Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis was an interesting person. By most accounts, he was a raging asshole, yet he was the face of muscular dystrophy for 60 years, raising countless dollars and hosting what has to be the most famous telethon in the history of the world. He was generally dismissed as a mere comic and Dean Martin's wacky sidekick during most of his career, yet every filmmaker today uses techniques he pioneered. He was far from the first comedy actor to direct, write and produce the movies he starred in. That was common practice in the silent era. But it was unheard of in the studio system. When most comedies were written by one team of mostly unknown men, directed by another man, produced by a studio man and starring a famous comedian, Jerry Lewis did it all himself. And he took his comedy seriously. So instead of disposable screwball movies that the studio only saw as quick money grabs, we have ambitious classics that will long endure.

Jerry Lewis died on Sunday after a lifetime of poor health. He had his first heart attack when he was 34 and had several heart surgeries throughout his life. His heart finally killed him at age 91.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made 16 formula movies together, but it was his solo work that made a difference.


My Friend Irma
directed by George Marshall
written by Cy Howard & Parke Levy
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, John Lund, Don DeFore, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Hans Conried

My Friend Irma Goes West
directed by Hal Walker
written by Cy Howard & Parke Levy
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, John Lund, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet

At War with the Army
directed by Hal Walker
written & produced by Fred Finklehoffe
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Angela Greene, Polly Bergen

That's My Boy
directed by Hal Walker
written by Cy Howard
produced by Cy Howard & Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Ruth Hussey, Marion Marshall, Polly Bergen

Sailor Beware
directed by Hal Walker
written by James Allardice & Martin Rackin
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet, Marion Marshall, Robert Strauss, Betty Hutton, James Dean

Jumping Jacks
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Herbert Baker & Robert Lees
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Mona Freeman, Don DeFore, Robert Strauss

The Stooge
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Fred Finklehoffe, Martin Rackin, Jerry Lewis
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Polly Bergen, Marion Marshall, Frances Bavier

Scared Stiff
directed by George Marshall
written by Herbert Baker, Walter DeLeon, Norman Lear
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott, Carmen Miranda, Dorothy Malone

The Caddy
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Danny Arnold & Edmund Hartmann
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, Howard Smith, Nancy Kulp, Fred Clark

Money from Home
directed by George Marshall
written by Damon Runyon & James Allardice
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Marjie Millar, Pat Crowley, Robert Strauss, Sheldon Leonard

Living It Up
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Jack Rose & Melville Shavelson
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, Fred Clark

3 Ring Circus
directed by Joseph Pevney
written by Joseph Pevney & Don McGuire
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Joanne Dru, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Elsa Lanchester, Kathleen Freeman

You're Never Too Young
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Sidney Sheldon
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Diana Lynn, Nina Foch, Raymond Burr, Nancy Kulp, Margery Maude, Milton Frome, Hans Conried, Tor Johnson, Hank Mann

Artists and Models
directed by Frank Tashlin
written by Frank Tashlin, Herbert Baker, Hal Kanter
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLaine, Dorothy Malone, Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, Kathleen Freeman

Pardners
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Mervin Houser & Jerry Davis
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Agnes Moorehead, Lori Nelson, Milton Frome, Lon Chaney, Lee Van Cleef

Hollywood or Bust
directed by Frank Tashlin
written by Erna Lazarus
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Pat Crowley, Maxie Rosenbloom, Anita Ekberg

The Delicate Delinquent
directed by Don McGuire
written by Don McGuire & Jerry Lewis
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Darren McGavin, Martha Hyer, Frank Gorshin

The Sad Sack
directed by George Marhsall
written by George Baker
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Peter Lorre, Phyllis Kirk, Mary Treen

Rock-A-Bye Baby
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Connie Stevens, Marilyn Maxwell, Hans Conried, Mary Treen, Isobel Elsom, Chester Conklin, Hank Mann

The Geisha Boy
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Marie McDonald, Sessue Hayakawa, Barton MacLane, Suzanne Pleshette

Don't Give Up the Ship
directed by Norman Taurog
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Dina Merrill, Gale Gordon, Claude Akins, Fritz Feld

Visit to a Small Planet
directed by Norman Taurog
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman, John Williams, Gale Gordon, Milton Frome, Paul Wexler, Buddy Rich

The Bellboy
directed, written & produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Bob Clayton, Isobel Elsom, Milton Berle, Stan Laurel

Cinderfella
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Judith Anderson, Ed Wynn, Count Basie

