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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
-
Lotsa dated stuff, but relax & laugh loudly.
Ok, it's 2008, so let me say, there's a considerable share of offensive humour here, things that JL couldn't do today by himself in his backyard.
Having said that, and not to take some of the ethnic business lightly, this man is a show business genius: his *ad-libs* could make another comic famous. His stand-up, mime, dancing, juggling, singing, band-leading abilities leave the rest in the dust!
His delivery is Advanced Stand-Up 103, a lesson for comedians and for public speakers in general. He's able to connect with the entire audience, amusing and insulting them at the same time.
At age 58, he is still electric and lithe, with the timing of Stan Laurel and the grace of Nureyev. Watching him can cause a certain confusion, though. Why would his 1983-84 Talk Show with Charlie Callas fail; why is there so much protracted lameness in his movies?
He's not the only superstar not to sustain on TV - or to make disappointing films. Some big names never make *one* starring vehicle. He starred in, wrote, and directed a long string of money-makers.
At the time of this taping (by the way, the VHS quality is excellent, the editing and sound is fine) he had completed his Oscar-worthy performance of Jerry Langford in "The King Of Comedy".
I guess if he could be passed over [Jerry, don't say it....actually, say it!] for that richly deserved award, then other "misses" are understood.
Rating: -
And now, heeeeeere's Jerry!
This is a great example of how the Las Vegas shows roll out the barrel for you. Jerry Lewis has a way with an audience that can't fail to win them over. Here he is, the way we remember him best--energetic, ad-libbing, alternately baiting the audience then shmoozing with them in the most complementary way, tossing out the zingers that keep you sitting there waiting for more. In short, this is a recreation of the Vegas show you don't need to book a vacation to go and see. And if you think of Jerry Lewis as desk-ridden and grossly overweight--as he's been in the last few Telethons--then you need to get hold of this video so you can remember what a great entertainer he truly is.
He looks athletic here as he moves at his ease across the stage.
And he does the bits that we remember him doing--the bit with the typewriter, the bit with the cane. Mix in a little tap-dancing (when's the last time you saw any of the "new" comedians tap dance?), a little bit of conducting the band, a little bit of magic trick with a customer's handkerchief (which has a life of its own), the imitation of the kid (which has the more poignant point behind all that lollypop licking) and you wind up with a complete evening of entertainment. His back-and-forth with the audience keeps things from being formal and stiff (Jerry Lewis formal???). And even the later bit where the audience is supposed to sing, Lewis knows how to turn even the most off-key or non-theatrical performance into something funny, or something to think about.
In short, Jerry Lewis knows how to take an audience on an enjoyable trip where you get the song, the dance, the magic and, of course, the humor and you come away, as Vin Scully might say, royally entertained. For a movie that runs under an hour and a half, you could do a lot worse. You might want to share the fun on this video with a receptive audience because that's how it's done.
Hey, it's Vegas!
