The Patsy (1964) User Reviews

A film of strange and inconsistent brilliance

[mozli · 7/10 · 20 June 2008]

Not a big Jerry Lewis fan but I remembered this one from my childhood and found it very funny but there were whole parts that I didn't "get". Forty years later I think I get it. It isn't supposed to be a comedy in the classic Hollywood sense. Much of the story is about someone who is either socially retarded OR is far more manipulative and ambitious than is apparent to the casual observer.

SPOILERS AHEAD One thing that kept going through my head was Jerry was feeling the heat coming from Lenny Bruce at that time. This film was how he imagined the world would look if HE died suddenly and Lenny Bruce was pushed into his slot. The scene in the small night club with the horribly named 'Step Brothers' was extremely revealing. It appeared that the Stanley character was whacked out on something, drugs or who knows what. The SS firing squad bit seemed more than a bit too much but by this time we're way too deep into Jerry's mind to bail.

I suspect that both Scorsese and the late Robert Altman wanted to pay a type an homage to this film with their works, THE KING OF COMEDY and THE PLAYER. The Patsy is a very good film but not great, too many self-indulgent bits but still worth seeing if want to see the Hollywod system attempt show a mirror to itself circa early sixties.

The Patsy has co-writer, director, and star Jerry Lewis in both hilarious and not-so mode

[tavm · 7/10 · 20 August 2012]

This Jerry Lewis comedy, which he also co-wrote and directed, begins with an unusual premise: a movie star has died and his staff of handlers (Keenan Wynn, Everett Sloane, John Carradine, Phil Harris, Ina Balin, and Peter Lorre who died before this was released) are discussing if they should split up. That would become "no" when Jerry, as bellhop Stanley Belt, shows up and clumsily drops his ice and glasses which makes the team try to make him a star. I'll stop there and just say that while I know that Lewis tends to overdo his shtick, I usually find it funny maybe both because and despite him doing so. I mean, when he mouths in the wrong places his recorded lyrics to his hit song (which I personally don't think would have been a hit even as a novelty tune) or has a disastrous encounter with music teacher Hans Conried (a veteran player of Lewis' movies), I'm so there laughing my head off! And a couple of silent sequences are pretty amusing if not as funny. But when we see Stanley at his night club debut, his accident-prone and mixed-words performance is painful to watch not only to the characters watching but to the actual film audience as well though it's possible Lewis meant it that way. There's also some entertaining tap dancing by The Four Step Brothers and some cool shoe shine-bopping by Scatman Crothers even though his character borders on an African-American stereotype though even there you get something of an edge in modern humor at the end of that bit. After the aforementioned night club bit, it loses some steam but the ending more than makes up for it. Oh, and cameos by the likes of Hedda Hopper and Ed Sullivan are also fine for the good sports they show up as. So on that note, The Patsy is well worth a look for any Lewis fan out there. P.S. This is one of the few movies that both Keenan and his father, Ed Wynn, both show up in though in this case, they have no scenes together. Oh, and Sullivan mentions both Martin & Lewis and The Beatles as among those that made their TV debut on his show, having filmed his scene not long after The Fab Four's first appearance with him on February 9, 1964.

Extremely funny

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 24 April 2009]

An extremely funny Jerry Lewis movie in which Lewis plays a bellhop who happens to be the lookalike of a famous (very Jerry Lewis-like) celebrity. When the celebrity dies, the bellhop steps in...of course. In no time he's made into a superstar by handlers Peter Lorre, Phil Harris, etc. Not in a league with THE DISORDERLY ORDERLY or THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, but still a very worthy piece of work from the prolific Lewis (he co-wrote the script and directed as well). Lewis is hysterical and he's surrounded himself with a lot of great talent, none of whom gets short shrift in the mix...a very funny Hans Conried, a bizarre Nancy Kulp, and Richard Deacon pop up and Lewis's leading lady is the effervescent Ina Balin. With a really clever ending proving why Lewis was such an innovative film-maker. George Raft makes one his many '60s cameos playing himself along with Ed Wynn, Mel Torme and, of course, Hedda Hopper.

