Cinderfella (1960)

I love this movie so much

hyped garbage

good back-story, and good acting

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

When you talk to many people about Jerry Lewis and his films, you often get extreme reactions. Some think he's a genius--one of the greatest film comics of all time. This is apparently true in much of the world outside the United States. Others think his films are terrible and would never watch them. Well, me being a compulsive nut about films, in the last couple years I have sought out his films and have seen most of them (a few, such as "The Day the Clown Cried" are not available). And, overall, I have come to feel that you cannot call his films good or bad--some are exceptional and some are terrible. This is true of most filmmakers and comics. So, when I say bad things about "Cinderfella", understand I am NOT anti-Lewis--I just think this film in particular is very, very weak. Why? Well, three main reasons sink this film--which I'll talk about below."Cinderfella" is a reworking of the traditional Cinderella story with a few big changes. Instead of women, it's a guy's story--with wicked step-brothers, a male protagonist and a fairy godFATHER. Another is that it's set in the present day--so you'll see cars, mansions in Beverly Hills and the like.The film finds Jerry playing a person named 'Fella' (??). He lives with his nasty step-mother and step-brothers in a fancy mansion. Apparently, somewhere on the property some fortune is hidden--but no one knows where it is. In an odd (actually, BIZARRE) twist, Fella's dead father talks to him in dreams and tries to tell him where the money is hidden. This part of the story, to me, wasn't entirely necessary. Anyway, the rest is a lot like the original story--with a Ball, Fella working like a slave in his home and the rest.So why was I less than thrilled with the film? The biggest problem was the singing. While Lewis' singing isn't bad, and occasionally pretty good in some films, here it is rather poor--and he does it many, many times. One song might have worked, but for a non-singer, four is too many and each time he sang, the film ground to a halt. Second, and it is also a biggie, is that the film just wasn't funny. Too few of the jokes worked and, frankly, there just weren't that many attempts at laughs. In contrast, in "The Bellboy" (which I really liked), the jokes came so rapidly that even if they didn't work each time, you kept laughing. Here, there were fewer attempts and too many serious moments. Finally, in too many scenes, the director (not Lewis in this case) overdid the scenes. For example, Jerry doesn't just comb his hair like a normal guy, he had to comb it 'wacky'--and took too long combing his hair! And, as Fella did his household chores, each time it was so overdone and overlong that it strained my nerves. Overall, a clear misfire and among Lewis' weakest films. Not terrible--just not all that good.

He has always been an acquired taste has Jerry Lewis. For many he is a comic genius, to others he's a buffoon who got lucky by playing the idiot. I fall into the former camp, from childhood memories of laughing hysterically, right into middle age where I still find myself chortling away with much of his work, he's an artist who owes me nothing on the entertainment front. But being a devout fan doesn't mean I'm ignorant of his weaker efforts, and he does have many, of which Cinderfella is one of the bottom dwellers.It's on the premise surface a fresh and interesting spin on the Cinderella story, the sexes are reversed and this is the modern world in setting. However, that's where the freshness ends, for Cinderfella is a stale old offering, ponderously paced by the normally astute Frank Tashlin and the few jokes within fall agonisingly flat. No amount of high energy mugging from Jerry can lift the picture out of its stupor, the songs from Harry Warren & Jack Brooks are weak, while poor Anna Maria Alberghetti (Princess Charmein) is reduced to being nothing but a pretty and well dressed up prop!Ed Wynn as the Fairy Godfather comes out with credibility still intact, and Count Basie's input into the production is like a ray of sunshine on a darkly bleak winter's day. There's also one great sequence as Lewis goes panto playing various musical instruments, but the irony there is that the best scene in the film has nothing to do with the plot! No, this is not close to being a good Jerry Lewis movie, and those stalwart fans who insist it is are sadly leading the uninitiated down the wrong path. 4/10

