Monthly Classic Movie Review

Yet again, another classic comedy. Maybe next time I'll review a classic drama. Anyway, I couldn't mention the term "Classic Comedy" without mentioning one of the greatest comedians of all time: Jerry Lewis. I grew up watching his movies and loving every minute of them. He was always a favorite in my family. One of his best is The Ladies Man. Jerry plays both Herbert H. Hebert (the "H" stands for Herbert), the son, and Mama Hebert, the mother. Mama has a bad man-in-drag look that is quite deplorable, and provides for a running joke involving a picture of him/her, that is all too funny. There are some bits in this film that are hallmarks of Jerry's style of Comedy: When Herbert's name is called out during college graduation as the Valedictorian, Jerry vaults into the air, above the heads of the entire standing class, accompanied with a classic Lewis "WOW!!" and runs up to the podium only to quickly say "I am very glad that you choose me!" and run off in a blur. Later on, Jerry finds a nice set of purple crystal flamingos, picking up one of them and swooshing it around in the air, whistling away, while the caretaker sees it, and in a flash is bearing down on him breathlessly saying "OH you don't touch that! You NEVER touch that! It belongs to the owner and it's priceless!!" Jerry then proceeds to break each and every one of them, unintentionally of course, sending the caretaker into a hysterical fit of crying so severe, she has to be pushed out of the room in a lounge chair, unable to move out of shock! This leads to another crying scene between the two later on that is truly priceless.
There is also a scene that is quite surrealistic. I always was so mesmerized by the weirdness of it, yet it is also one of my favorite parts of the film. Jerry delivers mail to each tennant of this very large house where the movie is set. One day, he delivers some mail to a room he has never been in before; it is an extremely large, white room with a white bed and not much else. There is something black hanging from the ceiling. As Jerry approaches it, he realizes it is a person in a black outfit hanging upside down! He turns her around by her head, revealing only her mouth, as the rest of her face is covered in black cloth. She says "Hi honey.", descends from her hanging position, and reveals her face. Then she seductively approaches Jerry, forcing him towards a large area of the room which is all of a sudden filled with the Harry James Orchestra, which proceeds to play a great piece complete with trumpet solo by Mr James himself, while the lady in black dances along. At the end of the piece, the band miraculously disappears, leaving both the lady in black and Jerry alone again. He drops off her mail, and closes the door which causes a loud echo. And that is the end of it. No more do we enter this room. Weird.
I am happy to know that a great deal of the Jerry Lewis comedies are out on DVD, and I am so anxious to add them to my collection and watch them over and over again, without the threat of deterioration and rewinding. VHS is dead. Long live DVD!!!!!