Jerry Lewis plays the fall guy

[didi-5 · 6/10 · 16 September 2005]

An office boy is turned into the great new sensation - a 'patsy' of a committee of old timers. Jerry Lewis is Stanley Belt, a clumsy, dumb kind of a man who seems the perfect fall guy to generate income for those pulling the strings.

A strong supporting cast - Everett Sloane, Peter Lorre, Keenan Wynn, Phil Harris, John Carradine - shine in support of Lewis; while Ina Balin provides decoration and a love interest.

'The Patsy' is slightly self-indulgent and presents both the best and the worst of Jerry Lewis, although when it is funny, it is well worth watching - the piece where Lewis sings on television is hilarious.

If you're a Lewis fan, don't miss. If you're not, perhaps this isn't the one to start with. If you have no feelings either way, it is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, with some general interest for film buffs.

Jerry's Thinking More than Usual in this Deep Display of Nuttiness

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 27 July 2014]

The Prolific, Near-Genius, Self-Indulgent, and as Always Self-Referential Jerry Lewis is at it Again. Pushing Film Conventions just a Nudge, not Over the Edge, Never Wanting to be Totally Dismissed and Forever Seeking Approval, He Managed to be Creative as well as, Like Most Comedians, Inconsistent.

Jerry's Fans Rate this One Pretty HIgh, some Considering it His Best along with The Nutty Professor (1963). It is Deeper than His Other Movies and Lewis, who was a Constant Thinker, seemed to be Thinking Overtime on this One.

Like All Jerry Lewis Movies this has some Very Funny Bits and His Comic Timing is in Evident Here with a Scene Involving Voice Lessons and Antiques. The Sight Gags in Jerry's Movies are Consistently Innovative and Succeed without Fail, One after Another.

Armed with an All-Star Supporting Cast and a Number of Cameos, the Perennial Clown just might have Reached too Far on this One because in this Film when it is Embarrassing (most Jerry Lewis Films include cringe-inducements) it is Really Embarrassing, like in the Nightclub Scene.

Overall, this is One of Jerry's more Ambitious Movies and Probably One of HIs Best, although that's Debatable. Still if You are one of those that can Only take a Smattering of the Jerry Lewis Charm, this is Probably one You should Check Out. It's got it All.

Silk Purse Out of a Sow's Ear Dept.!

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 28 September 2018]

In "The Patsy", Jerry Lewis was able to assemble a long list of respected character actors. Nevertheless what resulted was a weak unlikely comedy.

A famous comedian is killed in a plane crash. His production team producer Caryl Ferguson (Everett Sloane), writer Chic Wymore (Phil Harris), publicist Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), director Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre), dresser Bruce Arden (John Carradine) and secretary Ellen Betz (Ina Balin) are left without their meal ticket. They decide to find an unknown (guess who?) and make him into a star.

Bell boy Stanley Belt (Lewis) happens to stumble (to put it mildly) into the meeting of the team and is picked as the new meal ticket to be. They try to make him into something he isn't with mixed results. First Richard Deacon is assigned the task of outfitting him, next Hans Conried (in one of the film's highlights) tries to teach him how to sing. Next is a trip to the barber (Neil Hamilton) and the stereotypical shoe-shine boy (Scat Man Crothers). He next goes to record a song with Phil Foster in charge and then appears at a small night club Emceed by Jerry Lester.

Finally, Stanley is ready to throw in the towel but is convinced by lady love Ellen to soldier on. Incredibly, Stanley gets booked on the Ed Sullivan show where he ad libs his performance and...........................................................................

Lewis gets plenty of opportunities to display his comedic talents but there's nothing out of the ordinary. Quite a list of cameos though including George Raft, Rhonda Fleming, Hedda Hopper, The Four Step Brothers (in an entertaining dance number), Mel Torme and Ed Wynn. Kennan Wynn's son Ned also appears as a band member making it three generations of the Wynn family in the film.

