The Ladies Man (1961)

the audience applauded

Such a frustrating disappointment

Pretty Good

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

I really enjoyed the original version of The Nutty Professor by the star and director I first saw in The King of Comedy, and I was looking forward to another film of his, especially if it featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Basically Herbert H. Heebert (Jerry Lewis, also directing) is a young man has suffered severe heartbreak when his girlfriend has left him for someone else, and he becomes depressed swearing he will never want romance again. With nothing much else to hope for he finds himself a job working in a large house doing such things as cleaning, delivering mail and other general responsibilities, but he has no idea until they all come out that it is a womens' boarding house. The genteel house is run by Miss Helen N. Wellenmellon (Helen Traubel) who irritates him with the nickname "Herby", he is treated by all of the girls as a helpless servant, and of course his fear of women is getting him down, he tries to escape a couple of time. Young and beautiful Fay (Pat Stanley) is the only one he can really confide in, and she helps him to overcome his fear of women, and after many chaotic and slapstick disasters, including an important woman appearing on television in the house, the girls accept that he may want to leave, but of course Herbert cannot bring himself to do it, being in love as well. Also starring Kathleen Freeman as Katie, George Raft, Harry James, Marty Ingels, Buddy Lester as Willard C. Gainsborough, Hope Holiday as Miss Anxious and Lillian Briggs as Lillian. Lewis is fantastic being the highly nerdy, overly nervous and physically infantile character, it reminds you of the style Jim Carrey would bring in his career, the story is simple enough, but it is for the inventive jokes that the film works so well, all timed well, even the simplest thing like a broken bed is really funny, a great comedy classic. Very good!

Jerry Lewis made one of his best solo films in 1960. "The Bellboy" had VERY little plot and consisted of a bazillion little gags all strung together with Jerry working as a bellboy at a fancy hotel. The gags came so rapidly that even the ones that fell flat didn't slow the film down and you can't help but like the movie. A year later, Lewis created a film with some similarities to "The Bellboy" but it just didn't work as well for two main reasons. First, there is a tiny bit more plot--but this was a minor problem. Second, and by far the biggest problem, is Lewis' performance. He is LOUD--L, O, U, D!!!!!! Throughout the film is literally screams about every minute and there is very little subtlety to the film. A few of the characters (such as Miss Wellenmelon) were also incredibly loud--as if screaming or singing in a LOUD voice was funny in and of itself. Now it's not a total loss, as, like the other film, there are so many gags that occasionally they worked--such as the performance by Jerry's mother (you gotta see that one) or 'Baby'. But, again and again, all the momentum is derailed by just going too far--too loud, too unsubtle and just too much. It's a shame, as some things about the film are great and sure could have worked a lot better. For example, the set is about the coolest one I have seen--very similar to a giant doll house. It must have cost a fortune to build this cutout house--and in some of the long shots, it really impresses. Had the film only shown more restraint, it EASILY could have been scored a 7 or higher. A shame, but a wasted opportunity.

Sure, it's spotty with its gags (what Lewis film isn't?) but it looks fantastic and the gags that work are hilarious...good sight gags with Buddy Lester, some funny surreal stuff (the lipstick on the painting, the butterfly collection and that great white room sequence with Harry James's Band and Miss Cartilage)..Lewis's reactions to "Baby" are a scream...even the opening titles bit with LOOK magazine is funny... ..downsides...well, the ad libbing with Kathleen Freeman doesn't always work and the serious story with Pat Stanley could be excised (for the better), but who cares?...this and Nutty Professor are definitely his best

For good, clean, family laughs, I highly recommend this film. Skits and cameo appearances fill this delightful entry into the Jerry Lewis film library. An amazing set is the center piece for this film, with lavishly decorated rooms.