Customer Reviews

The Patsy [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When a star comedian dies his team decides to replace him. Jerry Lewis is the fortunate, or unfortunate, victim. We see the team, which includes Ellen Betz (Ina Balin), Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre), and Bruce Alden (John Carradine), among others, attempt to transform Stanley Belt (Lewis) from a bumbling bellboy to a comedian.

There is a tie-in to another Lewis movie. In 1960 Lewis starred in "The Bellboy," where he played Stanley. However, I thought that the bellboy in the earlier movie was much more confident and capable than the bellboy in this later movie.

There are portions of this movie that I thought were funny. There were even portions that I found touching. However, in comparison to many of Jerry Lewis's other movie; I thought this movie was less funny. Sometimes the attempts at humor fell flat for me. However, I will also note that this movie is quite popular with fans of Jerry Lewis.

If you like only some of Jerry Lewis's movies, you may find this one too tedious to be enjoyable. If you are a fan of Jerry Lewis, likely you will find this movie to be humorous. However, Jerry Lewis had many other films that were better and funnier.

The Patsy, Lewis' fifth film as a director and one of his best, can be considered as a semi-sequel to both The Bellboy (his first) and The Errand Boy (his third). Like its two predecessors, it features a confrontation between a complete outsider (always played by Lewis) and a lavish, illusionistic and mercantile milieu. As in all of his films, the interplay between 'Lewis the artist' (a natural performer whose inventiveness knows no bounds) and 'Lewis the star' (has more swagger, aggressiveness and self-confidence but far less freedom) is central here. It takes place in a single character (named Stanley as in The Bellboy) whose road to stardom is as unexpected and multi-layered as Morty's was in The Errand Boy. In many ways, the artist-star conflict is resolved in the postmodern conclusion: Lewis' choice to equal Stanley with himself - and The Patsy's world with 'reality' - implies that the true star-artist is finally made possible. Some of the movie's set pieces - Stanley's first appearance, the singing lesson, the silent flashback, the failed stand-up performance - are among the most effective of Lewis' filmography, seamlessly weaving together the sophisticated and the grotesque. A very impressive film from an underrated filmmaker.

Director Jerry Lewis' cynical, reflexive look at show-biz phoniness has grown in stature during the past 20 years. "The Patsy" (1964) features several hilarious routines from the King of Crazy - interspersed with some excruciatingly painful moments. A stronger-than-usual cast includes Ina Balin, Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Keenan Wynn and Peter Lorre in his final screen role. Ed Sullivan's outrageous cameo is worth the price of admission. No match for "The Nutty Professor" (1963), yet one of Jerry's most intriguing films.

Jerry's movies took the same path as Elvis movies - downhill, becoming less ambitious and relying on a formula that was way past the expiration date - they are only tolerable because of their stars - and usually only tolerable to the biggest of fans - "The Patsy" is an example - if you love Jerry then you will love this - this is my favorite Jerry - 1960s surf/beatles era Jerry - his movies took on a surreal tone in the 1960s - the colors, the abstract sets, the silent visual gags - very staged, very artificial and very cinematic - even the smaller scale ones like "The Patsy" - Jerry and company could deliver a lot with very little coin - great stuff - required film school viewing

A devastating satire of show business. Jerry plays Stanley, an innocent bellboy manipulated by a team of moneymakers from show business who try to "push" him to replace a recent deceased star comedian. Lewis dismounts in this very calculated comedy the hidden interests and vanities of show industry with his characteristic mocking comicity and destructive, many times surreal, humour. John Carradine, Peter Lorre and George Raft, in another funny cameo ( see " The ladies man ), join Lewis in this one, his fifth film as director.

Widescreen edition.

If you like the humor of Jerry Lewis when it comes to spoofing the entertainment world then this is the VHS to own in your collection. Personally I thought it was one of his best efforts with his years with Paramount. A great cast of Hollywood's past is featured in this 40 year old comedy. It's a rollicking look at creating a big time wannabe from Lewis' own perspective. Enjoy!

Definitely some of Jerry's funniest routines EVER. In this film he's a nobody being groomed for stardom by a group of greedy and ambitious agents. Keep an eye out for my four favorite scenes ... the singing lesson, the barber shop scene, the recording session with the three backup singers, and Jerry lip-synching his #1 hit "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie." I laughed so hard I had to pause the movie twice because I nearly stopped breathing. This movie is one of Jerry's very best.

This is Jerry Lewis' most arty film and remains a timely examination of the business of fame. It's also an unnerving examination of Lewis' unique place at the time, 1964: was he, ever the Kid, on the side of the Beatles' generation gap or was he, the Vegas man from the 1950's with roots in burlesque? He seems ambivalent, and that's the core of the post-Camelot, postmodern confusion of this beautiful film. The heart of this movie isn't as red-blooded as The Nutty Professor but it contains some of his greatest scenes: the sentimental flashback dance with Ina Balin, the outrageous slowburn catharsis with Hans Conried, and a deconstructed satirical pantomimicry ("I Lost My Heart In A Drive-In Movie") with the first air-guitar-on-a-necktie performance in history. If Nutty Professor is Lewis' City Lights, this is his Modern Times. Many of his routines here draw on earlier forms but there's a nervy confidence on screen that he's doing them in their ultimate updated presentation. The Patsy is a gasser, good for kids and adult in equal measure, and maybe his last perfect film.

A superstar passes away, and his managers/publicists/writers are unsure of their futures in the biz. If they can take a no-talent "Blue Collar" guy and transform HIM into a star, then their place in history is assured. Or somethin' like that - it's a novel idea. Too bad that Everett Sloan, Phil Harris, Keenan Wynn, Ina Balin, John Carradine, Peter Lorre, and Scatman Cruthers are saddled with downbeat dialogue and stilted direction. But there are a few hilarious scenes (his first rehearsal, his first club appearance, and an incredible Ed Sullivan self-parody).

FUNNY , FUNNY , FUNNY , For TRUE Jerry Lewis FANS !!! Alot of people dont care for the STUPID HUMOR ( I DO !!!) This movie is supposed to be just that, all out stupid funny (HeLlO!!!! its Lewis........Ivan!!!)Belly hurt laughs come from every direction ,but mostly right in your face. so kick back and enjoy on a Sunday afternoon while the wife out shopping ,cause chicks dont DIG STUPID FUNNY .