Jerry Lewis’ Best Movies: The Funniest Films of a Comedy Legend

There’s no way around it, when we post videos, photos or interesting facts about Jerry Lewis, we realize how much he is still loved by the Classic Cinema audience. The American star who so often invaded our afternoon sessions managed to maintain a captive audience, even though others have a certain level of disdain for him, considering his style of comedy outdated. The actor made his mark on the era, bringing millions to the cinemas, and when America got tired of him, the Europeans, especially the French, maintained an immense affection for him and embraced his works. In addition to being an actor, he also sang, directed and produced much of his work. Appearing in 72 productions, he directed 13 of them. Lewis and Dean Martin began their successful career together when they filled concert halls with their shows, which earned them invitations to star in The Friendly Firebird (1949). Sixteen films later, they separated. Jerry began a new path, dedicating himself to directing. There were doubts as to whether the two would be successful separately after so much time together, but both managed to successfully follow their own paths.

Dean devoted himself more to his singing career, although he appeared frequently in other films, almost always as the seductive and singing gallant. He also became famous as part of the Rat Pack, a group he formed alongside Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford, and performed at concert venues. Jerry, in turn, began to direct his own films and took control of his productions, reigning over Paramount, which he considered his second home. His childish character became a trademark.

Another constant partnership was with director Frank Tashlin, which began right at the end of the Lewis and Martin duo’s career. It was he who had the difficult task of directing them in the last film they made together, Make or Break (1956). After the duo split up, Tashlin took over directing Jerry’s first solo films.

Recommending good films to new fans is a difficult task, as it also involves the emotional part, but here are some that can serve as a basis for you to get to know a little more about his work: