Hey pallies, likes on the heels of our most Dino-devoted pallie Danny G.'s outstandin' Dino-serenade of "Side By Side" featurin' our most beloved Dino and the Jer, comes reports all over the web 'bout a new documentary on Mr. Lewis tagged “Method To The Madness Of Jerry Lewis,” which will 'pear on Encore later this year.
Likes as part of the promotion for the new documentary, Mr. Lewis was interviewed recently by the Television Critics' Association summer press tour Starz and Encore 'bout his career in comedy. As you will see from the report below written by Miss April MacIntyre and posted on the Monsters and Critics blog pad, Mr Lewis, in her words, "frankly flung his opinion fast and furious, taking no prisoners."
And, likes what was the "King Of Comedy's frank words on our "King of Cool?"
"I wouldn’t want do that with the necessity of keeping time a factor in this presentation today. In order for me to talk about my partner [Dean Martin] I would need some time, because he earned that. Not only the time, but the respect
of the work, and the admiration and the courage, and all of the good stuff he made of me in the ten years that he was my teacher. That’s all I can tell you about that right now."
Likes I am so so totally thrilled to hear Mr. Lewis speak in such lovin' tones 'bout our most beloved Dino....using terms likes "respect, admiration, and courage." How likes absolutely outstandin' to hear these most repectful words of praise..."all of the good stuff he made of me in the ten years that he was my teacher."
This is the first time that I can ever recall that Mr. Lewis referred to our most beloved Dino as his "teacher." Indeed our Dino is the wisest of the wise knower of worldly ways and for the decade of their partnership our great man musta constantly been impartin' his knowledge to his student.
Image the awe and wonder of havin' our most beloved Dino as your mentor and guide formin' and directin' your path in the world. Indeed, likes Mr. Jerry Lewis is the most blessed of all men to have have been able to sit at the feet of his masterful teacher Dino!
Likes makes my heart glow to hear Mr. Jerry Lewis speak so so frankly 'bout his transformin' relationship with our most beloved Dino! Can't wait to see the new documentary and see and hear him speak of their decade together!
ilovedinomartin sez our appreciato to "Monsters and Critics" and to correspondant Miss April MacIntyre for sharin' this with us. To view this in it's original format, likes just clicks on the tag of this Dino-gram. Dino-learnin', DMP
Jerry Lewis speaks truth to Television power
By April MacIntyre Jul 30, 2011, 20:24 GMT
When you get to the age of 85, the truth tends to be told, no matter how harsh or direct it seems, Yesterday's Television Critics' Association Starz and Encore panels featured living legend and humanitarian Jerry Lewis, who frankly flung his opinion fast and furious, taking no prisoners.
When you get to the age of 85, the truth tends to be told, no matter how harsh or direct it seems.
Yesterday's Television Critics' Association summer press tour Starz and Encore panels featured living legend and humanitarian Jerry Lewis, who frankly flung his opinion fast and furious, taking no prisoners.
Mr. Lewis lowered the boom on a lazy and cheap television industry, even bristling at the mere usage of "TV" referring to the medium.
Lewis said, "I love my industry. I love what it does. I don’t allow people in my family to use the term “TV.” That’s stupid. It’s “television.” It’s a miracle. It’s entitled to that respect. And that’s the way I am about it. And when I watch it, I want it to grab me. I want it to be like I ran home and I made sure to be there before
goddamn 'Law & Order' went on, and long before the 'Jack Webb' — the cop shows. Where we ran home to see [Milton] Berle on a Tuesday night. Nobody wants to
run home now and see anything. They run home and hope there’s something. And we got to fix that."
Lewis was on panel to promote his upcoming Encore documentary "Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis" set to air in the fall.
Also on panel was producer/director Gregg Barson. The documentary is an intimate portrait of Jerry’s career, which is one that spanned many decades.
Lewis was frankly disgusted and saddened by reality television's hold on programming, and was not going to advocate social media either.
Monsters and Critics asked Mr. Lewis about the video assist machine he reportedly "invented" on the 1959/1960 film "Cinderfella."
Monsters and Critics: I’ve always been fascinated by the engineering part of your genius. In 1960 it was my understanding that you invented the video-assist-type machine, or you perfected it. If you could clarify the video monitor that you helped directors to watch playback, if you could talk about that?
Jerry Lewis: If the directors are wise enough to use the tool, they’ll see that it will assist them indefinitely with film, digital, or otherwise because you’re able to have a crew see what you’ve done, and in a playback you can get a move on the
camera corrected, you can get makeup on a young lady who’s glaring. But we can’t see the glare that much. We reverse the polarity in the video, and we can go right to that mark. So it’s an incredible tool for everybody. And I invented the
process in 1955. And I’ve used it ever since.
