Artists & Models (1955)Watched on TiVoWatching this movie makes me wonder if Dean Martin would have had been such a hit without Jerry Lewis. I mean, yeah, he was one of the original Rat Packers, he could sing, he was good looking, but would he have had the career as an individual star without Jerry Lewis? And
obviously Jerry Lewis stole every scene they were ever in. I sat there watching Martin's expressions as he watched Lewis' antics in some of the scenes. Sometimes it looked like he was holding in a laugh and thinking, this guy is NUTZ! It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall during those days.Back to the movie. I really liked this movie as a kid. One, because of Jerry Lewis. And two, because it was about comic books in a way. The movie itself was fun to watch, and one of those Romantic/SlapStick/Comedies where the actors break into song. Yuck. But that was the style back then and I guess it worked. Makes me wonder if I can get away writing something like it with modern day hits by The Killers or Dishwalla... That would be hella-fun. The acting in this movie was okay. Of course the Lewis/Martin duo were their normal self, but Dorothy Malone was a little over the top. Okay, so was Lewis, but that's part of his shtick. Eva Gabor came into the movie as well, which I thought was a real late plot twist. It comes WAY out of nowhere in order to push the drama. It could have all been taken out and the movie would have worked. You see, Eva Gabor played a Russian spy trying to extract a secret formula that was written into a comic book. The US government was also involved and here's where the movie really takes a turn. I'd add, 'for the worst' to that sentence but it was quick and over with and as I said, could have been omited from the whole movie. I guess it made it different.Highlight of this movie is seeing Shirley MacLaine as a young HOT model with great legs. WHO KNEW???Two of my favorite scene is when Eugene (Jerry Lewis) was walking up the steps to go sun bathing on the roof when Bessie (Shirley MacLaine) sings a song to him and he stumbles up and down the stairs dropping his beach chair and other things over and over in CLASSIC Jerry Lewis style. The other scene is when Eugene has to go to a massage parlor for his back and gets Rick (Dean Martin) tangled up with the beefy masseuse and two other hot girls. FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This is not my favorite Jerry Lewis movie but was incredibly fun to watch!
April 14, 2005
