Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis Facts
| Sign | Pisces |
| Born |
Mar 16, 1926 Newark, NJ |
| Died |
Aug 20, 2017 Las Vegas, NV |
| Age | Died at 91 |
| Total Facts | 69 |
Says his favorite Martin & Lewis film is The Stooge (1952) because "...it came closest to capturing what Dean and I had as a team".
Says there is no gap between comedy and tragedy.
Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Honorary Member(1981) Lewis was honored for his contribution and development the first "Video Assist" for the motion picture camera in 1966. This allowed him to view his performance while directing himself in his films. This is used extensively today in filmmaking, known as "Video Village."
Some have said that if Lewis hadn't pursued a career in show business, he would have been a professional baseball player for the Dodgers. He played with the team a few times at charity events and was apparently very good.
Son of Danny Lewis.
Starred with Dean Martin on NBC Radio's "The Martin and Lewis Show" (1949-1953). They first appeared together in the films My Friend Irma (1949) and My Friend Irma Goes West (1950). The Martin & Lewis comedy team were one of a series of rotating hosts of TV's "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (1950).
Suffered a mild heart attack on the flight home to San Diego on June 11, 2006.
Suffers from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis.
The character Professor John Frink in "The Simpsons" (1989) is based on his role of Professor Kelp in The Nutty Professor (1963). He also did the voice of Professor John Frink, Sr in episode Treehouse of Horror XIV, segment Finkenstein. Also some of Krusty the Clown's off-stage antics are based on him.
Twice voted Best Foreign Director by the French film critics.
Underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 1992.
Was best friends with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. They starred in Lewis' home movies after Curtis complained about the parts he was being offered by his studio.
Was close friends with comic Lenny Bruce.
Was offered the role of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959), directed by his friend Billy Wilder. He declined because he didn't want to dress in drag. The part, of course, eventually went to Jack Lemmon and he received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Lewis says that Lemmon would send him chocolates every year to thank him and he now regrets not taking the role.
Was one of the co-hosts of what may have been the only Academy Awards ceremony that actually ended earlier than expected, by almost twenty minutes - The 31st Annual Academy Awards (1959) (TV). He and several other celebrities gallantly tried everything they could to improvise and fill the extra time. NBC mercifully cut the broadcast short to air a short film about target shooting until the next scheduled program began, which in most cases was the local news.
Was teamed up with Dean Martin from 1946-56.
Was voted the 50th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Although he is at the bottom of this list, perhaps a bit shockingly, Charles Chaplin didn't even make the list.
Wrote 10 scripts in 10 years.
Wrote, produced, and acted in the film The Day the Clown Cried (1972) which, because of legal difficulties, has not been released as of this date (March 2009). The film is a tale of a clown in Auschwitz during WWII.