THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

1963/Director: Jerry Lewis/Writers: Jerry Lewis  and Bill Richmond

Cast: Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman, Med Flory, Norman Alden, Howard Morris, Elvia Allman, Skip Ward, Henry Gibson

When most people think of Jerry Lewis, if he is thought about much anymore at all, they probably remember him as the goofy half of the Hal Wallis managed Martin and Lewis comedy team and for his work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. What many people do not realize is the body of work Lewis did behind the camera as producer, writer and director as well as a developer of technogloies still used today. One is the directors video assist system, once referred to as “Jerry’s noisy toy” that he basically invented  and owns the patent to after having worked in the television medium in the 60’s. Lewis has become an object of ridicule in the last couple decades and his often crass behavior and sexist and anti-gay remarks have done little to endear him to our newer world. I don’t really care about any of that and I think he is a sadly forgotten talent.

Martin and Lewis split up in 1956 with no love loss between them and Lewis fulfilled his contractual agreements with Wallis and starred in a hand full of decent films, in my opinion, such as The Delicate Delinquent, The Geisha Boy and the first film he had some behind the camera control over Cinderfella. Lewis teamed up with scriptwriter Bill Richmond and together under contract with Paramount Pictures they turned out what would be regarded as his best work not only as a slapstick comedian but as a director as well. These included The Bellboy, The Errand Boy, The Patsy, The Ladies Man (another of my favorites), and the subject of this post his masterpiece, The Nutty Professor. The only reference I am going to make about the Eddie Murphy remake (which Lewis co-produced) is that I just did not think it was either as funny or as dark as the Lewis original. And the original definitely had a dark undercurrent to it.

The story is a retelling of the Jekyll and Hyde theme, where a quiet and soft spoken man of science finds a formula for breaking down his inhibitions giving him the power to do all the things his weaker but nobler other half can only dream about. Lewis plays the gangly toothed Professor Julius Kelp who is always drawing the ire of school administrators like Dr. Warfield (Del Moore) by blowing up his classrooms. He ticks off a bully in his classroom and is humiliated in front of all the students and in particular the buxom Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens). As is typical of films of the period all the college students here look like they are all about thirty years old. Kelp tries pumping iron at the local gym but it becomes obvious he is gong to have to rely on his brains, and not his brawn, to find a solution to his self-esteem issues.

He develops a formula that transforms him not into a murderous Mr. Hyde, but rather into the asinine and boorish Buddy Love. While Lewis as denied it most people feel the Buddy Love character is a caustic characterization of both Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra’s less charming aspects. Others have said the persona of Buddy Love is actually the onscreen Jerry Lewis showing the real Jerry Lewis to the world. It may be that all of the above are true. The character of Buddy Love is simply so unlikable that is uncomfortable to watch some of the scenes. While the character of Kelp is funny and inoffensive, Buddy Love is the epitome of ego and vulgarity. The problem here is though a royal ass he is soon charming Miss Purdy and wining over the local teen crowd at the Purple Pit. The potion wears off of course and at the worst times, such as when Buddy is performing a decent version of That Old Black Magic and when his about to round 2nd Base with Stella.

As with the original Jekyll and Hyde story the good half the equation has a choice about whether or not to imbibe in the concoction or not, but not only does Kelp continue to take the potion but he consumes more in order that the effects can last longer and he can remain the cool and self-absorbed Buddy Love. In the end the potion wears off while Buddy is performing at the school dance and Kelp must publicly confess his selfish actions and admit that one has to be themselves even that self is not someone we want to be.

A couple extra things I liked the film. One is the outstanding sets and production design. The transformation scene is filled bright colors of spilled chemicals and various camera angles. The scenes of test tubes and beakers filled with multi-colored chemicals is stylized and plain nice to just look at. The interior of the Purple Pit is lush and posh and is a lounge lizard’s paradise.

The other thing is the wardrobe. It is something in a film I always pay attention to actually. The costumes here where designed by the legendary fashion deva Edith Head who was parodied as Edna Mode in the cartoon The Incredibles. Buddy’s suits are simply wicked and vile, and Stella Steven causes palpitations in a scene where Professor Kelp imagines her in different forms of dress, from a tennis player to a woman of the world in a well fitting red dress. Sadly most people I have known dismiss the original Lewis gem and have claimed to go into laugh fits watching Eddie Murphy fluctuate in the remake. The original is a great movie and is more than a comedy really. It would not be long before the studios an aging Lewis as no longer whacky and funny. It does not really matter as he did some great work after he and Martin split and The Nutty professor may well be his best, but I certainly recommend all the other films he co-wrote with Bill Richmond.

