If you’re in Manhattan this Saturday night and you have the scratch, I doubt you could find a better entertainment/enlightenment opportunity than The King of Comedy: Jerry Lewis In Conversation With Peter Bogdanovich, sponsored by The Museum of the Moving Image. The man who did for the ascot what George Will did for the bow tie—that would be director/author/actor Bogdanovich—will try to guide Le Roi du Crazy, as the French call him, through a survey of his remarkable career. Although it’s likely that Bogdanovich will have his work cut out for him reining the King in—accounts of like events worldwide find Jerry taking matters into his own hands, and mouth, schticking it up, wandering through the audience, and just being Jerry. Should be fun. Alas, a prior engagement will prevent me from attending, or else I might have asked Lewis what he makes of the very acute Chris Fujiwara’s musings on the auteur over at the Moving Images “Sources” website, in the hopes that Lewis might respond along the lines of “Ladeeeeeee! What’s these ‘zones of indetermincee’ you’re talking about???” or some such.
Fujiwara’s piece is bordering on impenetrable. It really is.
With Bogdanovich moderating, it’s probably a good thing Jer will take matters into hos owne hands.
My introduction to Jerry Lewis was through HBO’s constant showings of boht The King of Comedy and Cracking Up. Yes, The King of Comedy was my initial introduction to Scorsese. I think it had a perversely positive impact on me. I mean, seeing Scorsese’s least Scorsese film first just makes the opening of Mean Streets/GoodFellas/Raging Bull/Taxi Driver all the more shocking to an impressionalbe kid.
And Cracking Up is a forgotten classic. The opening sequence of Jer trying to kill himslef and navigating the World’s Most Dangersous Doctor’s Office makes the film worthy of “classic” status. I even don’t mind the obligatory dance number that usually disrupts the flow of the action. (Cracking Up’s takes place during a bank robbery. The Bellboy’s orchestral music number is one that doesn’t work.)
I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it there – but anyone who is attending and reading this, PLEASE ASK JERRY THE FOLLOWING:
‑What is the status of the new film he was supposed to start shooting two+ summers ago in Paris?
‑When will we be seeing the post-‘Family Jewels’ Lewis films on DVD/Blu-ray?
craig.
I wonder if anyone will ask him about “The Day the Clown Cried”. I bet someone does. They will probably assume that it’s an innocent questino which will receive a reasonable reply.
If someone there could ask Bogdanovich about that $100 he owes me from four years ago, I’d dig it.
Never lend a guy in an ascot money. Most of us learn that the hard way.
I’ll be there, but I ain’t asking those questions! 🙂
I will be there too but as much as I dig your writing, Vadim, I think that is one question you’re gonna have to ask yourself.
Someone once told me that Buddy Love isn’t based on Dean Martin, but on Sinatra! I watched the film again and it makes perfect sense. Would someone ask Jer if he’s heard this before and to comment?
Good question, Cadavra. If Jerry seems open to questions that’s a good one that I might throw out there…after checking his bio to make sure he didn’t already say that 🙂
Sigh. I know I’m never getting it back. I still think SAINT JACK is great.
Hello. I love Jerry. He gives me the funnies when I was boy.
The event was great – Jerry basically took over from Bogdanovich and was questioning Bogdanovich’s note cards, which were filled with quotes Jerry supposedly gave him during interviews over the years. Classic stuff and lots of laughs.
Vadim could you enlighten us as to why the Bog owes you a hundred bucks?
Best moment for me was when Bogdanovich asked what Lewis’s favorite movie was, and got the response “It’s still ‘Rebecca.’ ”