The Bellboy

Product Description Although he's quiet, Stanley does have a tendency to work with a slapstick style that includes various amusing facial expressions. When famous actor Jerry Lewis comes to stay at the hotel, people around Stanley notice the strange resemblance between the actor and Stanley and this causes Lewis to have trouble with his entourage. Amazon.com Jerry Lewis was at the height of his popularity when he took his first directing credit, on The Bellboy, which turned out to be a huge hit and one of his funniest movies. But it wasn't business as usual: The Bellboy has no storyline, and the central character (a bellhop at the fantastically ornate Fountainebleau Hotel in Miami) executes his role essentially without speaking. Some of the gags are duds or dated, but the good ones are great: Jerry's anxious stroll across a cavernous, empty ballroom, and a small masterpiece involving four telephones at a reception desk. There's also a hilarious sequence in which the movie star "Jerry Lewis" comes to the hotel, which gives Lewis a chance to speak ("Stop with the brushing!"). The Bellboy is very short at 71 minutes, but contains essential proof of Lewis's gifts as comedian and director. --Robert Horton Additional Features The commentary track with Jerry Lewis and Steve Lawrence is a disappointment; Lewis, who could certainly talk about filmmaking for 71 minutes straight, seems content to watch and appreciate his movie, with very occasional anecdotes. Steve Lawrence laughs a lot. Some brief but cool archival outtakes show deleted jokes and marvelous glimpses of Lewis in his director persona--very different from the goofball on screen. --Robert Horton