Jerry Lewis Biography (1926-)

Original name, Joseph Levitch (some sources say Jerome Levitch); born March 16, 1926, in Newark, NJ; son of Danny (a master of ceremonies) and Rae (an entertainer) Levitch; married Patti Palmer (a singer), October 3, 1944 (divorced, October 1982); married SanDee Pitnick, February 13, 1983; children: (firstmarriage) Gary (a musician), Ronald (adopted), Scott, Christopher, Anthony, Joseph; (second marriage) Danielle Sara (adopted). Addresses: Agent: APA 9200 Sunset Blvd., Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90069; William Morris Agency,151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Office: Jerry Lewis Films Inc.,3160 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89102.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, comedian, producer, writer, director
Birth Details: March 16, 1926; Newark, New Jersey, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Seymour, My Friend Irma, Paramount, 1949
How to Smuggle a Hernia across the Border, 1949
Seymour, My Friend Irma Goes West, Paramount, 1950
Soldier Korwin, At War with the Army, Paramount, 1950
Junior Jackson, That's My Boy, Paramount, 1950
(Uncredited) Milkman, The Milkman, 1950
Himself, Screen Snapshots: Thirtieth Anniversary Special (short film), Columbia, 1950
Melvin Jones, Sailor Beware, Paramount, 1951
Ted Rogers, The Stooge, Paramount, 1952
Hap Smith, Jumpin' Jacks, Paramount, 1952
(Uncredited) Woman in Lala's dream, Road to Bali, 1952
Harvey Miller, The Caddy, Paramount, 1953
Myron Mertz, Scared Stiff, Paramount, 1953
Virgil Yokum, Money from Home, Paramount, 1953
Homer Flagg, Living It Up, Paramount, 1954
Jerry Hotchkiss, Three Ring Circus (also known as Jerrico, theWonder Clown), Paramount, 1954
Wilbur Hoolick, You're Never Too Young, Paramount, 1955
Eugene Fullstack, Artists and Models, Paramount, 1955
Wade Kingsley, Jr., Pardners, Paramount, 1956
Malcolm Smith, Hollywood or Bust, Paramount, 1956
Himself, Screen Snapshots: Hollywood, City of Stars (documentary short film), Columbia, 1956
Sydney Pythias, The Delicate Delinquent, Paramount, 1957
Meredith T. Bixley, The Sad Sack, Paramount, 1957
Clayton Poole, Rockabye Baby, Paramount, 1958
Gilbert Wooley, The Geisha Boy, Paramount, 1958
John Paul Steckley III, Don't Give Up the Ship, Paramount, 1959
(Uncredited) Itchy McRabbit, Li'l Abner, Paramount, 1959
Kreton, Visit to a Small Planet, Paramount, 1960
Title role, The Bellboy, Paramount, 1960
Fella, Cinderfella, Paramount, 1960
Herbert H. Heebert and Mrs. Heebert, The Ladies' Man, Paramount, 1961
Morty S. Tachman, The Errand Boy, Paramount, 1961
Lester March, It's Only Money, Paramount, 1962
Man who ran over Culpepper's hat, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World(also known as It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World), United Artists, 1963
Raymond Phiffier, Who's Minding the Store?, 1963
Julius F. Kelp, Buddy Love, and other characters, The Nutty Professor (also known as Dr. Jerkyll and Mr. Hyde), Paramount, 1963
Stanley Belt, The Patsy, Paramount, 1964
Jerome Littlefield, Disorderly Orderly, Paramount, 1964
Willard Woodward, Uncle James Peyton, Uncle Eddie Peyton, et al., TheFamily Jewels, Paramount, 1965
Robert Reed, Boeing, Boeing, Paramount, 1965
(Uncredited) Driver, Red Line 7000, Paramount, 1965
Christopher Prise, Warren, et al., Three on a Couch, Columbia, 1966
Peter Matamore, Way ... Way Out, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
Gerald Clamson and Sid Valentine, The Big Mouth, Columbia, 1967
George Lester, Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River, Columbia,1968
Silent Treatment, 1968
Peter Ingersoll/Fred Dobbs, Hook, Line and Sinker, Columbia, 1969
Brendan Byers III and Kesselring, Which Way to the Front? (also known as Ja,ja mein General! But Which Way to the Front?), Warner Bros.,1970
Helmut Doork, The Day the Clown Cried, 1972
Narrator, Rascal Dazzle, 1980
Unemployed circus clown, Hardly Working, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
Wilbur Swain/Caleb Swain, Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (also knownas Slapstick), 1982
Jerry Langford, The King of Comedy, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
Warren Nefron/Dr. Perks, Smorgasbord (also known as Cracking Up), 1983
(In archive footage) Terror in the Aisles, 1984
Himself, Jerry Lewis Live, 1984
Jerry Logan, Retenez-moi ... ou je fais un malheur! (also known asHold Me Back or I'll Have an Accident and To Catch a Cop), Gaumont, 1984
Clovis Blaireau, Par ou t'es rentre? On t'a pas vu sortir (also known as How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave), Gaumont, 1984
Classic Comedy Teams (documentary), GoodTimes Home Video, 1986
Arnold Ross, Cookie, Warner Bros., 1989
Guest, Mr. Saturday Night, Columbia, 1992
Leo Sweetie, Arizona Dreams (also known as The Arrowtooth Waltz), Warner Bros., 1993
(Uncredited) Actor in The Delicate Delinquent clip, Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (documentary), Orion Classics, 1994
George Fawkes, Funny Bones, Buena Vista, 1995
(Uncredited; in archive footage) Himself, Off the Menu: The Last Daysof Chasen's (documentary), 1997
Miss Cast Away, Showcase Entertainment, 2004
Film Work
Director, How to a Smuggle a Hernia across the Border, 1949
Stager of special material in song numbers, Money from Home, 1954
Producer, The Delicate Delinquent, Paramount, 1957
Producer, Rock-a-Bye Baby, 1958
Producer, The Geisha Boy, 1958
Producer and director, The Bellboy, Paramount, 1960
Producer, Cinderfella, 1960
Producer and director, The Ladies' Man, Paramount, 1961
Director, The Errand Boy, Paramount, 1961
Director, The Nutty Professor (also known as Dr. Jerkyll and Mr. Hyde), Paramount, 1963
Director, The Patsy, Paramount, 1964
Executive producer, The Disorderly Orderly, 1964
Producer and director, The Family Jewels, Paramount, 1965
Producer and director, Three on a Couch, Paramount, 1966
Producer and director, The Big Mouth, Columbia, 1967
Producer, Hook, Line & Sinker, 1969
Director, One More Time, United Artists, 1970
Producer and director, Which Way to the Front? (also known as Ja, Ja, mein General! But Which Way to the Front?), Warner Bros., 1970
Director, The Day the Clown Cried, 1972
Director, Hardly Working, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
Director, Smorgasbord (also known as Cracking Up), Warner Bros., 1983
Executive producer, The Nutty Professor, Universal, 1996
Executive producer, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (also known asThe Klumps), Universal, 2000
Also directed comedy shorts: Fairfax Avenue; A Spot in the Shade; Watch on the Lime; Come Back Little Shicksa; Son of Lifeboat; The Re-Inforcer; Son of Spellbound; Melvin's Revenge; I Should Have Stood in Bedlam; The Whistler.
Television Appearances
Series