Also appearing are Lewis regulars Del Moore, Benny Rubin, Robert Ivers, Richard Bakalyan and Fritz Feld. Kathleen Freeman is supposed to be in there some place but I missed her. And the ending, what was that all about?

A sad footnote. Peter Lorre, who didn't want to do this film but needed the money, passed away only days after the film was completed. Watch his expression as he makes his final curtain call. Lorre and Carradine had appeared in several classic horror films back in the day. This was a an unfortunate ending to their long relationship.

Had a few good brief points

[QueenoftheGoons · 1/10 · 25 August 2022]

It was pretty much annoying like many of his other movies. He takes forever on his kits. Do the scene and move on and he just drags and drags it out. Loved it that Conried was in it. He's so cute. Liked the Stepbrothers in it. Loved Lorre & Scatman. Honestly though i don't know how Lewis got to be famous.

Jerry Lewis, one of the kind

[Petey-10 · 10/10 · 23 August 2006]

This is Jerry Lewis at his best.Sure I could say the same thing about him in many other movies.The master clown plays this time a bellboy named Stanley Belt.A star comedian dies, so they want to train a nobody, in this case Stan the bellboy, to be the new star.But hiring Stan to fill the shoes of the comedian really isn't such a good idea.He can't do anything right and there are so many things he has to do.So many things he has to learn, and there's not too much time to learn it all.The Patsy (1964): directed by Jerry Lewis, writing credits Jerry Lewis and Bill Richmond.This is a funny comedy with a deeper meaning.Jerry does his comic act with his own unique style, that many have tried to imitate.But let's face it; nobody is better than the original.Ina Balin is a terrific leading lady.She plays Ellen Betz and is really sweet in her part.Everett Sloane is Caryl Fergusson and he's marvelous.Phil Harris is great as Chic Wymore.Keenan Wynn is wonderful as Harry Silver.Also his father, Ed Wynn can be seen in the movie.And so can Keenan's son Ned Wynn.Peter Lorre does his final movie role in The Patsy.He was a great, great actor in both comedies and more serious roles.Scatman Crothers is there to give shine to the shoes.Then there are people you may recognize from other Lewis movies, like Del Moore, Buddy Lester and Nancy Kulp.Some people are there as themselves, like Hedda Hopper, Rhonda Fleming, George Raft, Mel Tormé and Ed Sullivan.Not too many movies have a cast like that! Two of my favorite scenes are where Jerry paints a tuxedo on himself and the flashback sequence showing Jerry as a youngster in a dance where the girls don't want to dance with him.Those scenes show what a great mime Jerry really is.Here in Finland they have been showing Jerry Lewis movies on Sundays this summer.The last time they showed his movies successively was in 1998.Now I can see the tragedy in Jerry's characters better than I did back then.Then I saw only the crazy and zany and funny man.Now I can see his characters are often tragic figures who also happen to be very funny.Jerry Lewis can still make me laugh like crazy.Jerry is a fool with heart.Nobody can do it like Jerry Lewis.

Not Jerry's Best But Still Funny

[edge-16 · 10 November 1999]

If your a big Jerry Lewis fan, and I am, you will enjoy The Patsy. It's not his funniest, at least on a consistent basis, but it does have it's share of big laughs. The premise is that a big music star perishes in a plane crash and his associates, including Claude Raines and John Carradine, need to find a replacement. In steps bumbling Jerry as a hotel employee who must be turned into the next big music star. Some hilarious scenes such as Jerry being groomed in a beauty salon, being "taught" how to sing by the always dependable Hans Conried and Jerry's attempt at lip-synching his hit song on TV. again, not his best but enjoyable and funny enough for me!