The Ladies Man
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Helen Traubel, Kathleen Freeman, Fritz Feld, Buddy Lester

The Errand Boy
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, Kathleen Freeman, Isobel Elsom, Fritz Feld

It's Only Money
directed by Frank Tashlin
starring Jerry Lewis, Joan O'Brien, Jack Weston, Mae Questel

The Nutty Professor
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Kathleen Freeman, Milton Frome, Buddy Lester

Who's Minding the Store?
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
starring Jerry Lewis, Jill St John, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Walston, Kathleen Freeman, Nancy Kulp, Isobel Elsom, Mary Treen, Fritz Feld, Milton Frome

The Patsy
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Keenan Wynn, Peter Lorre, John Carradine, Kathleen Freeman

The Disorderly Orderly
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Kathleen Freeman, Alice Pearce, Everett Sloane

The Family Jewels
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Donna Butterworth, Sebastian Cabot

Boeing Boeing
directed by John Rich
written by Edward Anhalt
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis, Christiane Schmidtmer, Suzanna Leigh, Thelma Ritter

Three on a Couch
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Samuel Taylor & Bob Ross
starring Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, Mary Ann Mobley, James Best, Kathleen Freeman, Gila Golan, Buddy Lester, Fritz Feld

Way...Way Out
directed by Gordon Douglas
starring Jerry Lewis, Connie Stevens, Anita Ekberg, Dick Shawn, Brian Keith, Dennis Weaver, James Brolin

The Big Mouth
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Bay, Kathleen Freeman, Buddy Lester, Charlie Callas, Frank De Vol

Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
directed by Jerry Paris
written by Max Wilk
produced by Walter Shenson
starring Jerry Lewis, Terry-Thomas, Jacqueline Pearce, Patricia Routledge

Hook, Line & Sinker
directed by George Marshall
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Peter Lawford, Anne Francis, Kathleen Freeman, Scatman Crothers, Del Moore

One More Time
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Michael Pertwee
starring Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, Ester Anderson, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

Which Way to the Front?
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Dee Caruso & Gerald Gardner
starring Jerry Lewis, Jan Murray, Kathleen Freeman, Kaye Ballard, George Takei

The Day the Clown Cried
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Joan O'Brien, Charles Denton, Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Harriet Andersson

Hardly Working
directed & written by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Buddy Lester

Slapstick of Another Kind
directed, written & produced by Steven Paul
starring Jerry Lewis, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Jim Backus, Pat Morita, Merv Griffin

The King of Comedy
directed by Martin Scorsese
written by Paul Zimmerman
starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard

Cracking Up
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Herb Edelman, Milton Berle, Foster Brooks, Sammy Davis Jr, Buddy Lester

Retenez Moi...Ou Je Fais Un Malheur
directed & written by Michel Gerard
produced by Michel Gerard & Pierre Kalfon
starring Jerry Lewis, Michel Blanc, Charlotte de Turckheim

Par où t'es rentré? On t'a pas vu sortir
directed & written by Philippe Clair
starring Jerry Lewis, Philippe Clair, Connie Nielsen

Fight For Life
directed by Elliot Silverstein
starring Jerry Lewis, Patty Duke, Morgan Freeman, Barry Morse

Cookie
directed by Susan Seidelman
written by Nora Ephron & Alice Arlen
starring Emily Lloyd, Peter Falk, Dianne Wiest, Jerry Lewis, Brenda Vaccaro

Mr Saturday Night
directed & produced by Billy Crystal
written by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
starring Billy Crystal, David Paymer, Julie Warner, Helen Hunt, Jerry Orbach, Ron Silver, Jerry Lewis

Arizona Dream
directed by Emir Kusturica
starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor, Vincent Gallo, Paulina Porizkova

Funny Bones
directed by Peter Chelsom
written by Peter Chelsom & Peter Flannery
produced by Peter Chelsom & Simon Fields
starring Oliver Platt, Jerry Lewis, Leslie Caron, Oliver Reed

Até que a Sorte nos Separe 2
directed by Roberto Santucci
starring Leandro Hassum, Camila Morgado, Jerry Lewis

The Trust
directed by Ben Brewer & Alex Brewer
written by Ben Brewer & Adam Hirsch
starring Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Sky Ferreira, Jerry Lewis

Max Rose
directed & written by Daniel Noah
starring Jerry Lewis, Illeana Douglas, Kevin Pollak, Dean Stockwell, Fred Willard, Claire Bloom