Purely Joyful Movie!

Overrated and overhyped

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Containing no story, or plot, whatsoever - (Just an onslaught of erratic and clumsily inter-weaved sight gags) - "The Bellboy" was written, produced, and directed by Jerry Lewis who, of course, also starred himself as Stanley, the title character.With its prevailing "Anything-For-A-Laugh" mentality - If "The Bellboy" was really supposed to be Jerry Lewis at his comical best - Then - I'd sure hate to see him at his unfunniest worst.Set at the luxurious Hotel Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida - I could hardly believe that a hotel of this one's high calibre would ever hire such an idiot as Stanley to attend to their guests.Produced on a $900,000 budget - "The Bellboy" (filmed in b&w) made back 10x that amount upon its initial theatrical release back in 1960.

Stanley (Jerry Lewis) is a bumbling, mostly-silent bellboy at a high class hotel. He gets into wacky slapstick situations. There is a cavalcade of comedic luminaries passing through including a big star played by Jerry Lewis himself.This is a physical performance almost from a silent era. It goes from one situation to another. It can be rambling as the central narrative isn't well-developed. It is simply Jerry having slapstick fun. There isn't really a plot. At only 72 minutes, it doesn't necessarily need a compelling plot. It is short enough that the random physical comedy is fun before I got bored with it.

Jerry Lewis's directorial debut is 72 minutes of sight gag after sight gag as Lewis plays a bellboy at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami. Despite the harassment of co-workers and bullying of managers, Lewis manages to get EVERY job thrown at him done in his own outrageous ways. He also plays two roles...the other being himself(!), in town for an engagement at the hotel. Lewis is priceless in both roles, pantomiming his bellboy role and playing it straight as himself. There are many highlights in the film, from Lewis making the long walk across an insanely large empty theater to dozens of hotel guests trying unlock their rooms with the wrong key. The supporting cast includes Alex Gerry, Bob Clayton and two actresses playing Mrs. Hartunga! Milton Berle has a very clever cameo.

Well...the previous comments made me interested in seeing this film. But to call it a film is akin to calling advertising art. The film although quite old neither has the art or humour that slapstick or verbal comedy is supposed to have.It is a self-indulgent piece of fluff that doesn't highlight Lewis's obvious ability from other films and worse...involves other names from the era...notably Milton Berle and a Stan laurel look-alike that looks almost as embarrassed as the real Laurel would have been had he not wisely chosen not to appear.As homage even it fails. Silent film would have suited this better...but no...we get sound...because the silly faces just aren't enough.It may be that I am spoiled by watching so much comedy over the years (and yes...this film was made the year before I was born) but there is no real substance to the jokes...subtlety was not what I was looking for...after all..slapstick is hardly ever subtle...but sledgehammer and jokes telegraphed from Pluto was just a bit pathetic.The film is however watchable on a few levels.It highlights a man determined to milk the cow as much as possible while his star was ascendant...and that for whatever it means...is clearly a clever ploy on a managerial level.It highlights his obvious desire to be visible as much as possible...to the point of playing himself...It is so bad that just watching it makes you chuckle wryly about his motives.Worth a look just to see that the movie-going public in 1960 were just as gullible about BIG NAMES as they are now...no matter what dross they put out.There is no real wit...I guess that is my major grief with the film...no point to it even (and I realise it was shot in 4 weeks and had no plot) but it truly amazed me that so many people commented on the comedic genius of THIS film compared to some of the rest of his oeuvre...