Customer Reviews

Big Mouth [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of Jerry's most underappreciated films, fast paced and with a terrific supporting cast. Even those who don't appreciate Lewis may like this one; he's less the wild, silly type and more level headed and capable, but this new persona does not interfere with the comedy. He's still funny.

Jerry Lewis stars as Gerald Clamson, a chief bank auditor who is on vacation in San Diego. While fishing on the beach, he happens to land a frogman who looks just like him! The dying frogman, who was shot, hands Lewis a map to a stash of smuggled diamonds, and instructs him to look for a hotel with a yardarm. This is somewhat reminiscent of the opening to the movie "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," a great film in which Jerry Lewis had a memorable cameo. The gang he double-crossed shoots the frogman from aboard their yacht, and then swim ashore looking for the fisherman. Jerry flees and later stumbles upon the hotel with the yardarm, the Hilton Inn. In his rush to get there he knocks over Suzie, played by Susan Bay. This is Susan's movie debut, as well as her only movie role to date! She would figure prominently in the film as Jerry's love interest. Jerry also manages to accidentally injure the front desk clerk, who refuses to rent him a room. Determined to get into the hotel, Jerry later returns in disguise, combing his hair down, wearing a set of false buck teeth, reading glasses and an old tweed suit, and speaking in a funny voice. This character is EXTREMELY reminiscent of the title character he played in "The Nutty Professor."

The bulk of the film finds Jerry either in disguise or as himself, trying to stay one step ahead of the gang that wants to kill him, a different mob that wants to buy the smuggled diamonds from him, an Oriental outfit that wants the diamonds to finance their fake pearl business, and the hotel staff who want to throw him out. Especially noteworthy is the hilarious, over-the-top performance of Charlie Callas as one of the gang members. The big mouth in the title of the movie is an ironic reference to Jerry's failed attempts to convince anybody that his outrageous tale is true, that it's just a case of mistaken identity, and that he really doesn't know where the diamonds are. The climax of the film takes place at SeaWorld on Mission Bay, including a scene where Jerry is disguised as a Kabuki dancer! All the movie's characters corner him on the roof of a theater, but Susan Bay manages to arrive with a helicopter to rescue Jerry at the last minute. This film is one of Jerry's funniest, with nonstop action, many plot twists and turns, outrageous antics, and great on location scenery.

All of Jerry's 1960's films have been released on DVD except this one and "Who's Minding the Store". Wonder what the criteria is on when to release them...looks like the VHS is out of print too...hmmmm.

This is one of lewis' better vehicles...one of his better scripts and entertaining as well. They should put this on dvd...warner's just released the later lewis vehicles Which way to the front and Cracking up on dvd...this film is incomparably better. Why not release all of lewis columbia films not as yet available Three on a couch and Hook line and sinker. With all the modern junk on the market these films are good family fair

Back in 1967 THE BIG MOUTH was just another Jerry Lewis movie that hit the streets. To me it was a big scale comedy-chase movie never to be equaled. Jerry's subsequent films never held up to this film, although arguement can be made for WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT or at least the first hour of it.
I wish I purchased this video tape when it came out because I still appreciate this movie from end to end. Director Jerry's keeps the sharp pace from scene to scene after his character is told a deep secret from a dying scubadiver who passes a remarkable resemblance to him. So far it sounds like a re-hashing of IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD's premise but even I have to admit the earlier long titled movie plays out like a Tom Clancy saga compared to THE BIG MOUTH.
So why do I hold this movie up so dearly? He practically plays three roles in this movie, a standard Peter Sellers set with THE MOUSE THAT ROARED and DR. STRANGELOVE. One of the characterizations he utilizes is the NUTTY PROFESSOR'S Julius. Jerry gets more laughs from his co-stars than he ever did in any of his other movies, especially the ones he directed. Del Moore from THE NUTTY PROFESSOR plays a harried Florida hotel manager. Harold J. Stone (another Lewis casting regular) plays a gangster leader whose three henchmen all suffer mental breakdowns as the movie goes along when each of them spot Jerry and believe it's the assumed dead scubaman still alive. Of those henchmen, Charlie Callas and Buddy Lester walk off with the movie. Look closely for the real Colonel Harland Sanders of KFC fame and Star Trek's George Takei. The IMD Film Database also credits Rob Reiner to having a spot in the movie. I'll have to rewatch it again to see if I can spot him.
Many terrible things have been said about Jerry Lewis over the years but he was always commeneded for giving out roles (if often minor) to veteren actors who were close to being totally out of work. In this instance, the original movie Blondie, Florence Lake has a part in the beginning of the movie. Years earlier, Lake also starred with Edgar Kennedy in a long running series of RKO shorts.
I don't know how true it is about the French admiring Lewis as a film-maker. I read one Amazon review from someone in France who claimed he never heard of anyone praising Jerry Lewis for anything. Well, on a recent cable TV station (TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES) broadcast, I was able to site numerous references to French director Jacques Tati's MR HULOT'S HOLIDAY in the Big Mouth in particular the scenes with Jerry trying to sneak around the hotel and getting into altercations with Manager, Del Moore which ended with painful results.
THE BIG MOUTH was filmed in Florida and many scenes are on location at SEAWORLD. The movie is very colorful, especially the beach and water segments. Pure Jerry nuttiness is all around. When he disguises himself as a Kabuki dancer-singer you will either laugh or cringe. There's also a classic scene where a mob of gangsters all put thier gun nozzles against Jerry's head.
After 40 years, The Big Mouth pushes all the right buttons. Jerry Lewis' best films were with Paramount studios, this one was with Columbia. Because Columbia opted to put DON'T RAISE THE BRIDGE LOWER THE RIVER on DVD earlier the lack of sales probably made them abandon any inclination of putting THE BIG MOUTH on DVD. Too bad, I know there are many Jerry Lewis film fans waiting for a proper DVD treatment of this. I'll be the first in line.

Gerald Clamson ( Jerry Lewis ) is a bank clerk accidentally involved in a smuggled diamonds intrigue while he's spending his typical holidays in San Diego's bay, and the wrong man hunted at the same time by the mob and the police. " The big mouth ", the eighth movie of Lewis as filmmaker, is a wild satire of gangsters movies and Hitchcock thriller routines directed by Lewis with biting comicity; mocking and surreal visual invention and his habitual gag timing carefulness. Buddy Lester, Susan Bay and Harold J. Stone joins Jerry who plays here two characters: Gerald Clamson and Syd Valentine, a dangerous gangster who is confused with our "hero".

Another excellent movie waiting for its DVD edition.

This is another great comedy by none other than Jerry Lewis. His very different crazy form of zanty antics. His nutty way of making everyone laugh. He'll not let you down. The ups & downs of comedy this classic will keep ya rollin!