Sadly Jerry Lewis’s film work is typically derided in this day and age. He is lampooned and mocked for the most part and his over all fine output of films from the late 50’s and into the late 60’s is dismissed as the works of a egomaniac with lots of studio clout. This is unfortunate since many of his films made for Paramount Pictures, which he also directed and wrote (usually with script partner Bill Richmond) and sometimes produced, were pretty decent movies. I prefer this period of his films to the buddy films he made with Dean Martin and am willing to concede that by the 70’s his films were becoming unwatachable. The Errand Boy was made in 1961 and is a curious little film really. The film looks and feels more like a French or Italian film of the same time period. This is true not only of the surreal nature of the story but of the crisp b/w photography by W. Wallace Kelley who worked as cinematographer on many of Lewis’s films of the period as well as doing visual effects for films like Vertigo and The War of the Worlds.

Lewis plays the nobody Morty S. Tashman who is promoted, so to speak, from dong odd jobs on the studio lot to being an errand for for the studio moguls of Paramutual Films. The bigwigs actually want to use Morty as a spy to see were revenues are going but the film actually drops this plot rather quickly and the story becomes and series of short vignettes that have no real connection to one another. Morty remains alone through out the film and there are no romantic interests or character conflicts other than the scenes between Morty and his boss. The film ends with Morty, a lost soul basically, becoming a Hollywood star through a series of goof ups and film makers seeing his idiocy as gifted genius. Lots of irreverent jabs at the film industry and at Lewis himself in the movie. My wife and I really loved one short sequence where Morty interacts with a hand puppet. The scene reminds me of something you would be more likely to see in a Fellini film. I liked it so much I a made a clip of it using Sony Vegas and up loaded it to my Viddler account. If you hate Jerry Lewis this film will not change your mind in any way. But if you like his more well known films like The Nutty Professor or The Ladies Man you should be able to enjoy this strange little movie from an over looked filmmaker and comedian.

SEE THE LITTLE CLOWN SEQUENCE FROM THE ERRAND BOY HERE >>

COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN

A brief mention here about this remarkably odd movie called Colossus and the Amazon Queen (La Regina delle Amazzoni) directed by Vittorio Sala who also co-wrote the script with six other writers. If you brave this piece of cheese you may wonder why it took a total of seven men to scramble this story up. The general gist of the story is about a couple heroes named Pirro (Rod Taylor from The Birds) and Glauco (body builder Ed Fury) who wind up being tricked into becoming house boys on the island of the Amazons. The woman of the island are led by the lovely Amazon Queen herself (Gianna Maria Canale) and her bevy of beauties (Dorian Gray and Daniela Rocca among them). The warrior babes are supplied by cunning rogues with unwitting men who eventually evolve into effeminate acting house slaves. Clashes develop between some of the gals over who will be queen and who get what man, especially hunky Glauco whose presence has set the cold Amazon hearts all a flutter. The usually macho acting Rod Taylor has one the strangest roles of his career here as he plays the prissy acting brains of the duo. His voice is dubbed by another English speaking actor who makes him sound like a real sissy boy.

MORE AMAZON QUEENS HERE >>

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

1966/ Director: Alan Rafkin/Writers: James Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum

Cast: Don Knotts, Joan Staley, Liam Redmond, Dick Sargent, Skip Homeier, Reta Shaw, Bert Mustin

Sometimes we all have a certain movie in our lives that holds a special place. A link to fond memories and long forgotten times. When it comes down to it I am a sentimental sap. For me The Ghost and Mr. Chicken with the fidget king Don Knotts is one of those films. The 1966 Universal film had already been out for some time before I began catching it late night on old network TV. If you’re too young that means no cable or VCR. The image was adjusted by “rabbit ear” antennae that usually had strips of tin foil at the top to secure a slightly better image. The film, as I recall, played annually as part of a Halloween program and I had to stay up past midnight usually to catch it. No problem for me as I seem to be nocturnal by design. Knotts of course is best remembered for his role as the quirky and nervous though tough talking and big hearted Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith show. He won some Emmy’s for his performance on the show and after five successful seasons he went on to continue making “big pictures” after the successful The Amazing Mr. Limpit in 1964. The story here, from an interview with Knotts, seems to be that he was under the impression that The Andy Grittith show was to end after five seasons and Griffith seemed to be of the same idea. Knotts secured a contract with Universal only to find Griffith had decided to continue on with the show and offered Knotts to continue. Of course it was too late and he would return now and then to reprise his role as the shaky Barney. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is supposedly derived, at Knotts suggestion, from an episode of The Andy Griffith Show called the Haunted House where Barney and Gomer go to retrieve Opie’s lost ball on the grounds of a haunted house in Mayberry.

MORE OF THE DON KNOTTS DOUBLE FEATURE HERE >>

TRAILERS TO THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN & THE REULCTANT ASTRONAUT HERE >>

I saw a couple negative reviews of this essentially well made film online. They seemed to have some issues with Tony Randall, a white American, playing a Chinese man. I really had no problems with this and do not feel fantasy films of the 60’s is the best place to vent one’s political correctness. It is so strange and out of place to hear people rant in a serious tone about the racist and sexist nature of older films as if modern cinema has finally raised itself above all that. Some other complaints were that the story line was lame and vacuous essentially and the film was preachy and condescending. What are these people talking about? First off the film leans towards a younger audience and like most films aimed at kids (like every animated movie made these days) is going to rely on clichés and gimmicks to deliver its message. It is well made, well acted with great make up by William Tuttle and decent special effects for the time. Does it stereotype Asians at times and is some of the plot more than a little corny and predictable? Certainly. But is it loaded with overt racism, sexism and pedantic, patronizing dialogs? Well, yea maybe. But that is still no reason to not watch this likable film by director George Pal (Atlantis, the Lost Continent, The Time Machine).

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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.

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SCHOOL OF ROCK

2003/ Director: Richard Linklater/ Writer: Mike White

Cast: Jack Black,  Joan Cusack, Mike White, Adam Pascal, Lucas Papaelias, Chris Stack, Sarah Silverman,  Chris Stack, Lucas Babin, Joey Gaydos Jr., Miranda Cosgrove, Frank Whaley

A few things make this movie a special entry into the now growing list of  Uranium Café  movie commentaries. It is the first entry into my new comedy category. I love a good comedy film and this one is a great one, which I shall expound on further soon enough. I can be really picky abut comedies and find most modern comedies really lacking. Along with being a genuinely funny film it is also more of a popular and financially successful film than most of the selections I pander to here, which typically tend to be rather obscure films for one reason or another. For example, perhaps they are great films, like The Servant or The Collector, but cater to a more selective audience. Or maybe they are just bad films and cater to hardly anyone but people like me who have a streak of masochism in them. I would bet that most readers of the Café have heard of School of Rock (or The School of Rock as it is sometimes listed) whether they have seen it or not. Another thing that sits this film apart is that it falls into a unique category (maybe I should create one with this title) of films I have seen more than ten times. (more…)