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Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis
Date Of Birth: 16/03/1926

The only entertainer ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize was born into showbiz.

His father was all-round New York entertainer Danny Lewis, and his mother was Rae, a talented pianist.

Jerry made his stage debut aged five, singing "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?", and by the age of 15 had perfected a comic routine, miming to records of the time.

He spent some time playing the clubs and in 1946 worked with Dean Martin for the first time. The memorable comic partnership was created by chance, when Martin was suddenly placed on the same bill as Lewis when another act failed to show up.

Their first film was My Friend Irma in 1949, and they worked together, on screen and off, until 1956.

In 1959 Lewis signed what was, at the time, the biggest deal in Hollywood's history - $10million plus 60 per cent of the profits of 14 films.

In 1967 Jerry became a professor of film direction at the University of Southern California, and he has won several directing awards, especially in France where he is considered a comic legend who surpasses Chaplain and Keaton.

Lewis has been associated with America's muscular dystrophy association since the mid-Forties and has hosted more than 30 annual telethons for the cause, raising more than $800million.

It was for this work that he was nominated for the Nobel prize in 1977, the highest of a number of humanitarian honours the comic has received.

Professional awards include the Comic Life Achievement Award in 1991, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Comedy Awards in 1998.

 

CV

Books: 2005:
Dean & Me (A Love Story). Memoirs. Buy
Buy
Books: 2002:
Enfant Terrible : Jerry Lewis in American Film. Buy
Buy
Books: 1997:
King Of Comedy biography by Shawn Levy and Martin Ingles. Buy
Buy
 
Movies: 1994:
Funny Bones. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1991:
Arizona Dream. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1984:
Slapstick Of Another Kind
Movies: 1984:
To Catch A Cop (France)
Movies: 1984:
How Did You Get In? (France)
Movies: 1983:
The King Of Comedy. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1981:
Hardly Working
Movies: 1970:
Which Way To The Front
Movies: 1969:
Hook, Line And Sinker
Movies: 1968:
Don't Raise The Bridge, Lower The River
Movies: 1967:
The Big Mouth
Movies: 1966:
Three On A Couch
Movies: 1966:
Way...Way Out
Movies: 1965:
The Family Jewels
Movies: 1965:
Boeing Boeing
Movies: 1964:
The Patsy. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1964:
Ben Casey
Movies: 1964:
The Disorderly Orderly
Movies: 1963:
The Nutty Professor. Buy on DVD
DVD
Movies: 1963:
Who's Minding The Store
Movies: 1962:
It's Only Money
Movies: 1961:
The Ladies Man
Movies: 1961:
The Errand Boy. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1960:
Visit To A Small Planet
Movies: 1960:
The Bellboy. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1960:
Cinderfella. Buy on video
video
Movies: 1959:
Don't Give Up The Ship
Movies: 1959:
Li'l Abner
Movies: 1959:
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Movies: 1958:
Rock-A-Bye Baby
Movies: 1958:
The Geisha Boy
Movies: 1957:
The Delicate Delinquent
Movies: 1957:
The Sad Sack
Movies: 1956:
Pardners
Movies: 1956:
Hollywood Or Bust
Movies: 1955:
You're Never Too Young
Movies: 1955:
Artists And Models
Movies: 1954:
Money From Home
Movies: 1954:
Living It Up
Movies: 1954:
Three Ring Circus
Movies: 1953:
The Stooge
Movies: 1953:
Scared Stiff
Movies: 1953:
The Caddy
Movies: 1952:
Sailor Beware
Movies: 1952:
Jumping Jacks
Movies: 1952:
Road To Bali
Movies: 1951:
That's My Boy
Movies: 1950:
My Friend Irma Goes West
Movies: 1950:
At War With The Army. Buy on DVD
DVD
Movies: 1949:
My Friend Irma
 
Video: 1996:
Biography video released. Buy
Buy
 
Stand Up: 1995-1997:
Damn Yankies on Broadway and on tour, including the UK
 
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