Customer Reviews

The Stooge [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While I applaud Paramount's decision to finally start releasing some of their older titles, I have to wonder how serious they are when they release only one disc from one of their most successful comedy teams' films, at the same time they're dumping most of the Jerry Lewis catalogue on the market.(And I'm not ragging on Jerry. I think Jerry's great,though it may not be cool to admit it, I'm proudly out of the closet on this issue. But even Jerry admits that he was never as good as when he was with Dean) So the question is how do you have a Martin & Lewis "Collection" with only one movie?
Don't get me wrong, it's a good one. The Stooge is their 7th outing and, unlike the previous films, has some character development and a certain edge. Dino plays Bill Miller a Vaudeville Entertainer whose partner has just quit on him. After an abortive attempt at a solo act, his agent (the dependable Eddy Mayehoff)convinces him to find a patsy to plant in the Audience that Bill can mock. Enter Jerry as the titular Stooge also known as Ted Rogers. Turns out Ted is funny just being himself and the Act is a Smash. But Bill is something of an egomaniac and decides that he himself is responsible for his new found success, and refuses to acknowledge Ted's contribution, or even give him billing. In the end Bill gets a lesson in humility, and we get treated to something that looks a lot like what the Martin and Lewis famous nightclub act may have been. All too brief...
Dino doesn't try to be likable, and gives a performance with hints of the fine dramatic actor he would become. Jerry cements the nebbish, but gives him humanity this time. Polly Bergen is fine as Bill's Show Biz Wife, who has given up her own career. She and Dean do a nice duet on the pleasant but annoying "A Girl called Mary". The other song that will never leave your brain ,once you hear it, is "Who's yer little Whozits". I recommend humming "Lady of Spain" or "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". If those don't work, try a .45.
Back to the issue at hand, there are dozens of public domain versions of "At War with the Army" out there. But where are
My Friend Irma
My Friend Irma Goes West
That's My Boy
Sailor Beware
Jumping Jacks
Scared Stiff
The Caddy
Money From Home
Three Ring Circus
Living it Up
Artists and Models
You're Never Too Young
Pardners
and Hollywood or Bust?
Universal put out the 24 Abbott and Costello Films in three sets for reasonable prices. Hope and Crosby are out for a similar price. The Marx Bros., W.C. Fields all have collections coming out for affordable cost. So why not Martin & Lewis? I'm just askin'. And by the way, just who is yer little whozits?

This is my personal favorite of the world's greatest comedy team.I have been watching their movies since I was 6 years old.I would give it 10 stars if it was allowed but 5 is the highest.If you are a fan of their work then this movie is a must.Enjoy!

On account if its steady storyline, memorable songs, sincere scenes and appropriate actors, "The Stooge" is probably the most effective movie that either Dean Martin or Jerry Lewis has ever appeared in as a team, and it is possibly the most effective of all films that Dean and Jerry have appeared in solo. In an interview, Jerry Lewis claimed that "The Stooge" was his favorite Martin and Lewis film, because it was "so close to home." The relationship between their characters in the film, including the hardships and tribulations of being a team and dealing with the division of public reception, credit and acknowledgement may possibly relate to that of their own personal partnership, which makes the already stimulating storyline and characters even more entertaining and moving. There are a few great M&L films, including "Scared Stiff" and "The Caddy", but on account of this indirect relation to their personal acquaintanceship, "The Stooge" definitely tops them all.

My favorite Jerry Lewis movie of all time. I remember seeing it as a kid and somehow 30 years later while playing with my 2 year old son, I find myself singing what my son calls "The Whozit" song with the high pitched Jerry Lewis twang. He loves it. When I showed him the movie he said, "Daddy, man is sing YOUR whozit song".

I generally enjoy most of the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movies. I find them to be consistently funny. Jerry Lewis is a master of physical comedy and his silliness, when used effectively, created excellent comedy. This movie may be a bit less than the best created by the Martin-Lewis team, but it is still very funny and nearly ranks with their best.

