Jerry Lewis, the comedy star who became an internationally acclaimed filmmaking auteur – who wrote, directed and starred in the comedy classics The Nutty Professor and The Bellboy – has died at the age of 91.
Jerry Lewis achieved early success as a comedy duo with legendary crooner Dean Martin, gradually transforming their stage act into a hit radio show and sixteen feature films over the course of ten years. After their breakup, which was anything but amicable, Jerry Lewis spun his solo career into a series of hit comedies that would, for the time, practically define the word “zany.”
In many Jerry Lewis films, the world itself was as absurd as any Looney Tune, and his comedic persona was typically equally broad. Jerry Lewis’s signature “schtick,” a man-child with exaggerated mannerisms and a hilariously shrill voice, became one of the most iconic comedic personae ever created. Impersonations ran rampant, some affectionate, some insulting, but all of them indicative of the enormous cultural impact Jerry Lewis had throughout his extensive career, which ran for over half a decade.
Although Jerry Lewis developed a reputation for being difficult off-camera, he was a remarkable entertainer who dedicated 44 years of his life to hosting Labor Day telethons to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, earning approximately $2.5 billion for the charity throughout his tenure.
Jerry Lewis is one of those movie stars everybody knows, whether they’ve seen his films or not. So whether you’re looking to revisit his many classics or discover the works of Jerry Lewis for the very first time, we wanted to leave you with a list of films that made him an icon, and deserve to be discovered – and re-discovered – for years to come.
Rest in peace, Jerry Lewis.
The Must-See Films of Jerry Lewis (1926-2017):
Top Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on Canceled Too Soon and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
The Must-See Films of Jerry Lewis (1926-2017)
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Martin & Lewis (1949-1956)
Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin co-starred in a staggering 16 motion pictures before they broke up, feuding, in 1956. Many of these films are comedy classics, including Sailor Beware (pictured), Living It Up, You're Never Too Young and The Caddy.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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The Bellboy (1960)
Jerry Lewis made his directorial debut with this experimental comedy, which stars Lewis himself as a hapless bellhop who staggers from one absurd situation to another. Jerry Lewis's performance is done almost entirely without dialogue.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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Cinderfella (1960)
Frank Tashlin's clever, gender-swapped fairy tale stars Jerry Lewis in the Cinderella role, whose fairy godfather (Ed Wynn) turns him into a prince so he can marry Princess Charming.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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The Ladies Man (1961)
The iconic Jerry Lewis line "Hey, LADY!" comes from this comedy classic, in which the comedian plays a man who overcomes his fear of women when he gets a job in an all-female boarding house. Jerry Lewis wrote and directed the ambitious film, with a multi-layered soundstage that he filmed like a dollhouse.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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The Nutty Professor (1963)
Jerry Lewis's most famous and beloved film stars the comedian in a dual role as the nerdy title character, and his alter ego, Buddy Love, who emerges after he takes a potion a la Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Contemporary audiences may be more familiar with the Eddie Murphy remake, which was also very funny, but this is the film that started it all.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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The King of Comedy (1982)
Martin Scorsese's acclaimed, but financially unsuccessful dark comedy stars Jerry Lewis as a legendary comedian who is kidnapped by a young upstart wannabe, played by Robert De Niro. The King of Comedy is considered one of Martin Scorsese's best films, and one of Jerry Lewis's best performances.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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The Day the Clown Cried (1972/2025)
Jerry Lewis wrote, directed and starred in a tragic film about a clown who entertains children on their way to the gas chamber in a Nazi concentration camp. The film is allegedly so bad that Lewis has never screened it publicly, but that means its legend has grown and grown. Jerry Lewis donated the film to The Library of Congress under the caveat that it cannot be screened for ten years, meaning you might finally get your chance to see it in 2025.
Photo: STF/AFP/Getty Images
