The Bellboy

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Jerry Lewis now claims that his film directorial debut came about when his home studio, Paramount, needed a summer-release Lewis vehicle in a hurry. Jerry and his entourage headed to the Fountainbleu hotel in Miami Beach, and 29 days later returned with The Bellboy. As narrator Walter Winchell (and an actor pretending to be a Paramount executive in a pre-credits bit) explain, the film has no plot and no point; it merely exists for the audience's enjoyment. Lewis plays nebbishy bellhop Stanley, a nonspeaking bumbler who alternates between screwing up and taking his job too seriously. The film's Tati-like gags involve a Volkswagen engine, an overweight guest, a woman with a come-hither voice, a very effective flash bulb, an episode at the Greyhound track, a golf tournament, and a passenger jet. Weaving in and out of the proceedings is Lewis' cowriter (and former drummer) Bill Richmond, made up as the spitting image of Stan Laurel (the real Laurel was approached to play himself, but he gently turned Jerry down, insisting that his aged appearance would disappoint his fans). Miami habitues B.S. Pully, Joe E. Ross, Cary Middlecoff, The Novelites make cameo appearances, as does Milton Berle. Made for peanuts, The Bellboy amassed a fortune, assuring that Jerry Lewis would be permitted to direct many of his own films in the future. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
  • Archival Materials
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Widescreen version enhanced for 16:9 TVs
  • Dolby Digital English mono and French mono
  • English and Spanish subtitles

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Jerry Lewis - Stanley
       Alex Gerry - Manager
       Bob Clayton - Bell Captain
       Bill Richmond - Man in Black as Stan Laurel
       Sonny Sands - Bellboy
       Eddie Shaeffer - Bellboy
       Milton Berle - Guest Star
       Herkie Styles - Bellboy
       David Landfield - Bellboy
       Larry Best - Apple Man
       Dr. Cary Middlecoff
       Joe Levitch
       Howard Brooks
       B.S. Pully
       "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom
       Joe E. Ross
       Isobel Elsom
       Walter Winchell
       The Novelties
       Jimmy and Tilly Gerard - Fighting Couple

• Director:

  Jerry Lewis

• Producer:

  Jerry Lewis

• Screenwriter:

  Jerry Lewis

• Cinematographer:

  Haskell Boggs

• Composer (Music Score):

  Walter Scharf

• Editor:

  Stanley E. Johnson

• Art Director:

  Henry Bumstead, Hal Pereira

• Choreography:

  Nick Castle

REVIEW:

• Fans of Jerry Lewis will, of course, love The Bellboy. But what's surprising is that even people who are relatively immune to his charms may find themselves chuckling several times during the course of the film. It isn't that Bellboy is a great film, or that it features dazzlingly original comic ideas. Quite the opposite: it seems that, because Lewis had to make this film VERY quickly, he simply pulled together bits and pieces from here and there and trusted to luck that everything would come out well. Thus, Bellboy has a looseness that is quite appealing, a devil-may-care attitude that is genuine rather than fake, and this makes it much easier to watch than some of Lewis' more thought-out or ambitious efforts. Bellboy is filled with gags we've seen in some form hundreds of times, but they're presented guilelessly here. They may not inspire guffaws, but they should bring at least a smile to the lips. It's also enjoyable to see Lewis working in a plotless film; his character remains the same throughout, but without having to be chained to the exigencies of plot, his work is lighter and more enjoyable. True, some sketches definitely go on too long, and some jokes simply fall flat. But there's enough here to keep one moderately entertained, even if one is not a Lewis lover. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi