Hollywood or Bust

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63%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 450

Movie Info

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made their last joint film appearance in the girl-filled musical Hollywood or Bust. The thinnish plot finds inveterate film fan Jerry making a cross-country journey to Tinseltown for the purpose of meeting his favorite screen star, the buxom Anita Ekberg (the film's title, need it be added, has a double meaning). Dean goes along for the ride, hoping to expand his bankroll during a Las Vegas stopover. The boys are joined by a third traveller, an enormous Great Dane named Mr. Bascomb; along the way, the trio becomes a quartet when pretty Pat Crowley hitches a ride. The finale takes place in Hollywood, naturally, as Jerry wreaks havoc at a film studio which looks suspiciously like Paramount. All reports indicate that Hollywood and Bust was an unhappy shoot, with Jerry Lewis behaving so obstreperously that director Frank Tashlin ordered him off the set and told him to go home until he learned to behave himself; to this day, Lewis cannot bring himself to watch the film. Happily, the animosity between the two stars never comes across on screen, and as a result Hollywood or Bust is a most enjoyable diversion.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Classics, Comedy
Directed By:

Frank Tashlin
Written By:

Erna Lazarus
In Theaters:

Jan 1, 1956 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 5, 2007
Runtime:

95 minutes
Studio:

Paramount Pictures

Cast

Dean Martin
as Steve Wiley

Jerry Lewis
as Malcolm Smith

Pat Crowley
as Terry Roberts

Anita Ekberg
as Actress Anita

Willard Waterman
as Manager Neville

Jack McElroy
as Stupid Sam

Michael Ross
as Guard

Frank Wilcox
as Director

Wendell Niles
as MC

Kathryn Card
as Old Lady

Richard Karlan
as Sammy Ross

Tracey Roberts
as Redhead

Ben Welden
as Boss

Ross Westlake
as Sheep Woman

Adele August

Gretchen Houser
as Specialty Dancer

Sandra White
as Dancer

Adelle August
as Dancer

Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom
as Bookie Benny

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Critic Reviews for Hollywood or Bust

All Critics (2) | Fresh (1) | Rotten (1)

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis team up for the last time (aw shucks!).

Jan 19, 2004 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

View All Critic Reviews (2)

Audience Reviews for Hollywood or Bust

Aug 29, 2014

The last film the boys did together is a throwaway, both of them having done 10 years of their act, so their routines were familiar to them both (and to us). Still, whether either of them would admit it by this stage (Martin reportedly told Lewis angrily once that "all you are to me is a dollar.") or not, their chemistry continued to pop. While certainly their routine is dated, a smile or two is still within their grasp as this work demonstrates. Pat Crowley and Anita Ekberg are little more than window dressing to the boys antics, and they're not bad, but in this film a Great Dane has more to do.

Kevin M. W Super Reviewer