Pardners

Paramount, 1956

Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lori Nelson, and John Baragrey

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

We're staying out west with two more popular comedians who ironically also began at Paramount. By 1956, rumors abounded that Martin and Lewis were breaking up their very profitable partnership and going solo. This movie was one way they denied those rumors. How does this remake of the Bing Crosby vehicle Rhythm On the Range look nowadays? Let's begin out west, as Matilda Kinglsey (Agnes Moorehead) flees the K Ranch with her son Wade Jr shortly before bandits kill her husband Wade (Lewis) and his partner Slim Mosley (Martin) and find out...

The Story: Wade Jr. (Lewis) longs to be a cowboy in the real wild West, but his mother would rather he marry a formidable girl from a wealthy family. He's impressed with the son of Slim (Martin), who is a ranch hand at the K-Ranch, and his cousin Carol (Lori Nelson), who runs it, and follows them to the rodeo. Slim wants to win a bull named Cuddles and replenish their stock after a raid, but Wade's bungling costs him the top prize. Feeling guilty and still wanting to see the authentic West, Wade buys him Cuddles and inadvertently ends up following him there when he gets stranded on the train. Slim was annoyed with Wade at first, but finally warms up with him to the point where they agree to become partners like their fathers.

There's even more trouble when they do finally arrive at the K Ranch. Banker Dan Hollis (Baragrey) has been trying to buy the ranch and sell the land for a dam and asking Carol to marry him. She's not interested in selling or marrying him. Slim, hoping to avoid teasing, claims Wade is Killer Jones, the roughest, toughest man in the entire state. The townspeople dub Wade their new sheriff, but because they think he's the one who stopped a runaway stagecoach. It was really Slim, who has to help keep Wade from ending up like all the other sheriffs in town and dig up the dirt on who is really after the K Ranch and its holdings.

The Song and Dance: You'd never know Martn and Lewis were having problems by this point with hilarious performances here. Martin has more to do, for once, and runs with it, especially in the second half when he's supposed to be protecting Wade and making him look like a lawman. Though this starts out relatively similar to Rhythm On the Range, once they get Cuddles to the ranch, it becomes a whole different - and frankly, far more interesting - story. The focus on Martin, Lewis, and Lewis' antics as a mama's boy who learns to take care of himself also keeps this from degenerating into a series of unrelated specialty numbers like Rhythm did near the end of the film. Not to mention, this feels a lot more like an actual western complete with bandits, shoot-outs, and land-grabbing schemes.

The Numbers: "The Wind, The Wind" is Slim's song at the rodeo, which he performs to win enough money for Cuddles after Wade's antics end with him dropping out of the bucking bronco race. "Buckskin Beauty" is Wade's song once he's out west. They declare themselves "Pardners," first on the way out west with Cuddles, and later in the finale. Slim sings "Me N' You N' the Moon" later for Carol when they're at the ranch.

Trivia: Taurog also directed Rhythm on the Range. 

What I Don't Like: Martin and Lewis are really the only ones who have much to do. Nelson and Jackie Loughery as the saloon dancer Wade falls for barely register as much more than love interests. Both Hollises are pretty obvious villains, too. Where this really falters is with the music. Rhythm on the Range produced the standard "I'm an Old Cowhand" and had a few other decent songs. None of the four numbers here get anywhere close to that, though "The Wind The Wind" is mildly interesting.

The Big Finale: One of Martin and Lewis' better later vehicles is worth checking out for fans of theirs or of 50's comedy.

Home Media: Only on DVD in the US as part of a collection of Martin and Lewis movies, though the solo Blu-Ray is due on September 12th. At the moment, you may be better off streaming this. Like most Martin-Lewis titles, this can currently be found for free with commercials at the Paramount-owned Pluto TV.

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Artists and Models (1955)

Paramount, 1955

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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Living It Up

Paramount, 1954

Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, and Fred Clark

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Bob Hillard

This week, we return to the wacky, ballad-filled world of Martin and Lewis with two of their later vehicles. They were already starting to fracture around this time, but much like their characters in the story, they kept up appearances for the sake of their fans. This movie is actually a bit of an anomaly for them. It's their only adaption of a Broadway show. Hazel Flagg was a musical retelling of the film Nothing Sacred. It did well enough during 1953 to prompt Paramount to reverse the genders, making Hazel Flagg, the lady who wants to live it up after she mistakenly thinks she's dying, into Homer Flagg (Lewis), and Wally Cook,  the ambitious reporter whose headlines turn Hazel into the talk of the town, into a woman (Leigh). How well does this work today? Let's begin with Homer at his railroad job in a dusty desert town and find out...