Guest cohost, The Colgate Comedy Hour (also known as Colgate Variety Hour and Michael Todd Revue), NBC, 1950-55
Host, The Jerry Lewis Show, ABC, 1963
Host, The Jerry Lewis Show, ABC, 1967
Eli Steinberg, Wiseguy, CBS, 1988-89
Movies
Bernie Abrams, Fight for Life, ABC, 1987
Specials
Host, The 28th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1956
Host, The 29th Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1957
Cohost, The 31st Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1959
Master of ceremonies, annual Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon(also known as MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon), 1966-
Himself, The Klowns, ABC, 1970
Himself, Grand ecran: Jerry Lewis (documentary), 1974
Himself, NBC: The First Fifty Years--A Closer Look (documentary; also known as The First 50 Years), NBC, 1976
Ringmaster, Circus of the Stars #3, CBS, 1979
(In archive footage) Himself, The Great Standups, 1984
(In archive footage) Himself, TV's Funniest Gameshow Moments, 1984
Rickles on the Loose, Showtime, 1986
Comic Relief, HBO, 1986
Las Vegas: An All Star 75th Anniversary, ABC, 1987
Himself, An Evening with Sammy Davis, Jr. & Jerry Lewis, HBO,1988
Host, America Picks the All-Time Favorite Movies, ABC, 1988
The 16th Annual Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, syndicated, 1989
Sammy Davis, Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 1990
Larry King TNT Extra, TNT, 1991
Himself, Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to "It's a Mad MadMad Mad World" (documentary), 1991
Himself, Martin & Lewis: Their Golden Age of Comedy (documentary), 1992
Kings of Comedy (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1992
Jerry Alone at the Top (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1992
Birth of the Team (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1992
November 22, 1993: Where Were You? A Larry King Live Special Live fromWashington, TNT, 1993
Jerry Lewis, Total Filmmaker (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1994
Dean & Jerry at the Movies (documentary), The Disney Channel,1994
Dean Martin: Everybody Loves Somebody (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 1995
Presenter, The 49th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1995
Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 1996
Comic Relief's 10th Anniversary, HBO, 1996
Himself, Secret Daughter (documentary), 1996
(Uncredited) Himself, Sports on the Silver Screen (documentary), HBO, 1997
Himself, Dean Martin: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1998
The 12th Annual American Comedy Awards, Fox, 1998
Himself, The Rat Pack (documentary), 1999
Ed McMahon: America's Sidekick (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2000
Tony Curtis: Tony of the Movies (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Himself, Shot Heard 'Round the World (documentary), HBO, 2001
Shot Heard 'Round the World (documentary), HBO, 2001
Himself, Jerry Lewis: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2003
Himself, A&E Biography: Janet Leigh (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2003
(In archive footage) Himself, Cher: The Farewell Tour, NBC, 2003
Himself, Hollywood Legenden (documentary), 2004
Episodic
Himself, Toast of the Town, CBS, 1948
Welcome Aboard, NBC, 1948
Mystery guest, What's My Line?, CBS, 1954, 1960, 1962, 1966
Himself, "The Road to Nairobi," The Jack Benny Program, CBS, 1954
Himself, "Milton Berle," This Is Your Life, NBC, 1956
Himself, "Ernest Borgnine," This Is Your Life, NBC, 1956
Guest panelist, What's My Line?, CBS, 1956, 1961
Joey Rainowitz/Joey Robbins, "The Jazz Singer," Startime (also known as Ford Startime), NBC, 1959
Himself, The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966
Dr. Dennis Green, "A Little Fun to Match the Sorrow," Ben Casey, ABC, 1965
The Andy Williams Show, NBC, 1965
Guest host, Hullabaloo!, NBC, 1965
(Uncredited) Himself, "The Bookworm Turns," Batman, ABC, 1966
Himself, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, NBC, 1968
Himself, Playboy after Dark, 1968
