Ce n'est pas une vie, Jerry

I saw this film in Albany, NY while taking a 40' yacht up the Hudson River from New York City. I thought it was very funny. coincidently, I was with the songwriter, Bob Hilliard and his wife Jackie, the night before I left New York. Also, Albany is mentioned in the movie and the Albany audience went wild. I had to take a boat and a bus to Albany to experience this. In the first comment about this film, the writer refers to Bob Hilliard as a "Brill Building Writer." Most writers and musicians worked out of that building in the forties and fifties. Bob wrote a number of hits, including; "Our Day Will Come" "Moonlight Gambler" "Be My Life's Companion" "Money Burns A hole In My Pocket" "In the Wee small Hours of the Morning", and many more. I don't think he should be dismissed as just a "Brill Building Song Writer." You can read more about Bob and see a list of all of his songs by running a search for "Bob Hilliard" in one of the major search engines. There is a website with stories and a list of all of his songs.

A young man riding around in a radioactive car is reported as having radiation sickness. But the newspapers got it wrong. So what else is new? But the dying boy (Jerry Lewis) and his venal doctor (Dean Martin) carry on the charade as Lewis (Homer Flagg) get a free trip to New York with all expenses paid. But how long can they keep it up?

Other reviewers focus on the film's long pedigree. So let's focus on the movie.

The best thing about the movie is Fred Clark. This is no insult to Martin or Lewis. Clark and supporting actors like him stole many a movie. Not being leading men gave them more time to think up ways of honing their characterizations to dagger points.

Dean Martin does what he has to: look good and sing well. A little Jerry Lewis goes a long way. And this movie is a long haul with him. One wonders what Janet Leigh did wrong to find herself buried amongst the scene stealers.

Martin and Lewis made better movies. They also made worse movies. I prefer their shorter features to get less fed up with Lewis. At least this film's pedigree means it has a better-than-usual plot for the stars.

I have always been fond of the score of "Hazel Flagg", and I've always liked this film version of it. But what has always puzzled me is that after Sheree North made a big hit on Broadway dancing in the show, they got her for the movie version, and cut her big dance number, the delightful comedy song "Salomee". She could have re-created her dance ! True, she did one of the show's original songs with Jerry, but they should have kept "Salomee." And Janet Leigh did other musicals, so I'm sure she could have handled Benay Venuta's numbers from the show. Hollywood !!! The story about the media, and fame, and paparazzi is even more timely today, so they should definitely do a re-make as "Hazel Flagg" with the original score.

The strange appeal of the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis can perhaps best be understood in this movie, arguably the least off-putting (to scores of people who cannot abide Lewis) of the 17 films the guys made together. Almost all their films contained music, and Martin was a successful singer in his own right. Here he gets to sing "How Do You Speak to an Angel," and "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard in Old New York" (with Lewis), songs that were already known from the Broadway show on which it is based, "Hazel Flagg." If you want to sample Martin and Lewis, this is arguably the team at its best.

Homer Flagg is an inept stationmaster in New Mexico, he mistakenly believes he has contracted radium poisoning. A reporter for the New York Chronicle, Wally Cooper, heads out west to write his story, but before she arrives, Homer finds out that he in fact isn't dying, but along with his devious doctor they decide to accept Cooper's offer of an all expenses paid trip to the Big Apple. Here in New York everyone takes Homer to their hearts, so the guys have to keep up the pretence that Homer is not long for this world, something that will be hard to do in light of Homer's complete ineptitude.

As Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis vehicles go, this is one of the better offerings, it's basically a reworking of the 1937 William Wellman picture, Nothing Sacred. Lots of fun to be had as Martin & Lewis continue the formula that made them so appealing to the movie watching masses back in the 50s. A bonus here is the bright as a button performance from Janet Leigh, not only turning Dean Martin's { Dr Steve} head, but also the audience with an enjoyable slot into this comedy tale. As usual Jerry acts the goof whilst Dean sings and swaggers, and as usual a Martin & Lewis film is only as good as it's comedy set pieces, here they come up trumps with one sequence during a jitterbug contest particularly entertaining. It all comes together during a typically hilarious finale to leave us with a rewarding film from a very rewarding double act. 7/10