The Story: Homer thinks he only has a few weeks to live after he drives a car back from an atomic bomb testing site. His friend Dr. Steve Harris (Martin) reveals him to only have a sinus condition and to not really be that sick. Wally, however, has heard about his illness in New York and smells a story. She comes down to the little desert town where both men live, offering to show Homer New York if she can write about his experiences before death. Desperate to see the big city, Homer and Steve agree and decide to keep up with the pretense of Wally's radiation poisoning. 

Homer proceeds to have a grand time in the Big Apple, racking up a huge expense account and being celebrated and pampered as a celebrity wherever he goes. Steve is more interested in Wally, whom he's fallen in love with. Trouble is, not only is Homer in love with her too, but his extravagant requests are costing the newspaper money. Wally's boss Oliver Stone (Clark) is tired of paying his bills and requests three specialists to make sure he's actually dying. Steve and Homer have to dodge those specialists and find a way to continue "livin' it up" in Manhattan.

The Song and Dance: Lewis has nearly as grand of a time as Homer in one of his better later vehicles with Lewis. He especially throws himself into that wild jitterbug contest with Sherree North, swinging both of them around with total abandon. The finale in the operating room that has the duo dodging those specialists (including Sig Runman) recalls the similar - and equally hilarious - sequence in Day at the Races. Leigh equally relishes the chance to play the driven tough girl who smells a story, then ends up falling for Steve. Gorgeous color shows off the real desert and backlot New York to equal advantage. 

The Numbers: Our first number introduces Steve. He's crooning the laid-back "That's What I Like" on an acoustic guitar when Homer comes in, bemoaning his illness. Even a soprano sings Homer's praises at a baseball game with "Homer, You are the Bravest Man." The hit ballad "How Do You Talk to An Angel" is heard twice. Steve sings it while dancing with Wally before the jitterbug contest begins. Homer reprises it later, singing to a photo of Wally shortly before their wedding. 

"You're Gonna Dance With Me" is the big chorus jitterbug number, as vivacious Sheree and drunk Homer swing each other - and all the other dancers - across the floor. Steve takes Wally shopping after the truncated wedding, admitting that "Money Burns a Hole In My Pocket." The boys celebrate having dodged those specialists and enjoy an evening on the town with the chorus in the other hit from this show, "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard In Old New York." They reprise it in the finale, admitting that while they may not have the best jobs, but they do get to stay in Manhattan. 

Trivia: Hazel Flagg debuted in September 1953. Despite "How Do You Speak to an Angel" and "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard" being hits, it didn't go over well with critics or the public. It disappeared after a disappointing four month run and has seldom been heard from since then. 

Sig Ruman played the same role in the original 1937 Nothing Sacred.

What I Don't Like: There's a reason it has largely vanished. The songs are sweet, but only "Boulevard" is anywhere near Styne's best. It's definitely not for people who don't appreciate Lewis' manic brand of comedy. The slapstick runs thick, violent, and heavy here, especially during the opening railroad sequence, the jitterbug contest, and in the operating room. Not to mention, we get Lewis' bad attempts at a Japanese accent during the operating sequence that may get uncomfortably into stereotype territory for many people today. 

There are also a lot of changes from the musical and Nothing Sacred.  The male Wally had more to do, the doctor who made the mistake was a minor character, Hazel was from New England, not the desert, and didn't work on the railroad, and she and Wally did get married and ended up sailing to the tropics rather than admit she wasn't dying. 

The Big Finale: If you love Martin and/or Lewis, this may be their best flat-out musical and is recommended for their fans or lovers of big 50's shows.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming. 

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Hollywood Or Bust

Paramount, 1956

Starring Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Pat Crowley, and Anita Ekberg

Directed by Frank Tashlin

Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrcis by Paul Francis Webster

Our next vacation takes us back to the US for a road trip with a later Paramount duo. By this point, Lewis and Martin were very tired of each other and of the scrips Paramount was handing them. They weren't even speaking to each other off-set. Despite their movies still being popular, this would be the last one they made together. Is it as much fun as some of their earlier films, or should it be abandoned on a country lane? Let's begin with Dean Martin declaring this movie is dedicated to "you, the movie fan" and some movie-watching around the world shtick with Lewis and find out...

