After a slow start, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis's second to last film together, 1955's ARTISTS AND MODELS delivers big laughs, plenty of songs and slapstick galore.
It's also Shirley MacLaine's second film after her debut in Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry" and serves up plenty of singing and dancing opportunities for her to show off her young talent. She's terrific and later shared that it was a thrill to co-star with the biggest box office comedy duo of her time. Only 20 when they filmed, she said that she grew up watching them on screen and couldn't believe she was acting with them, even though she could see the obvious rips in their partnership.
The boys made 28 (twenty eight!!!) films together and by this, their 27th, they knew each other's strengths and could knock these out blindfolded. It's a testament to them that the second half features some of their all-time classic bits.
Deano stars as artist Rick Todd, who is frustrated searching for success, so he turns to his wacky roommate Eugene (Lewis) whose crazy, loud, nightly dreams tell tales of rocket ships, alien invaders and the Bat Lady, star of his favorite comic books.
Lewis is way over the top here and his Eugene treads a crazy line between village idiot and charming buffoon. Upstairs neighbor Abby (Dorothy Malone) is a famous comic book artist and her roommate/Bat Lady model Bessie Sparrowbush (MacLaine) are falling for Rick and Eugene.
Any movie with a female lead named Bessie Sparrowbush commands attention.
The plot is just plain goofy, but serves up plenty of entertaining opportunities.
I laughed out loud as the 1955 comedy served up Lewis on a TV news panel show testifying how "comics made me a little retarded.". I had to rewind it to make sure he actually dropped that one liner. In all fairness, when Eugene is walking around with his face buried in a comic book and appears to be pushing 30, it's up for discussion.
Once the plot gets out of the way, or at least devolves to the point where the secret service is chasing the guys because Eugene's dreams are coming true, the film settles into some great comic bits.
Eugene's visit to a Swedish massage parlor is a masterclass in physical comedy and Jerry nails every laugh. Soon, Martin and three women are entangled on the table.
Another classic dance bit shows off MacLaine's hoofing skills and Lewis's mastery of physical comedy as she seduces him in an outside stairway.
Eva Gabor is sexy and hilarious as a spy on the trail of Eugene and watch for the classic Jack Elam (Support Your Local Gunfighter, Once Upon a Time in the West) as her evil sidekick. Elam was an eccentric staple of many of the best westerns and comedies of the 60's and 70's.
A big musical finale is a VistaVision time capsule of the 1950's in all the right ways.
Director Frank Tashlin would go on to work with Lewis during Jerry's successful solo career on films like "The Disorderly Orderly" and "Cinderfella". He manages to sneak in at least two clever references to Hitchcock films, see if you can find them.
If you're a Martin & Lewis fan like me, ARTISTS AND MODELS is a fun diversion for a Sunday afternoon, pratfalling and singing its way to a B.
The original trailer below is in black and white (?) but the film is full color and VistaVision ultra-widescreen.
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