Amazing Cast, but Falls Short

[Ziglet_mir · 6/10 · 30 March 2020]

The Patsy boasts a fantastic cast but falls incredibly short. Lewis is rather cringeworthy in a handful of sequences here with the exception of about three skits (the ice in the beginning, the chair/seat sketch somewhere in the middle) and the finale). It's also worth mentioning Lewis was fantastic at breaking the 4th wall and using scene set-up and prop set-up rather masterfully. He just doesn't keep it consistent enough in this. It would also help if he didn't babble nonsense so much. Worth watching if your a fan of Lewis. Definitely doesn't crack his best work though.

Another Example of Jerry Being Self-Indulgent

[atlasmb · 3/10 · 20 July 2013]

This is another Jerry Lewis film I could not finish.

Once again he plays the same character--a bumbling idiot whose sole purpose in life, it seems, is to make mistakes. The plot of this film was bad enough, but the silliness is compounded when it asks us to invest time in a character that is clownish. I can enjoy watching a simpleton if the act has some subtlety, but not when the act is transparently stupid. That we expect of circus clowns. For example, when Jerry drops a tray of ice and glasses, and he pretends to try to pick them up, we see him squeeze each ice cube he picks up so that it shoots out of his hand. That is not physical comedy at its best. That is insulting.

There are other Lewis films that are worth seeing. This is not one. For example, try The King of Comedy. Some of Jerry's movies with Dean are actually good, perhaps because someone else had control of the production and could keep Jerry in check.

The Entourage That Wouldn't Die

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 19 August 2009]

There isn't a big star that you can name who doesn't have an entourage. These folks have their careers rise and fall with the stars that time and circumstance has attached them to. But what does happen to these people if the star is taken out of the picture. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were known for their large entourages and I daresay right at this moment there any number of people trying to figure out what the future holds for them with Michael Jackson's demise.

The Patsy examines one such entourage who when its star, a popular comedian is killed in a plane crash, they will not just disperse. They function as a team and all they need is another star. Where to find one however.

And that's where Jerry Lewis comes in, an innocent schlep of a bellboy who comes in with an ice tray wreaking havoc in the typical Lewis manner. The rest of the film is devoted to how well they succeed in their objective.

As one of the last players under studio contract, Paramount kept in the black pretty much during the Fifties and Sixties because of Jerry Lewis. Either with Dino or later as a solo, Jerry's films made money and gradually he got creative control over them. In this one he directs as well.

It's not his best work, but it's still pretty good with some really hilarious performances. Jerry Lewis has a reputation as an egotist, but you would not know it in The Patsy, he was quite generous in giving time to the fine cast he assembled. The entourage consists of Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Ina Balin, John Carradine, Keenan Wynn, and in his last film Peter Lorre. You're not going to hold too tight a rein on this group of scene stealers and Lewis doesn't even try.

Best scene in the film however is with Hans Conreid as a voice teacher the entourage hires for Lewis. It involves Jerry with a snooty Hans who is also an antique collector. Let's just say the laughs are equally for Hans as they are for Jerry.

And the ending is something that Mel Brooks could have used. In fact I'm not sure Brooks didn't appropriate an idea or two for some of his films.

The Patsy is a great introduction to Jerry Lewis and I know his fans count it among his best.

One of Lewis' better 60-films

[mogensenf · 7/10 · 24 January 2023]

Jerry Lewis directing Jerry Lewis, shouldn't that go wrong? No not really. The Lewis-films nearly always rely on his physical acting, which must be seen as his strongest asset. This is also true in "The Patsy" and it's actually going very well. At least for the first hour of the film. Perhaps it should have been a little shorter.

Jerry plays the bellhop Stanley, who serves at a hotel. Now in that hotel a group of employees of a newly dead comedian are talking about their future. One of them Morgan Heywood (played by Peter Lorre) gets the idea to find a man that they first of all can control, and secondly teach the trade of entertainment. After Stanley have tried to serve the team champagne (with ice, wet ice!) They find that he well be the perfect new man. Now this starts the most fun part of the film, he tries his luck at singing recording and what else he needs to know. Along the way the secretary of the team Ellen (Ina Balin) and Stanley falls in love. All that takes about an hour, sadly the last 40 minutes doesn't live up to the good start. The solution to, if Stanley will be successful and if he and Ellen will be a pair. Guess yourselves our even better see the film.