The Story: Gambler Steve Wiley (Martin) is so desperate to get money to settle a debt, he fakes a ticket for a raffle at a movie theater to win a new car. The real winner is Malcolm Smith (Lewis), who wants the car to drive out to Hollywood and meet his crush Anita Elkberg (Herself). The theater manager (Willard Waterman) insists they both now own the car. 

Steve eventually joins Malcolm and his Great Dane Mr. Bascomb on a road trip to Hollywood after claiming he's Anita Ekberg's neighbor. Between Steve trying to steal the car and them picking up chorus girl Terry (Pat Crowley) after they pretty much destroy her car, this ends up being a heck of a trip...and that's before they get to Hollywood and Malcolm learns the truth about the car's part-owner.

The Song and Dance: Jerry Lewis usually worked well with Frank Tashlin, and this movie is no exception. Tashlin directed cartoons in the 30's and 40's, and Lewis was something of a live-action cartoon anyway, so his style was right up Tashlin's alley. We do get some nifty gags here, including destroying Terry's rickety vehicle, chasing Mr. Bascomb over that hill, and the last 20 minutes in Hollywood. As appropriate for a story about and set in Hollywood, there's some wonderful countryside location photography and costumes. Speaking of the car, it's a gorgeous Chrysler New Yorker. No wonder Malcolm didn't want to sell it. It really is a beauty. 

Favorite Number: We hear the title song three, during the opening credits with pretty girls representing Hollywood landmarks, when Malcolm sings it after they start on their journey (with the help of Mr. Bascomb) and in the finale. Malcolm, Mr. Bascomb, and Steve delight in "A Day In the Country" as they pass by green fields and lovely waterfalls. Steve insists "Let's Be Friendly" to Terry when they're camping outside after they encounter her on the road. "The Wild and Wooly West" turns up twice as they describe the delights of the western states they pass through.  "It Looks Like Love" is Terry and Steve's big duet in the finale, when Terry's recording in Hollywood and Steve stumbles onto her.

What I Don't Like: Sometimes, this gets too weird for its own good. No wonder the guys weren't happy, especially Martin. He's basically a jerk in this, using Malcolm and everyone else until he finally sees the light after they arrive in Hollywood. Not to mention, even his crooning takes a back seat to Martin's antics (pardon the car pun). Lewis more often than not comes off as annoying rather than well-meaning, and his obsession with Ekberg is more creepy than sweet. The dog is more charming and has more to do than either of them. There's also some dated gags, including Lewis' Asian stereotypes in the "movie lovers around the world" opening prologue and a few Native American stereotypes.

The Big Finale: Not their best movie, but there's enough good gags here for this to be a decent way to end their partnership. 

Home Media: Only on DVD in the US as part of a Lewis and Martin set that's currently available from the Warner Archives. Your best bet would probably be to stream this one. It's free with commercials at Pluto TV.

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Scared Stiff (1953)

Paramount, 1953

Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizbeth Scott, and Carmen Miranda

Directed by George Marshall

Music and Lyrics by various

As I did last year, I'm easing us into our two-week Halloween Horror-Fest with an older spooky comedy. Martin and Lewis were among the top money-makers at Paramount by the time this movie came out, but they did have respect for their comedy predecessors at the studio. They didn't really want to make this movie at first, as they considered Bob Hope's 1940 version The Ghost Breakers to be fine the way it was. Producer Hal B. Wallis thought it would make a great vehicle for them and held the duo to their contracts. Was he right to do this, or is the story of two nightclub performers who get mixed up with gangsters and a lady who inherited a haunted house dead on arrival? Let's begin at the nightclub where singer Larry Todd (Martin) is currently performing and find out...

The Story: Larry and his waiter buddy Myron Mertz (Lewis) end up fleeing New York when Larry believes he accidentally killed a gangster. Larry hides in the trunk of Mary Carroll (Scott), a young woman who is visiting her ancestral home in Cuba. They join her in Cuba, and after performing with nightclub sensation Carmelita Castinha (Miranda), head to her newly-inherited castle. Turns out the creaky old manor has many secrets, including an ancestor who is a dead ringer for Mary and someone who will literally kill to keep her and the guys from finding the treasure hidden in its walls.

The Song and Dance: In some ways, I enjoyed this even more than the 1940 Ghost Breakers. Nervous as he is, Lewis is still less cowardly (and a lot less offensive) than Willie Best in the equivalent role in that movie, and Martin's having just as much fun as Hope. Miranda's vogue had long since passed by 1953, but she still has fun with the guys in her second number. There's a few good gags as well, especially in the opening when the guys demonstrate their nightclub act and when they finally make it into the haunted house during the last 20-30 minutes of the film.