Guest host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975
Magician's assistant, "The Magic Act," The Red Skelton Show, 1970
Celebrity guest, I've Got a Secret, CBS, 1971
Himself, The Carol Burnett Show, 1971
Kraft Music Hall, 1971
Himself, V.I.P.--Schaukel, 1972
Himself, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, CBS, 1972, 1973
Himself, "David Hartman," This Is Your Life, syndicated, 1972
Himself, Klimbim, 1973, 1974
Himself, "Jerry Lewis," Grand ecran, 1974
Himself, Cher, CBS, 1975
Himself, The Sonny and Cher Show, CBS, 1976
Himself, Pink Lady, NBC, 1980
Guest, Late Night with David Letterman, 1982
Host, Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1983
Guest, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1984
Himself, "The Bear," Good Grief, Fox, 1991
Freddy Statler, "The Billionaire," Mad about You, NBC, 1993
Himself, Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 1993, 1995
Crime Master, "Mayor Mask," The Mask, 1995
Crime Master, "Enquiring Masks Want to Know," The Mask, 1996
Himself, The Panel, Ten Network, 1999
Himself, The Martin Short Show, syndicated, 2000
Himself, Russell Gilbert Live, 2000
Voice of Professor John Frank Senior, "Treehouse of Horror XIV," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 2003
Himself, The View, ABC, 2003, 2004
Himself, Richard and Judy, Channel 4, 2004
Himself, Breakfast, BBC, 2004
Himself, Tout le monde en parle, 2004
(In archive footage) Himself, Good Morning Australia, Network Ten,2004
Also appeared in Startime, DuMont; "Jerry Lewis," Celebrity Golf; Inside the Actor's Studio, Bravo; Alan King: Inside the Comedy Mind, Comedy Central; Reflections on the Silver Screen with Professor Richard Brown, AMC.
Television Work
Series
Character, prop designer, executive producer, creator, executive consultant, and story editor, Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?, ABC,1970
Television Executive Producer
Specials
Birth of the Team (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1992
Jerry Alone at the Top (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1992
Kings of Comedy (documentary), The Disney Channel, 1992
Television Director
Episodic
"A Little Fun to Match the Sorrow," Ben Casey, 1965
"In Dreams They Run," The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (also known as The New Doctors), NBC, 1970
Also directed episodes of Good Grief, Fox; Super Force, syndicated.
Radio Appearances
The Martin and Lewis Show, NBC, 1949-53
Stage Appearances
Jerry Lewis at the Palace, Palace Theatre, New York City, 1953
Applegate (the devil), Damn Yankees, Marquis Theatre, New York City, 1994-95, then London, 1997
Major Tours
Applegate (the devil), Damn Yankees, U.S. cities, 1995
RECORDINGS
Singles
"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody," 1956
WRITINGS
Screenplays
The Bellboy, Paramount, 1960
(With Bill Richmond) The Ladies' Man, Paramount, 1961
(With Richmond) The Errand Boy, Paramount, 1961
(With Richmond) The Nutty Professor (also known as Dr. Jerkylland Mr. Hyde), Paramount, 1963
(With Richmond) The Patsy, Paramount, 1964
(With Richmond) The Family Jewels, Paramount, 1965
(With Richmond) The Big Mouth, Columbia, 1967
The Day the Clown Cried, 1972
(Michael Janover) Hardly Working, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
(With Richmond) Cracking Up (also known as Smorgasbord), 1983
Film Scores
The Errand Boy, 1981
Television Episodes
The Jerry Lewis Show, ABC, 1963, 1967
Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?, ABC, 1970
Books
The Total Film-Maker, Random House, 1971
(With Herb Gluck) Jerry Lewis in Person (autobiography), Atheneum,1982

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 2000
The Jerry Lewis Films, MacFarland, 1996
Levy, Shawn, King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis, St.Martin's Press, 1996
Neibaur, James, and Ted Okuda, The Jerry Lewis Films: An Analytical Filmography of the Innovative Comic, McFarland & Company, 1994

Electronic

Jerry Lewis Official Site, http://www.jerrylewiscomedy.com/, October 4, 2004

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