry's best work, he is hilarious in this one, and he plays the character that made me a Jerry fan, the guy who says, "Hey laaady", not the freak he played in Nutty Professor... Anyone who doesn't like this movie is not a fan of comedy, they're fans of Paulie Shore... Love Jerry, Love the Patsy, thats what it's all about, home alone!Woody Allen has even commented on how Jerry's direction in this film is Superb...The whole ice dropping bellboy scene near the beginning, still makes me laugh like a wild man!Jerry is the King of Comedy and this is his crown jewel!
Jerry Lewis is a great talent and has given plenty of laughs for millions of people, however, this picture is just plain CRAZY and way out. Jerry Lewis needed the support of all time Classic greats as Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, John Carradine(Dracula 1940's), George Raft, Hans Conried, Hedda Hopper, Ed Wynn along with many other greats. I noticed that even Peter Lorre("Beast with Five Fingers") with all his great acting talent made this his final swan song. If you like to see some of the truly great classic actors, who sometimes just briefly appear, please view this picture and also everyone who loves JERRY LEWIS !