Jerry Lewis at his worst.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 25 August 2012]

A famous celebrity dies in the opening scene. His group of handlers are sad--not just at his death but because they're out of jobs. Then one gets a brainstorm--pool their talents and create a new star. Then, they can keep their jobs. They're a cocky group and decide it doesn't matter if they guy they pick has talent and they pick the first schmuck they meet--a loud and clumsy bellboy (Lewis). They then proceed to make him a star--singing one of the most annoying ditties I've ever heard. There's more to it than that, but frankly I couldn't make myself finish the movie--it was THAT annoying.

This film began with the worst possible job of mugging for the camera I have ever seen--with Jerry Lewis WAY overdoing EVERYTHING. He drops glasses and each time he picks up ice, it slips out of his hands--again and again. And the way he talks....uggh!! He never finishes a single sentence and this is what is supposed to be comedy?! I was so annoyed but decided to keep watching...it couldn't get worse. And I was right, it didn't get any worse...but it didn't get any better. It's a shame, as I have watched a bunch of his movies lately and enjoyed most of them. This one, however, just seemed VERY self-indulgent, loud, poorly timed and unfunny. It's a shame, as he could be funny and likable--here he's just obnoxious and lacks humanity. A clear misfire and I don't seem to see what some others loved about this film--it's just no enjoyable in the least.

Jerry Lewis Goes Nuts Again

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 14 October 2010]

After lucrative comedian "Wally Brandford" dies in a plane crash, his management team decides to make bumbling bellhop Jerry Lewis (as Stanley Belt) a replacement. Mr. Lewis manages to have a hit record with "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie", but his nightclub appearance bombs big time. The film's premise seems to suggest you should laugh at Lewis being unfunny. Eventually, he finds success with secretary Ina Balin (as Ellen Betz). Although you can see it coming a mile away, the segment with antique collector Hans Conried is nicely done. And, the enjoyable "Spring Hop" flashback shows Lewis in his element.

**** The Patsy (7/8/64) Jerry Lewis ~ Jerry Lewis, Ina Balin, Everett Sloane, Peter Lorre

A Director as star in this classic

[yesfan2012 · 10/10 · 27 April 2012]

What makes this movie a Lewis gem is his terrific direction behind the lens.Jerry breaks the boundaries between fiction and reality,audience and story.The ending of the film shows that Stanley is actually Jerry,and his falling off the building leads to a shot of camera and crew.Jerry then states,"The people in the theater know i ain't gonna die;I'm gonna make more movies,so i couldn't die" while walking off the set with Ina Balin calling him a nut.So the ending is not a closing of a fictional tale but a revealing of reality in the form of Jerry exiting stage left off to make another movie.This can be maddening to some but what makes Lewis revolutionary to me. His opening of the film with Stanley falling out a window and falling with credits running only to hit a diving board and landing back in the room is terrific in form.The use of the mirror when Stanley is being fit for a suit wanting to look like is idol George Raft,Raft appearing in the shot as a reflection of Stanley.The Director is the star,brilliant.

GREAT SUPPORTING VETERAN ACTORS!

[whpratt1 · 3/10 · 24 April 2003]

Jerry Lewis is a great talent and has given plenty of laughs for millions of people, however, this picture is just plain CRAZY and way out. Jerry Lewis needed the support of all time Classic greats as Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, John Carradine(Dracula 1940's), George Raft, Hans Conried, Hedda Hopper, Ed Wynn along with many other greats. I noticed that even Peter Lorre("Beast with Five Fingers") with all his great acting talent made this his final swan song. If you like to see some of the truly great classic actors, who sometimes just briefly appear, please view this picture and also everyone who loves JERRY LEWIS !

Jerry's "Citizen Kane" !