Dean Martin plays struggling comedian Bill Miller. Miller hires Ted Rogers (Lewis) to be a heckler in the audience, hoping to get laughs in the process. The result is beyond Bill's expectations. Ted is a natural comedian and gets laughs wherever he goes. However, self-centered Miller believes he is the star of the show and does not need Ted. Ted shows incredible loyalty to Miller regardless of how poorly Miller treats him.

As Bill's fame rises, and he continues to treat Ted as a nobody, Bill's wife Mary Turner (lovely Polly Bergen) becomes increasingly upset with Bill, wanting Bill to share the glory. Similarly, Ted's girl friend Genevieve "Frecklehead" Tait (Marion Marshall) becomes angry with Ted for allowing Bill to take advantage of him.

Eventually everything works out for the best, but not before we are treated to a series of jokes and slapstick comedy that will have you laughing from the beginning of this movie to the end.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made a number of films together. I've seen most if not all of them. The Stooge is the duo at their best. Funny, well written, with good music. None of their other efforts comes close.

When Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis first played the nightclubs, they became the hottest act, bar none. When they graduated to films, they took the world by storm. They were arguably the last of the great comedy teams (following Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, etc.). But that partnership had its moments of tension & personality clashes that ultimately brought an end to their teamwork. "The Stooge" certainly mirrors that real-life partnership/friendship in its storyline.
Dean plays Bill Miller, a struggling vaudeville entertainer hungry for good material & genuine success. In desperation, he agrees to hire a "stooge"--a guy "planted" in the audience as comedy relief--in the form of goofy but well-meaning Ted Rogers (Lewis). Chemistry is established & soon after, Miller's act rockets to popularity, but soon enters the conflict: Miller's stubborn ego & his unwillingness to give Rogers equal billing & credit for the success. Which leads to the climactic stage scene, where Miller apologizes to his audience & admits that without Rogers, it's only half an act.
As usual, Lewis gives some classic comedy moments--the early diner scene which he enrages the propietor by eating his own lunch (handily producing a hard-boiled egg, a salt-shaker & a tea bag from his pockets), therefore not paying a dime & just taking up space; the several stage act scenes which are such stellar examples of why Martin & Lewis were such a great comedy team; Lewis' courtship with "Freckles", an admirer; and the train scene, with Lewis' hilarious battle over a portable sink & trying to sleep in an upper bunk.
But the big surprises are the moments of pathos & drama. The scene where a drunken Miller tells Rogers to go away & that he can do the act solo is well-played by the two of them, and Miller's apology to the audience hints at Martin's ability to handle heart-rending moments (note how he fidgets thru this scene). Miller's egomaniacal ways which put him at odds with his wife & manager (and eventually Rogers) throughout the film are done well, and could have easily been over-played & corny, thanks to Norman Taurog's direction.
So if you're already a fan of the boys or new to them, this is a good film to start at.
And by the way: When are they going to release on DVD all the OTHER Martin & Lewis comedies, such as "the Caddy", "Artists & Models", "Sailor Beware", etc.? They are LONG overdue!! And PLEASE..STOP re-releasing "AT War With the Army" over & over again! ENOUGH!

As someone who has MD, I have been exposed to the comedy of Jerry Lewis all my life. Becoming a fan of Dean Martin's music and then finding out that he had teamed with Lewis, I was very excited to uncover some lost comedic gems. After reading several of the books written about this classic comedy team and after seeing all of the Martin & Lewis movies, The Stooge has firmly stood out as my favorite. Especially after knowing how their relationship was in the years to come, this film is like looking straight into their true feelings for one another. The patented night club bits are here, just as in every one of their movies, and the songs will be stuck in your head for days. Even though it is in black & white, everyone of every age will enjoy this movie.

The Stooge

The Stooge
This movie was made at the suggestion of Jerry Lewis to the movie studio to make a movie based on their original stage act that rocketed both of them to fame. The movie is one of Jerry Lewis's most favorite and mine as well. This out of all of their movies is your opportunity to see the legendary act on the motion picture screen if you never had the chance to see them both live on stage back in their prime. I highly recommend this one movie to all Martin & Lewis fans that want to see the two of them as they really were.

This Martin and Lewis comedy shows the talents of these two comedians clicking from start to finish. Martin's singing and Lewis's hijinks are first rate. Loved it!