the Frenchies are right about Jerry Lewis. he was a comic genius. strange though, even though Lewis was all-American, with the exception of say, Quentin Tarantino, most people in this country don't get him anymore.i love the films of Jerry Lewis, and after 'The Bell Boy', this is my favorite Lewis film. it also helps to like fairy tales and be a fan of the 'Cinderella' story. this is in the top three as far as the best tellings of this story. it's more than a little ironic that it's "cinderella" is a guy. i wonder how feminist would dissect the fairy this time with a male protagonist.it's amazing how fresh and vibrant and trendy hip this film feels after almost five decades. this whole film is about reworking classic archetypes and icons, so there is a naturally hip element that is ready made to go and built right into this film's telling of the story.but it definitely feels like a classic. not only are there fanciful little fantasy touches, like an appearance by the "real" Cinderella, Jack and Jill and a Goldfish turned chauffeur, but there are so many things in this that worthy of being thought of as classic film/comedy moments. the scene at the ball where Lewis runs frantically up a long flight of stairs is hilarious and leaves the viewer as breathless as Lewis must have felt. i heard the sequence was so physically grueling that he had to be hospitalized right after wards. wow. now that's dedication to your craft.i also enjoyed seeing Disney favorite Ed Wynn in this. Wynn has always been a beacon of cozy charm and fanciful silliness. it's nice to see someone in film, other than Disney, take advantage of his talent and warm brand of humor.loved the songs, performances, set design and it's poignant, timely message. more than being about Prince(or princess)Charming, the Cinderella story is about intimidation and oppression. something people practice all the time and something all persons should be cautious of. even if you happen to be a "fella".

Neal Hefti wrote a piece called "Cute",Count Basie and his orchestra recorded it and Mr J.Lewis dances to it in the kitchen .That 3 minutes or so of screen time encapsulates the peak of his work in the cinema. It is touching,uplifting and very funny at the same time.In the unlikely event of my being asked to select a clip for a TV tribute I would look no further. The Cinderella story was a natural for Mr Lewis as it contains one of his favourite themes - the eventual triumph of naivety and decency over deceit and cruelty.His character has been compared to an early prototypical Jim Carrey but I would suggest Steve Martin is nearer the mark.There is a canniness about even the most stupid Carrey role that Martin lacks.He is,cinematically speaking,the idiot's idiot,and he is a direct descendant from Jerry Lewis. Right from his early days with Mr D.Martin, he has been hugely popular with the public,something that has counted against him with the critics because it meant they were unable to "discover" and fête him as their own creature.His was not "intellectual" comedy,esoteric,political or socio - satirical,he was just plain funny.It worked for me and millions of others who flocked to his pictures for 20 years.They made a lot of money and everybody was happy.With the rise of Mr W.Allen whose movies were deemed worthy of serious consideration by American critics but relatively few people paid money to see Mr Lewis's star began to descend apart from the occasional ripple like his appearance in what is virtually a show - stealing role in "King of Comedy". In the early 60s with "The Bellboy","Cinderfella" and "It's only money" under his belt he could have been forgiven for feeling just a little bit smug. "Cinderfella" may be low comedy but it is funny comedy.You don't sit there and rack your brains for some deep hidden meaning.You know the shoe is going to fit him,you know he'll end up with the girl in the end,you're just happy to go along for the ride. Miss J.Anderson,Mr H.Silva and Mr R.Hutton are deliciously rather than unpleasantly evil and Mr E.Wynn has a fine old time as the Fairy Godfather. The sound recording is outstanding,the great Count Basie orchestra blasts round the cinema in a very satisfactory manner. At 81,Mr Lewis should care less what the American critics say about him He pioneered the use of TV monitors on movie sets,ended the days of the dreaded boom mike by miking up the whole set at once,he survived the break - up of one of Hollywood's best ever movie partnerships and directed and acted in some of the funniest comedies on celluloid.I think that's enough to be going on with,don't you?