[eugenesandor · 10/10 · 15 June 2007]

This masterpiece, IS by far, Jerry Lewis's best movie! It has a similar plot to other films like; Errand Boy, Bellboy, but it's as if Jerry took it up a big notch, and threw in every strange thought that was going through his head! The opening scenes, where he is being offered "the deal" to make him a star, is worth the price of admission. It does lose a bit of steam towards the end, but overall, the gags,music,etc.. are first rate! Jerry was so ahead of his time. This hilarious & strange movie, predicted the whole "American Idol", and no-talent reality show personalities, that we all have thrown in our faces daily! Get the DVD for some cool bonus features, and dig that 60's color!

A tale told by an idiot

[Anne_Sharp · 1/10 · 23 July 2001]

In this celluloid atrocity Jerry Lewis moviestar/filmmaker/screenwriter/egomaniac at large rips off his former director Frank Tashlin's "The Girl Can't Help It," substituting himself for Jayne Mansfield and surrounding himself with a phalanx of veteran performers (Peter Lorre, John Carradine, Phil Harris, Keenan Wynn, and for that extra touch of "Citizen Kane," Everett Sloane) in an apparent attempt to make himself look classier, or funnier, or something. Whatever he was trying to do with this picture, it didn't work.

Some big laughs early on cannot compensate for half-hearted script...

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 19 July 2017]

Accident-prone bellhop at the Beverly Hilton is groomed for stardom by a group of show biz people eager to keep their cushy jobs after their star-client perishes in a plane crash (oh, the hilarity!). Jerry Lewis in another plush Paramount comedy, which he also directed and co-wrote with Bill Richmond, but one that doesn't have any central interest in its own plot. Lewis' klutz is supposed to be replacing a TV comedy star, but first he has to cut a hit record and lip-synch it on a teenage dance show. One isn't sure if the project got away from Lewis or if he just lost interest in seeing the picture through. He's assembled a colorful cast of old pros, and there's a hilarious bit involving music teacher Hans Conried, but after the first 30 minutes it's just frittered away. The worst line is given to Ina Balin, describing Jerry's bellboy: "He's really very shy." Who were they kidding? *1/2 from ****

Much Better than Nutty Professor

[tomas_blaskori · 10/10 · 9 June 2006]

Jerry's best work, he is hilarious in this one, and he plays the character that made me a Jerry fan, the guy who says, "Hey laaady", not the freak he played in Nutty Professor... Anyone who doesn't like this movie is not a fan of comedy, they're fans of Paulie Shore... Love Jerry, Love the Patsy, thats what it's all about, home alone!

Woody Allen has even commented on how Jerry's direction in this film is Superb...

The whole ice dropping bellboy scene near the beginning, still makes me laugh like a wild man!

Jerry is the King of Comedy and this is his crown jewel!

" Discovering who we are is made more difficult when others help you "

[thinker1691 · 8/10 · 9 September 2010]

It isn't often a great talent is properly packaged in the guise of a man, most people would not give a second look. Yet, when the popular comedy duo of Martin and Lewis broke up, the worry centered on Dean Martin. Jerry Lewis on the other hand was so multi-talented, no one gave much though that he would succeed. This exceptional comedian assembled his talent and created movies like this one. It's called " The Patsy " and tells the story of Standley Belt (Jerry Lewis) a virtual no-body who is selected by a group of agents, trainers and talent specialists to replace their lost meal ticket. The problem which is central to the group is that Standley possesses little or no natural talent and despite the best trainers,seems doomed to failure. Jerry Lewis wrote, directed and starred in this grand production which includes top name actors. Ina Balin, plays Ellen Betz, the one person in the group who does care for Standley's success. Of course there are others like Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Keenan Wynn, Peter Lorre, John Carradine, Richard Deacon and of course the late great Hans Conried. Together, under the auspices of Jerry, this film become one of a dozen triumphs. With Lewis as the Patsy, it has becomes a Classic. ****

Meandering Jerry

[george.schmidt · 10 April 2003]

THE PATSY (1964) ** Jerry again a bell-hop, again mistakenly hired - this time as a new star-to-be who has no talent whatsoever.