That was a story I have never heard told, and it was fantastic. I wish I was younger so I could have seen the two of them as it would have been a night never to forget!
Wouldn't it have been something to have seen Dean and Jerry at the 500 Club. I love their performances in the Colgate show and the live Copa show. Jerry loves Dean to this day. A great comedy team.
Dear Mr. Lewis, If you read this, I just want you to know that my mother introduced me to your movies as a young boy. Mom worked as a cashier at the Belmont Plaza in the early 40's and between us thought, and I still think that you are the funniest man I ever watched, movies and Television. On behalf of my late mother and myself, thanks for the laughs for all those years. My dad hated you. Oh and as for Dean, we loved him too, pumpkin pie or not.
Dean and Jerry were working at the 500 Club at the time, they were too busy to get their own food so they sent someone to get something for them. Jerry quoted on it being "food that's killed more of my people than Hitler: hot pastrami on rye, don't trim the fat." And 87 years later, he still has the bag it came in. He has it locked in his safety deposit box.
I would say... Who cares! They were both insanely brilliant performers in their own right, they brought together something that neither could do alone. They both made each other famous and I love both for their work.
Thank you for posting these vids! I love this guy's work (except "Hardly Working". Not Jerry's finest hour and a half). Other than Sid Caesar, not sure there is another living comedy icon more popular than Jerry (Lady!) Lewis. I watched some of his 60's movies at drive-in's. One of the last remaining Hollywood icons, to me. Pls forgive if I don't mention others. Just grateful to have had a Jerry Lewis choose to perform. Me liked.
In a rare TV interview Dean Martin said that he, and not Jerry Lewis, that broke up their act because Martin claimed that he was fed up with his role being diminished plus Lewis was always upstaging him. So why is Lewis trying to claim it was his idea to break up the act? Plus when you compare careers, Dean was more successful. Martin had a long-running TV variety show on NBC while Lewis' attempts were short-lived. Martin also had a successful movie career while Lewis' petered out in the 1960s. Also Martin's nightclub act (especially with The Rat Pack) was very successful along with his numerous recording albums. Sorry Jerry but I tend to believe Dean's version of what happened over yours.