And there is not a production in the world today that begins without the video assist. Thank God. My children love it. My grandchildren are going love it
even better."
Mr. Lewis also spoke of his classics being remade for a new audience: “Cinderfella”
and “The Bellboy."
"Yes, we’re making them. I’m doing “The Family Jewels” is the first project we’re
doing with John Travolta and his daughter. We’re very excited about that because it’s a great coup to get John for that part. It’s my financial pleasure, let’s put it that way."
Mr. Lewis refused to get into a drawn out conversation of his deceased film partner Dean Martin, who he thinks of everyday and was quite emotional about in the clips shown with them together.
"I wouldn’t want do that with the necessity of keeping time a factor in this presentation today. In order for me to talk about my partner [Dean Martin] I would need some time, because he earned that. Not only the time, but the respect
of the work, and the admiration and the courage, and all of the good stuff he made of me in the ten years that he was my teacher. That’s all I can tell you about that right now."
Today's television landscape left Mr. Lewis a tad melancholic about what was, and what is the status of the medium today.
"You just have to be bad," said Mr. Lewis about how to make it in the business today. "The business is scrounging around for what to do. And the first thing a good comic must do is let them know he hasn’t changed. He can bring that same
veracity, and that same performance to a medium that’s running around knocking their brains out trying to see how we beat the fat lady at 375 pounds, and in four
months she’s going to be 240. Who gives a shit?"
Mr. Lewis continued. "It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And kids, they get on “American Idol.” They’re all McDonald’s wipe-outs. They’ve all been dumped. They’ve worked there and now they’re doing that. And of course they all play a guitar, which takes the place of music."
"We don’t have the soul in our industry that we had when I was working. And the soul has been desperately deteriorated, only because you got a guy that’s running
a network whose aunt died and left him some stock. So someone says, “Make me a malted,” and he said, “Poof, you’re a malted.” He’s now an executive in charge of entertainment. Do I sound pessimistic?"
Mr. Lewis finished his thought on the entertainment industry. "The industry has destroyed themselves. The motion picture industry now is no longer, as far as I’m concerned. And we can fix it. But it’s no longer, because they put all of their product on the goddamn stupid [smart] phone. You’re going to put 'Lawrence of Arabia' on that stupid son of a bitch?"
From Starz/Encore
Kings aren’t born; they’re made. From his legendary partnership with Dean Martin to his revolutionary film career, Jerry Lewis’ meteoric rise to “King of Comedy” has spanned decades and shows no signs of slowing down.
“Method To The Madness Of Jerry Lewis” takes a contemporary look at the living legend through never-before-seen footage, and interviews with today’s biggest stars like Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Quentin Tarantino and more. Follow Lewis’ storied career as an unrivaled comedian, actor, director, producer, writer, singer and one of the world’s most well known philanthropists. Plus, get an intimate look at the ever-vibrant and charismatic man himself as he travels the world continuing his comedic reign at the ripe, young age of 85.
Starring: Jerry Lewis
The Interviews: Alec Baldwin, Jerry Seinfeld, Quentin Tarantino, Chevy Chase, Carol Burnett, Richard Belzer, Carl Reiner, John Landis, Richard Lewis, and Eddie Murphy
Jerry Lewis: Mr. Lewis refused to get into a drawn out conversation of his deceased film partner Dean Martin, who he thinks of everyday and was quite emotional about in the clips shown with them together.
ReplyDeleteI never much cared for the comedic style of Jerry Lewis. But the man is a mensch, especially when it comes to how much he loved and still loves our Dino. Despite the breakup of the partnership, Lewis has never uttered a bad word about our Dino.
I think that our Dino was Jerry Lewis's idol.
Hey pallie, Miss AOW I likes totally totally agree with you..our Dino means EVERYTHIN' to Mr. Lewis....likes as I have said before, I am totally totally jealous of the relationship that Jerry had with our most beloved Dino...no one ever got as close to our great man as Mr. Lewis....keeps lovin' our Dino!
ReplyDeleteREALLY good stuff. I agree with AOW. Never cared too much about Jerry's style but it was sad to see their friendship like that after they broke their team, but made it so much more awesome when they reunited. It's something that even Frank Sinatra did not get the privlege to enjoy with Dino.
ReplyDeleteHey pallie, likes I agree with you....indeed the sayin' "absence makes the heart grow fonder" woulda apply to Jerry's waitin' for the return of his beloved Dino...and it is clear that Mr. Lewis always has and always will adore our Dino...keeps lovin' our Dino...and seein' your commments reminds me to try and restart your Dino-interview...
ReplyDelete