Starring Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Dorothy Malone, and Shirley MacLaine
Directed by Frank Tashlin
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Jack Brooks
After the success of Living It Up, Paramount rushed the red-hot Martin and Lewis into another musical. This one was even bigger, their first filmed in the wide-screen Vistavision, with Eastmancolor, new discovery Shirley MacLaine, and huge chorus numbers well above the norm for their vehicles. It was also the first time Lewis worked with former Looney Tunes animated Frank Tashlin. Tashlin had been gunning to move into live-action for years...but he never quite left his roots at Termite Terrace behind, making him the perfect director for both manic Lewis and a movie about the comic book business. How does Tashin's wacky sensibilities line up with one of the biggest Lewis and Martin comedies? Let's start off with Martin and the chorus over the credits, singing the title song as beauties in every color of the rainbow appear, and find out...
The Story: Out of work artist Rick Todd is fed up with his roommate Eugene Fullstack's (Lewis) obsession with comic books, especially The Bat Lady. He has nightmares where he talks in his sleep about a "Vincent the Vulture" superhero who has "feathers growing out of every pore" and a "tail full of jet proportion." Jeff gets his chance when Bat Lady creator Abigail Parker (Malone) balks at her boss Mr. Murdock's (Eddie Mayerhoff) demands that she adds more violence to her comics. She convinces Eugene to go on an anti-comics crusade with her instead and agrees to illustrate his children's books. Abigail's roommate Bessie Sparrowbush (MacLaine), who is her model for the Bat Lady, has a crush on Eugene, but he fails to notice this girl who throws herself at him and his favorite heroine are one and the same.
Unfortunately, at the same time, Rick gets a deal to write the "Vincent the Vulture" comics for Murdock. When he finds out Abby and Eugene are now against the lurid comic stories, he has to figure out how to hide his new job from both of them. There's also the European spies who want the formula Eugene has somehow dreamed of and Rick added to his stories, including the glamorous Sonia (Eva Gabor) who is willing to wreck havoc at the Artists and Models Ball.
The Song and Dance: I don't know why Martin and Lewis didn't do more flat-out musicals. This one is just as much fun as Living It Up, with the delightful addition of two genuinely strong leading ladies. Malone is sarcastic and cynical, MacLaine a bubbly riot. Tashin's cartoon background manifests in the uptick in 50's satire and wacky sight gags, along with a slightly more risque tone for their movies. There's more sexual gags than usual for them too, including women in scanty costumes running around, not to mention the jokes about comic book violence. Lewis in particular shines in this environment. No wonder he'd go on to work with Tashin on six of his solo vehicles. Gorgeous color and rainbow gowns for those models really brings the world of art, whether pop, classical, or children's, to life.
The Numbers: We open with the title numbers over the credits, as Martin describes those lovely models in their colorful gowns. It's heard again in the finale as Martin and Lewis sing with female artists and a rainbow palette of various chorus girl colors at the Artists and Models Ball. Eugene insists good things happen "When You Pretend," while Rick thinks it's too silly. This is briefly reprised by the two couples in the finale. Rick happily sings "The Lucky Song" with a group of kids after he gets his new comic books job. "You Look So Familiar" Rick croons to Abby, but she's having none of it. He also initially sings the sole hit "Immorata." Bessie picks it up later as she pursues Eugene all around the hall of their apartment building.
Trivia: Totally unrelated to Artists and Models and Artists and Models Abroad, two musicals Paramount made in 1937 and 1938.
What I Don't Like: Um, if you're not a fan of broad, cartoonish humor or Martin and/or Lewis, you're not going to find much here. Tashlin's movies are not known for their subtlety. Not to mention, with comic books having been more violent for years, a lot of people who don't know how they were targeted in the early 50's might not understand what all the fuss is about. The shift to spy capers in the last third of the film seems a bit too sudden and goofy, even for this movie, and could have been integrated a bit better.
The Big Finale: One of Martin and Lewis' best movies, especially if you love big 50's musicals.
Home Media: Only on DVD in the US as part of a Martin/Lewis set. It's more easily found on streaming, including Pluto TV for free with commercials.
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