Favorite Number: We open with Martin singing "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine" surrounded by a bevy of beauties in scanty costumes. He's solo for "You Hit the Spot." Larry and Myron ask each other "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" as Larry reminds Myron of their friendship. Miranda and the duo get two numbers together, the goofy bongo number "Bongo Bingo" with Miranda wiggling while the guys play drums and the more dramatic "Song of the Enchilada Man" with the chorus in Cuba. The latter is a big routine, with Miranda singing to enchilada seller Martin while Lewis goofs off around them and the chorus ladies lounge sexily in door frames. Martin's big ballad is "When Someone Wonderful Thinks You're Wonderful" on the boat with Scott. Lewis does his attempt at a Miranda imitation (complete with fruit-topped hat) singing her hit "Mama Yo Quiero."

Trivia: Carmen Miranda's last movie and the first future TV mogul Norman Lear worked on. 

Look for Bing Crosby and original Ghost Breakers star Bob Hope in a rather dark cameo at the end. They're repaying the favor after Martin and Lewis did a cameo in their Road to Bali earlier in 1953. 

George Marshall also directed The Ghost Breakers. In addition to being a remake of the 1940 film, there were two silent versions of the story filmed under the title The Ghost Breaker in 1914 and 1922. Both are now lost. 

What I Don't Like: They could have given Miranda more to do, like actually be involved with the plot. She's just there to goof with the guys in specialty numbers. Scott and Dorothy Malone as Larry's chorus dancer girlfriend at the New York club have even less to do. Scott's mainly known for her work in thrillers and film noir; wacky comedy was never her forte. Malone's character vanishes after they leave New York and is never mentioned again. 

While the updating does make this less dated than Ghost Breakers, it also makes it a tad less scary. With the spooky housekeeper eliminated, the only "ghost" in the haunted house is a zombie who looks less like a zombie and more like a big guy ambling around. They also take forever just to arrive at the haunted house. There's way too much padding in the middle of the movie on the boat and in the nightclub before they arrive. None of the musical numbers have a single thing to do with the plot besides "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" and Martin's ballad.

The Big Finale: Mainly of interest to fans of the duo separately or together, of Miranda, or those who want to see another version of this oft-told tale.

Home Media: Only on DVD in the US as part of a now-pricey Martin and Lewis DVD collection. At the moment, you may be better off streaming this one.

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Happy Memorial Day! - Jumping Jacks

Paramount, 1952

Starring Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Mona Freeman, and Don DeFore

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Jerry Livingston; Lyrics by Mack David

At War With the Army was such a hit, Martin and Lewis did two more musicals set around the Armed Services in 1952. Jumping Jacks throws them back into the Army for what I suspect is the only musical revolving around paratroopers. This was originally written for either Danny Kaye or Bob Hope during World War II, but they already made military comedies and turned it down. It was eventually reworked and updated for Martin and Lewis and the Korean War era. How does this tale of a performer who is reluctantly recruited into the Army ranks when his buddy wants him to appear in a show look now? Let's begin with comedian Hap Smith (Lewis) and his act with his current partner Betsy Carter (Freeman) and find out...

The Story: Hap convinced to help out his former stage partner Chick Allen (Martin), who is now putting on shows with his fellow soldiers to boost morale. Chick and his paratrooper crew need to impress General Timmons (Ray Teal), who doesn't think much of their shows. They pass Hap off as a soldier and sneak him onstage. He goes over so well, the general convinces them to keep him with the show. T

rouble is, he thinks Hap's an actual soldier. Chick doesn't want his men to get into trouble, so he passes Hap off as Private "Dogface" Dolan (Richard Erdman) to keep him around. Hap does everything he can to get away, but Chick keeps dragging him back. It's not until he gets caught in war maneuvers that he manages to get away...but even then, he manages to save the day.

The Song and Dance: Once again, this is mostly Lewis' show. He's having a ball, jumping on beds, mugging to the officers in charge, and trying everything he can to get out of the Army. Big, craggy Robert Strauss also does well as Sargent McClusky, who can't understand why Hap keeps trying to flee. Filming at the actual Airborne Department of the Infantry School (now the United States Army Airborne School) adds verisimilitude to the war scenes. 

