I’ve always thought it was rather strange that when I mention to my friends my affinity for Jerry Lewis movies I get the oddest looks. After all, Lewis was considered a comedic genius for years, both during and after his teaming with Dean Martin. Actually to this day, I understand that he is still considered a ‘genius in France.’ The problem, as I see it is that far too many people just don’t remember him for what he accomplished, but rather imagine him doing the same routines today that made him famous. Where that hurts his credibility with new audiences is that they see this naïve and bumbling character with a much older face and physique when he performs it on his Telethons rather than in the original films. The ‘schtick’ that served him so well as a young performer just doesn’t work for him today. That is why I am thrilled that Paramount is releasing 10 of Jerry Lewis’ films in one big collection this month (even going so far as to include one Martin and Lewis title)… even if my friends are less than amused.

I even had to convince my wife to watch a couple of them just so she could see that I wasn’t crazy. Jerry Lewis was enormously talented in his day I was out to prove it. I thought I would start out with my all-time favorite Lewis film, “The Delicate Delinquent.” In his first solo effort, Lewis starred as Sidney Pythias, an awkward young man working as a janitor in a run down apartment building. Having spent most of his life running with the wrong people, he is a bit of a juvenile delinquent. Everyone thinks he’s a loser, even the other delinquents in his neighborhood. Darren McGavin also stars as Mike Damon, a police officer who believes that kids should be given a chance to excel as opposed to just punished. If he can prove his theories, and turn Pythias into an A-1 police officer, he might get the chance with other youths.

I honestly consider “The Delicate Delinquent” to be one of the funniest of Lewis’ films, as well as one of the most poignant. Sure the poignancy is laced with a bit of sap due to the time the film was made (1957), but it still warrants a lot of merit. The film offers some classic moments, most notably in Lewis’ ability to shred the spoken word when faced with difficult to pronounce names or instructions. Or if you are a fan of the Theramin (which is easily one of the oddest musical instruments ever invented), you have to see Lewis’ attempts to play one.

We then moved on the “The Bell Boy.” Here Lewis plays Stanley, a lowly bellboy at an upscale hotel in Miami Beach. What makes his performance here so interesting is his lack of dialogue. Everything laugh he gets comes from facial expressions and some of the most classic displays of slapstick comedy ever filmed. These are tempered by Lewis’s doubling as himself as one of the hotel’s guests. As you might imagine, this causes no end of mistaken identity syndrome.

“The Errand Boy” is another favorite of mine, if for no other reason than it slaps the face of Hollywood cynicism. Set at the interestingly names ‘Paramutual’ Studios, Lewis plays Morty Tashman, who is hired to work in the mail room as a spy. Of course, pandemonium ensues. This is easily one of Lewis’ funniest films and the scene that stands out in my mind involves him walking into an empty boardroom, picking up a cigar and acting like a ‘big-shot producer.’ What makes this such a classic scene is that he does it totally without vocals and instead lip-synchs along with some loud, brassy swing music. Trust me folks, this guy was a talented genius in his day.

Of course, where would we be without “The Nutty Professor,” Lewis’ take on the Jekyll & Hyde story. Here Lewis stars as Julius Kelp, an extremely nerdy Professor at a small town college. Determined to win the girl of his dreams, Kelp creates a potion that will unlock his inner ‘coolness.’ What he gets instead is Buddy Love, and obnoxiously hep cat who wants to woo ALL the ladies. Lewis’ split personality is a hysterical tour de force. This original 1963 film is not to be mistaken for the abysmal Eddie Murphy remake back in 2000.

I believe all of the movies available in this awesome set (see full listing below) are currently available on DVD in single sets, but the price is definitely right if you have it in mind to grab all of these movies at once. Plus, each of the ten films comes with its own set of specials features, mostly in the form of commentaries by Lewis, who is joined on several of the tracks by long time friend Steve Lawrence. In addition, there are some great archival materials for most of the films, with the greatest bulk of the features saved for “The Nutty Professor”, which is undeniably Lewis’ most famous film.

“The Legendary Jerry Collection” is a must own for those fans of Jerry Lewis who aren’t afraid of admitting their admiration for the man’s early body of work. But it is by no means a complete collection. It covers most of his best work, but there are more I’d like to see on a secondary collection, like “The Geisha Boy” or “The Sad Sack.” But for now, it will definitely do!

The Movies and Extra Features:

The Stooge
Theatrical Trailer

The Delicate Delinquent
Theatrical Trailer

The Bellboy
Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
Archival Materials
Theatrical Trailer

Cinderfella
Commentary by Jerry Lewis
Archival Materials

The Ladies Man
Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
Archival Materials

The Errand Boy
Select Scene Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
Archival Materials

The Nutty Professor
Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
The Nutty Professor: Perfecting the Formula
Jerry Lewis at Work
Archival Materials

The Patsy
Select Scene Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
Archival Materials

The Disorderly Orderly
Archival Materials

The Family Jewels
Commentary by Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence
Archival Materials

Specifications: Widescreen Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 10/25/2005
Region 1
Website

We'll give The Ultimate Jerry Lewis Collection an A.