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47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Martin and Lewis Collection???, September 22, 2004
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?
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
By far Dean and Jerry's best, August 19, 1999
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!
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest film either man has made..., August 4, 2002
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.
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