Favorite Number: The film literally puts its best foot forward right away with Betsy singing about how "I Can't Resist a Boy In Uniform" in her and Hap's stage number, even he tears apart said uniform. "The Parachute Jump" and "The Big Blue Sky Is the Place for Me" are the big chorus numbers in the Army show. The first has Lewis dancing with a mop, then playing the parachute rope like harp strings. Martin's romantic solo, sung to Betsy as they dance together, is "I Know a Dream When I See One." He and Lewis insist that they need to "Keep a Little Dream Handy" at the show.

What I Don't Like: Not only does Martin not have much to do, he really comes off as a major jerk here. The plot simply makes no sense at all, even by the standards of their films. Hap said he didn't want to be in the show, and he really shouldn't have been forced into staying. Freeman has even less to do. She disappears for the final third of the film without explanation. Lewis can overdo it occasionally, especially when he's excited and his little-boy voice gets grating. 

The Big Finale: Not one of Martin and Lewis' better films as a team. For major fans of either star only. Casual viewers will want to start with one of their later non-military comedies or Lewis' solo vehicles. 

Home Media: Available on streaming and as part of an 8 movie DVD collection.

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You're Never Too Young

Paramount, 1955

Starring Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Diana Lynn, and Raymond Burr

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Arthur Schwartz; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

You're Never Too Young is the last of three Martin-Lewis movies that were remakes of earlier Paramount comedies, and their second filmed in Paramount's wide-screen VistaVision. By this point, it was mostly Lewis' show. He's the main character here, a man who dresses as a child to get a cheap train ticket. How does this remake of the Ginger Rogers World War II comedy The Major and the Minor look nowadays? Let's begin with the theft of a valuable diamond and the murder of its guard by thief Noonan (Burr) and find out...

The Story: Desperate to hide the loot, Noonan first drops it in the pocket of girls' school teacher Bob Miles (Martin), then the man who is attempting to give him a shave and a haircut, Wilbur Hoolick (Lewis). Spooked by the police, Wilbur tries to get home to Bitzen, Washington, but he can't afford the ticket. He dresses as an eleven-year-old boy to get one at half-price. Noonan tries to get it back there, but Wilbur thinks he's a jealous husband and hides in the compartment of teacher Nancy Collins (Lynn). She really thinks he's an eleven-year-old and lets him stay in her compartment for the rest of the trip.

Nancy's good intentions cause trouble when the daughter of her school's principal Gretchen (Nina Foch) claims she saw her with a man on the train. Wilbur continues the charade of being eleven to keep Nancy from losing her job. Trouble is, not only does Bob work at the school, too, but he's Nancy's fiancee. Noonan is on Wilbur's trail, too...and it'll take nothing less than a wacky speedboat chase across the school's lake to bring the police in and sort out this mess!

The Song and Dance: Lewis' antics and his attempts to look and sound like a child are the only real selling points here. He has some hilarious moments, whether he's trying to give Martin a haircut and a manicure in the beginning (complete with terrible French accent), jumping into Martin's arms during a drill with the girls, or dodging the advances of the amorous school girl Skeets (Mitzi McCall). Some of his later interactions with Nancy and the school teachers seem almost like a preview of his timid Nutty Professor from a decade later. Burr's an excellent heavy, too, and sounds great intimidating Wilbur. 

Favorite Number: We don't get a number until almost 15 minutes in, and it's Martin's ballad "Love Is All That Matters" as he tries to apologize to his fiancee. Lewis insists that Martin thinks "Relax-ay-Voo," but Lewis' idea of barbering is anything but relaxing! Martin's second ballad is "I Know Your Mother Loves You." The girls march to "Every Day Is a Happy Day," and Wilbur insists on marching right alongside them. They're a lot better at staying in step than Wilbur! The number ends with Wilbur jumping right into Bob's arms. "Simpatico" is Martin's big song at the school dance. Wilbur's attempt to conduct the school choir turns into "I Like to Hike." 

Trivia: First movie for Mitzi McCall.

Diana Lynn and Emory Parnell were also in The Major and the Minor. Lynn was the science-loving teen nemesis of Ginger Rogers' phony schoolgirl. Parnell was the train conductor there as well. 

What I Don't Like: Nothing else registers. Neither Martin nor Lynn really have all that much to do besides play along with Lewis. Lewis' mugging and annoying little-boy voice gets so grating as the movie wears on, it's almost a relief when he more-or-less drops it by the half-way mark. Other than the idea of someone dressing as a child to get a half-fare train ticket, this has very little to do with the original movie or the play and short story it was based on. The girls' school, diamond theft, and speedboat finale were all tossed in to give Lewis more opportunities for slapstick and likely to add some action to the second half. 

