This is what Dean Martin said about Jerry in 1951.
It takes a guy with an iron constitution, nerves of steel and the patience of a dozen jobs to keep him from annihilating Idiot’s Delight. I refer, of course, to that popular young comedian (and I use the word advisedly — I have to, it’s in my contract!) Jerry Lewis. Every visual gag Jerry uses on an audience is guinea-pigged on me first. I didn’t know that was to be part of Operations Lunatic. I had to learn the hard way.
A couple months ago, for instance, during one of our television shows, Jerry brought down the house when he began cutting up my dinner jacket with a pair of big shears. The audience really went crazy. So did I — that tuxedo had just set me back a couple of hundred bucks! But, “Anything for a laugh!” — that’s Jerry’s motto. That’s my boy!
Another time I was singing one of my best numbers on the stage of a theatre during a personal appearance. I was in great voice that night. The audience was eating it up. I had ’em right in the palm of my hand — then suddenly a few people began tittering, and pretty soon the whole audience was rocking with laughter. I really couldn’t blame them. I guess I looked like a fool, singing a torchy ballad and at the same time doing what must have looked like a comic dance routine. What the audience couldn’t see was “mah lil‘ ole pahdner” standing off in the wings throwing lighted firecrackers at me! It’s little things like this that endear him to me.
There was the night, too, when I was supposed to do a very quick change for one of our routines. So what happened? So Perpetual Motion had sewed my trouser legs together!
But, underneath his moronic exterior, Jerry is true blue. He is sentimental and thoughtful. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for a pal. He proved this at my wedding. He’d been clowning around and getting in my hair generally, so I told him to go jump in the pool with clothes on. Brave, fearless, intrepid Lewis — he took the dare, all right — in the new suit I’d planned to wear on my honeymoon!
But I can’t complain. I had my chance to even the score for all time, but I blew it. It was in Chicago. Jerry fell asleep in the barber chair, and I bribed the guy to cut all his hair off. That backfired, but good. His new “Butch” proved a big sensation, and I was out a five-buck bribe! If I’d had any foresight at all, I’d have put the fin back in my pocket, borrowed the guy’s razor, and removed Lewis’ second head!
But don’t get me wrong — with all his faults, I love the kid.
THAT’s for real!
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