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The Martin and Lewis Collection - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in The Stooge

review of The Stooge, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis first became famous as a nightclub act, graduating to radio, television and the movies. It was a very successful partnership, but it was a partnership that had its’ share of tension and personality conflicts. The movie The Stooge mirrors that conflict, as well as recreating some of their hilarious night club act.
In The Stooge, Dean Martin plays the role of Bill Miller, a struggling vaudeville entertainer in need of good material and success. After the loss of a partner, and a failed attempt as a solo act, he desperately agrees to hire a “stooge.” A “stooge” is an entertainer planted in the audience as comedy relief (in fact, that’s where the Three Stooges got their name - the act was originally Ted Healy and his Three Stooges).
The Stooge is, of course, Jerry Lewis, playing the role of Ted Rogers. Chemistry is established between the two, and the act soon rockets to success, followed shortly after by the conflicts between the two men: Dean Martin’s character, Bill Miller has a swollen ego makes it impossible for him to share the credit for their success, or to give equal billing. This conflict leads to the climactic stage scene; if you think that the movie ends with the partnership dissolving, you’re wrong. To see how the movie really ends, you’ll have to see it for yourself.
Along the way, there are several presentations of Martin and Lewis’ own stage act, which is utterly hilarious.
Jerry Lewis plays his normal character, although with more humanity than normal, and Martin’s dramatic moments truly stick out as examples of the very good actor that Dean Martin could be.

Trivia about The Stooge starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

The Stooge is Jerry Lewis’ favorite of all the movies that he made with Dean Martin, feeling that the recreated stage acts captured some of the spirit of Martin and Lewis’ live stage act
Though filmed in 1951, it was held up release till 1953 because Paramount was unsure of its box office appeal due to its extensive dramatic moments.

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About the Author

Tom Raymond, aka. Raynbow the Clown, is a professional clown working out of Madison, Wisconsin, and is available for ministry events, conventions and conferences.

Posted by Tom Raymond, aka Raynbow on 06/17 at 08:50 PM
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