The Big Finale: For major fans of Martin and/or Lewis only. Everyone else will probably want to check out their earlier films or Lewis' solo vehicles before coming here. 

Home Media: Only avalible on disc in North America as part of a very expensive Martin/Lewis DVD collection. You're better off streaming this one. It's currently on Paramount Plus with a subscription.

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The Caddy

Paramount, 1953

Starring Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Donna Reed, and Barbara Bates

Directed by Norman Taurog

Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Jack Brooks

We're joining up with Hollywood's favorite comic duo of the 1950's this week. Martin and Lewis started out in nightclubs after World War II, usually doing a routine with Martin singing and Lewis heckling him, ending with the two of them chasing each other. They had their own radio show, and were two of the headliners on the first episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. By 1953, they were two of the top stars in the world, and among Paramount's biggest money-makers. 

This wound up being not only one of their most popular films, but it produced one of the standards Martin is most associated with as well. How does the story of a golf teacher and the man he's determined to make into a champion look today? Let's begin on the golf course with Harvey Miller, Jr (Lewis) and his fiancee Lisa (Barbara Bates) and find out....

The Story: Harvey is the son of one of the most famous champion golfers in the world. He did inherit his talent, but he's terrified of playing in front of crowds. After he loses his job in a department store, Lisa suggests he become a golf instructor instead. She encourages her layabout brother Joe (Martin) to become his first client. 

With Harvey's help, Joe starts winning tournament after tournament. He even attracts the attention of lovely socialite Kathy Taylor (Reed). All the attention gives Joe a big head, and he starts to push Harvey away and ignore his orders to go to bed early and meet him for practice. Harvey even follows him to Kathy's house and passes himself off as rich, but ends up being a waiter. Joe's reluctant to get into the last tournament, but it turns out his father bet his Italian restaurant on it. It takes a riot at the tournament to show the guys where their talents truly lay...

The Song and Dance: Martin and Lewis are really the thing here, whether they're chasing each other around a nightclub or a golf course. Their nightclub routine comes up in the sequence where Joe tries to sing "You're the Right One" and Harvey keeps disrupting him, trying to get him back home and to bed. Lewis has some nice solo bits, too, including the opening sequence when he stumbles around the department store, breaking every conceivable breakable object within a mile's distance and infuriating his boss (Fred Clark). The Anthony parents can be pretty funny too, especially Joseph Calleia as excitable Papa. Look for cameos by real champion golfers of the time, including Sam Snead and Julius Boros. 

Favorite Number: We open and close with the boys' nightclub act to "What Wouldcha Do Without Me?" They also get "(It Takes a Lot of Little Likes to Make) One Big Love)" together. The crowd at the nightclub eats up the ballad Joe tries to sing that Harvey disrupts, "You're the Right One," thinking Harvey's attempts to get him off the stage are part of the act. Joe thinks "It's a Whistlin' Kind of Mornin'" when he's on the course. Harvey's big solos is "The Gay Continental," as he sports a smoking jacket while spoofing wealthy dilettantes around the pool. 

"That's Amore" became one of Martin's biggest hits, and by far the biggest hit song to come from any of the Martin-Lewis movies. Not only does it have a number worthy of it, it's the sole chorus number. Joe starts the number as they serve dinner at the family restaurant, Everyone else eventually joins in, including Harvey, to sing a tribute to romance and pizza. 

What I Don't Like: No wonder Martin in particular had started to become a wee bit disinterested by this point. The story is of so little consequence, the boys don't even finish that big tournament or stay with golf in the end. Sports angle aside, it's not that much different from either their other movies or the films of their comic duo predecessors Abbot and Costello. None of the other songs get close to "That's Amore" in the charm or ear worm department, either. Reed and Bates are there as love interests and have little to do other than Lisa being the one who suggests Harvey become a golf instructor to begin with. 

The Big Finale: If you love Martin and/or Lewis, this is recommended as one of their better films. Not a bad place to start for newcomers to their nutty, ballad-filled world, too.

Home Media: Can be found solo on streaming. Paramount Plus currently has it with a subscription. In the US, it's only on disc bundled with other Martin-Lewis films.

DVD - Martin & Lewis 8 Movie Collection

Paramount Plus