March 21, 2005

ON GRANTING JERRY LEWIS THE OSCAR HE DESERVES

Last month, LA Times writer David Weddle offered up an incisive open letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which at the time was getting ready for its 77th Annual Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. Weddle noted that an alarming number of great comic artists, including such luminaries as Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope and Richard Pryor, never received Oscars for any of their individual films. (Some greats, such as Keaton and Chaplin, received honorary Oscars late in their careers.)

While some films that received best picture awards are largely forgotten – does anyone remember 1933’s “Cavalcade”? – others that in their day went unrecognized by the Academy, such as the Marx Brothers’ “Duck Soup,” are widely hailed as classics of American film, presented in lovingly restored new DVD editions for the delight of new generations of film goers.

	When will the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences give Jerry Lewis the Oscar he deserves?

Much the same can be said about the work of another comedian, one who exploded into the national consciousness shortly after World War II: Jerry Lewis.

Weddle, in his articulate essay, has this to say of Jerry Lewis: “An American original whom Americans have never quite come to terms with, he also happens to be one of the greatest filmmakers of the latter half of the 20th century. And for this he deserves an Academy Award.”

Weddle continues:

“Lewis was a superstar in the 1950s and early ‘60s, the I Like Ike era of ‘The Organization Man,’ when a Wonder Bread corporate monoculture force-fed an entire generation a bland diet of conformity. In a time of crew cuts and bouffant hairdos, of TV dinners, suburban tract houses, gleaming new supermarkets and the homogenized nuclear family paradigm set forth by ‘Father Knows Best’ and ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ Lewis’ archetypal character, ‘the kid,’ served as an escape valve – a personification of the American id, cavorting across TV and movie screens, acting on the anarchistic impulses his audiences felt obliged to repress.”

Actor and LA Times reader Hiram Kasten wrote this obviously impassioned response to Weddle’s essay: “Finally Jerry Lewis is being recognized for his achievements and prodigious talent. He's an original American clown whose movies have entertained the world; an innovative filmmaker whose techniques have influenced various directors; a tireless humanitarian who has raised more than $1 billion for charity. Does he deserve an Oscar? He deserves three!”

Needless to say, those of us at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the organization for which Jerry has served as National Chairman since the 1950s, couldn’t agree more. Through the decades, Jerry has selflessly put his fame and talent in service to MDA’s mission: to make life better for those affected by more than 40 neuromuscular diseases.

By any measure, Jerry has been a major figure in American cinema since his movie debut in 1946, throughout his 10-year teaming with Dean Martin and his solo films that followed. Often dismissed by critics who deemed his crowd-pleasing roustabout comedy “unsophisticated,” Jerry has been loved where it counts the most: in the hearts of audiences worldwide.

	Classic Jerry Lewis films like 1963's "The Nutty Professor" are experiencing a rebirth on DVD, captivating a new generation of comedy lovers.

“The American public has been very, very good to me,” Jerry said recently. “They’ve given me longevity. The American audiences are marvelous, and they’ve been great for me.”

Jerry is reaching a new audience via the recent release of many of his films in handsome new DVD editions, including audio commentaries by Jerry and his good friend, singer Steve Lawrence.

Other passionate voices have cried out for giving Jerry his due. In 2001, the New York Observer ran a feature story about Jerry titled: “Give This Boy An Oscar!” Writer Drew Friedman argued that “Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis brought anarchy, spontaneity, and neurotic brilliance to the post-war buddy comedy.”

Modern filmmakers ranging from Philip Kaufman (“The Right Stuff”) to Martin Scorcese (“The Aviator”) have acknowledged their debt to Jerry’s films. And the most successful comedians in the business, from Robin Williams to Jerry Seinfeld to Jim Carrey, have recognized Jerry’s towering influence on their work, indeed on comedy in general.

Besides his work in movies as an actor, writer, producer and director, Jerry has made a singular contribution to motion picture technology. In 1960, while working on his directorial debut, “The Bellboy,” Jerry developed his patented video assist system. It employs a secondary videotape camera keyed on the same image as the main film-loaded camera, allowing the director to watch a scene on a video monitor while it's being shot, without the necessity of peering down the camera lens. It also makes it possible to view an instant replay without waiting for film to get back from the lab.

In addition to a Nobel Prize nomination for his work with MDA, Jerry has received many accolades and honors for his film work, from prestigious bodies ranging from the LA Critics Association to the Venice Film Festival.

So the question remains: At this point in his career, does Jerry Lewis need an Oscar?

Or perhaps a better question: Would it reflect well on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to give Jerry that Oscar – thereby demonstrating that the Academy understands the value of classic comedy and appreciates the contributions of a great practitioner of film art?
I’d say yes.

With every best wish . . .

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