Edith Head and Edna Mode

Buddy Love: Hiya, chicky baby. How’s it going?
Stella Purdy: Fine.
Buddy Love: Crazy. I thought I’d visit your little land of learning. Cute. Cute pad.
Stella Purdy: What happened to you last night? What’d you run away like that for? I thought you saw a ghost or something.
Buddy Love: Oh yeah. How ’bout that? Well, that’s why I stopped by. I thought I’d lay it on ya, but this ain’t the place to talk. What do you say we meet later at the Purple Pit? We can talk better there.
Stella Purdy: Well, I dunno. You’re pretty weird, you know, and I don’t want…
Buddy Love: Chi-chi. Ten o’ clock?
Stella Purdy: Perfect.
Buddy Love: Figures.

Buddy Love: I know what you’re thinking: Where’s he been all my life? Right?
Stella Purdy: No, not exactly.
Buddy Love: And that you’re happy with the way I handled those three goons, right? Well, normally I would’ve belted them, but I didn’t want to muss myself all up and have you dance with a sloppy guy. Dig?
Stella Purdy: Well then, you restrained yourself just for little old me.
Buddy Love: I knew you’d appreciate it. I do a lot of nice things.
Stella Purdy: Well, is that really the case or is this line 27-a for young college girls?
Buddy Love: Aww, now you see? You went and done it. For one of the rare times in my life when I dig down into the soul, and you doubt my veracity. Well, that hurts.
Stella Purdy: Well, it’s not your veracity that I doubt.
[pause]
Stella Purdy: The music stopped.
Buddy Love: Yeah, I heard.

Buddy Love: They’re nice kids. All nice. All nice kids. They have very, very good taste, I might add.
Stella Purdy: I’m glad. It would be a shame to waste the genius of yours on the riff-raff.
Buddy Love: Well, honey, I always say, if you’re good and you know it, why waste time beating around the bush, true?
Stella Purdy: And I always say that to love yourself is the beginning of a life-long romance. And after watching you, I know that you and you will be very happy together.
Buddy Love: Just a minute, sweetheart. I don’t recall dismissing you.
Stella Purdy: You rude, discourteous egomaniac!
Buddy Love: You’re crazy about me, right? And I can understand it. Only this morning, looking in the mirror before shaving, I enjoyed seeing what I saw so much I couldn’t tear myself away.
[kisses his hand]
Buddy Love: Have some, baby?

Purple Pit Bartender: What’ll it be?
Buddy Love: Aww… That’s no way to talk. Tsk, tsk, tsk. “What’ll it be?” That’s no way to treat a customer. C’mere. Try it like this. Pay attention. You’ll feel better and the customers’ll be happier. Try this: “What’ll it be? Hmmm?” Try that. Come on. We haven’t got all night. Try it.
Purple Pit Bartender: What’ll it be? Hmmm?
Buddy Love: Good! That was wonderful. Did anyone ever tell you you couldn’t sing?

Buddy Love: Have some, baby?

Buddy Love: Here y’are, baby. Take this, wipe the lipstick off, slide over here next to me, and let’s get started.

Gym Attendant: Are you hurt?
Professor Julius Kelp: Well, if a man with an ulcer and a splinter in his finger and a nail in his foot was then struck by lightning, if you could say that man was not hurt then yes you could say I’m not hurt.

Dr. Hamius R. Warfield: Kelp, it’s human nature. Kelp, people just don’t like teachers blowing up their kids!

Dr. Hamius R. Warfield: Now try to understand that I understand, that scientists and creators have their little eccentricities. Einstein hated hair cuts, Da Vinci love to paint, and Newton…
Professor Julius Kelp: He had something to do with figs, didn’t he?

Dr. Hamius R. Warfield: Warfield finishes with papers handed to him by secretary Lemmon… Where’s your pad?
Millie Lemmon: Oh it’s not quite a mile from campus. It’s a small flat, but you should see what I did with the drapes! Oh! You meant my steno pad. I’ll be right back with it.
Dr. Hamius R. Warfield: Never mind, what is it?
Millie Lemmon: Mr. Buddy Love is hear to see you, and is he ever a gasser! Should I have him come in?
Dr. Hamius R. Warfield: If you can do so without fainting.

All quotes from The Nutty Professor page at IMDB.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 11:19 am and is filed under Comedy, Memorable Quotes . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.