377. The Ladies Man (1961)

Running Time: 98 minutes
Directed By: Jerry Lewis
Written By: Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond
Main Cast: Jerry Lewis, Helen Traubel, Kathleen Freeman, Pat Stanley, Buddy Lester

A DOUBLE SHOT OF LEWIS: 2 of 2

Now we're talkin'! Now this is more along the lines of what I expected when I made the decision to watch a couple of Jerry Lewis flicks. I can't say exactly how it was different from "The Nutty Professor", I can only say that I did enjoy it more.

This time around Jerry is Herbert Herbert Heebert, who immediately following his graduation from college, catches his fiance with another man. Jerry is so broken up over his findings, that he vows to be a bachelor for the rest of his life. Herbert goes to Hollywood in search of a job and eventually finds one at the residence of Helen Wellenmellen (Traubel), a very wealthy woman who offers her home to aspiring young actresses, trying to break into the business. At Ms. Wellenmellen's home, Herbert will be the houseboy - delivering mail, answering phones, cleaning and feeding the house pet, "Baby" (which sounds like a lion, but isn't). When Herbert realizes that he'll be catering to a house full of women, he tries to run away, but Ms. Wellenmellen, with help from the cook, Katie (Freeman), convinces him to stay. Ms. Wellenmellen tells the girls to make Herbert feel needed and if they are able to convince him that he's needed, then maybe he'll stick around. The plot begins and ends there and the rest of the movie is filled with Jerry Lewis bringing the funny.

It's hard not to laugh when watching a Jerry Lewis film, love it or not. For some reason, "The Ladies Man" struck me a whole lot better than "The Nutty Professor" did and it's probably because I expected more from the latter. I mean, "The Nutty Professor" is the one you always hear about, it's the one that got remade in 1996 and it's definitely Lewis' most successful and popular picture. So when I watched it earlier, my expectations were high and what I got didn't meet those expectations. Anyway, this evening, my expectations for "The Ladies Man" were kind of low, considering my opinions for "The Nutty Professor", so when it actually turned out to be a hilarious romp (yeah, romp!) I was surprised. Now granted, it's not the best comedy I've ever seen and Lewis' films are reminding me of 60s era Adam Sandler movies, but it works and it's a whole lot of fun while it lasts. Sure there's still a very corny, very B-rate feel to them, but if you need a good laugh, they're just what the doctor ordered.

Memorable moments in "The Ladies Man" include Herbert's run in with Willard C. Gainsborough (the "C" stands for Killer!) and the introduction of the girls, as they wake up singing and trotting along like pretty, little soldiers and the reveal of the life-size doll house in which they all live. In conclusion, "The Nutty Professor" was a good primer - it got me prepared for Jerry and introduced me to him and his style. While my expectations were high, it failed to meet them, but still made me realize what a talent Lewis was. "The Ladies Man", in my opinion, was actually a funnier, more quality comedy, with even Lewis bringing even more laughs, despite the lack of plot. Now I'm really itching to watch "The Bellboy" and since it's streaming on Netflix (as are "The Nutty Professor", "The Ladies Man" and a few others), I may just have to check it out.

RATING: 7.5/10 Hey, it's no "It's a Gift" or "Sons of the Desert", but it's certainly a solid comedy. And then there were 7!

MOVIES WATCHED: 394
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 607

January 11, 2012 1:43am