Misplaced Pages

#320679

121-476: American actor Jerry Lewis directed his own 1960 film The Bellboy via sweeping control, and was praised for "personal genius". By 1970, the New Hollywood era had emerged with studios granting directors broad leeway. Pauline Kael argued, however, that "auteurs" rely on creativity of others, like cinematographers. Georges Sadoul deemed a film's putative "author" could potentially even be an actor, but

242-689: A Looney Tunes cartoon director (for Warner Bros. ) suited Lewis's brand of humor and came on board. The pair did new films, first with Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958) and then The Geisha Boy (1958). Billy Wilder asked Lewis to play the lead role of an uptight jazz musician, who winds up on the run from a mob in Some Like It Hot , but turned it down. Lewis then appeared in Don't Give Up The Ship (1959) and cameoed in Li'l Abner (1959). A 1959 contract between Paramount and Jerry Lewis Productions specified

363-582: A Golden Globe nomination, then guest appeared on Ben Casey , The Andy Williams Show and Hullabaloo with son Gary Lewis . Lewis left Paramount in 1966, after 17 years, as the studio was undergoing a corporate shakeup, with the industrial conglomerate Gulf + Western taking over the company. Gulf + Western, scrutinizing the balance sheets, noted the diminishing box office returns of Lewis's recent pictures and did not renew his contract. Undaunted, Lewis signed with Columbia Pictures , where he tried to reinvent himself with more serious roles and starred in

484-479: A WOR radio pianist and Danny's music director, from Warsaw . Reports about his birth name are conflicting; in Lewis' 1982 autobiography, he claimed his birth name was Joseph, after his maternal grandfather, but his birth certificate , the 1930 U. S. Census , and the 1940 U. S. Census all named him as Jerome. Reports about the hospital where he was born conflict as well; biographer Shawn Levy claims Lewis

605-440: A 1954 essay, François Truffaut criticized the prevailing "Cinema of Quality" whereby directors, faithful to the script, merely adapt a literary novel. Truffaut described such a director as a metteur en scene , a mere "stager" who adds the performers and pictures. To represent the view that directors who express their personality in their work make better films, Truffaut coined the phrase "la politique des auteurs", or "the policy of

726-637: A Couch (1966), and portrayed Jerry Langford in Martin Scorsese 's The King of Comedy (1982) earning a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. He was an early and prominent user of video assist . From star of The Colgate Comedy Hour to host of The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon (benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association ), Lewis performed in concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings and appeared in at least 117 film and television productions. He

847-431: A comedy revue requires a larger-than-life comic", Cohen told syndicated columnist Jack O'Brian . "That is why I have engaged Jerry Lewis to star in the new production of Hellzapoppin , which I'm preparing for the coming season." Cohen had revived Hellzapoppin as a TV special in 1972, and was impressed by the contributions of Lynn Redgrave ; he signed her to appear opposite Lewis. This was Lewis's first Broadway show, and

968-458: A double act with Martin serving as the straight man to Lewis's zany antics. The inclusion of ad-libbed improvisational segments in their planned routines added a unique quality to their act and separated them from previous comedy duos. Lewis and Martin quickly rose to national prominence, first with their popular nightclub act, then as stars of their radio program The Martin and Lewis Show . The two made their television debut on CBS' Toast of

1089-525: A factor for the film's burial was that he was not proud of the effort. It was the earliest attempt by an American film director to address the subject of The Holocaust . Following this, Lewis took a break from the movie business for several years. His television appearances during this period included Good Morning America , The Dick Cavett Show , NBC Follies, Celebrity Sportsman, Cher , Dinah! , Tony Orlando and Dawn . As Lewis continued to appear on and annually emcee his telethons , one of

1210-402: A far more widespread use, while widescreen processes and technical improvements, such as CinemaScope , stereo sound, and others, such as 3-D , were invented to retain the dwindling audience and compete with television. However, these were generally unsuccessful in increasing profits. By 1957, Life magazine called the 1950s "the horrible decade" for Hollywood. It was dubbed a "New Hollywood" by

1331-461: A film as a collaboration, her 1971 essay " Raising Kane ", examining Orson Welles 's 1941 film Citizen Kane , finds extensive reliance on co-writer Herman J. Mankiewicz and on cinematographer Gregg Toland . Richard Corliss and David Kipen argued that a film's success relies more on screenwriting. In 2006, to depict the screenwriter as the film's principal author, Kipen coined the term Schreiber theory . To film historian Georges Sadoul ,

SECTION 10

#1732776380321

1452-431: A film is indeed collaborative. Aljean Harmetz cited major control even by film executives. David Kipen 's view of the screenwriter as indeed the main author is termed Schreiber theory . In the 1980s, large failures prompted studios to reassert control. The auteur concept has also been applied to non-film directors, such as record producers and video game designers , such as Hideo Kojima . Even before auteur theory,

1573-400: A film's main "author" can also be an actor, screenwriter, producer, or novel's author, although a film is a collective's work. Film historian Aljean Harmetz , citing classical Hollywood's input by producers and executives, held that auteur theory "collapses against the reality of the studio system ". In 2013, Maria Giese critiqued the lack of American women who are considered to be within

1694-467: A hit, ranking with his better successes. Variety' s Gene Arneel reported independent producer Hall Bartlett 's observation, "Lewis is the only star whose pictures all turn out in the black." Lewis continued to direct more films that he co-wrote with Bill Richmond, including The Ladies Man (1961), where Lewis constructed a three-story dollhouse-like set spanning two sound stages, with the set equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, eliminating

1815-725: A hit. The duo began their film careers at Paramount Pictures as ensemble players, in My Friend Irma (1949) and its sequel My Friend Irma Goes West (1950). Followed by their own series of 14 new movies, At War with the Army (1950), That's My Boy (1951), Sailor Beware (1952), Jumping Jacks (1952), The Stooge (1952), Scared Stiff (1953), The Caddy (1953), Money from Home (1953), Living It Up (1954), 3 Ring Circus (1954), You're Never Too Young (1955), Artists and Models (1955), Pardners (1956) and Hollywood or Bust (1956). The two appeared on

1936-482: A limited release by Warner Bros. , and was not well received by the critics or the public. The Day the Clown Cried (1972), a drama directed by and starring Lewis and set in a Nazi concentration camp , received only brief exposure. The film was rarely discussed by him, but he said that litigation over post-production finances and copyright prevented its completion and widespread theatrical release. He also said

2057-600: A much publicized feud", according to an account in the Pittsburgh Press . "He would neither rehearse nor perform any songs with her, reports said." The backstage chaos extended to several sudden cast changes during the Boston run. On January 18, 1977, NBC executives flew to Boston to see the show, and their reactions were so negative that Cohen closed the show immediately and canceled both the Broadway engagement and

2178-570: A number of solo specials for NBC and starred in his adaptation of " The Jazz Singer " for Startime , then hosted the Academy Awards three times, in 1956, 1957 and 1959. The third telecast, which ran twenty minutes short, forced him to improvise to fill time. Lewis remained at Paramount and started off with his first solo film The Delicate Delinquent (1957) then starred in The Sad Sack (1957). Frank Tashlin , whose background as

2299-431: A payment of $ 10 million plus 60% of the profits for 14 films over seven years. This made Lewis the highest paid individual Hollywood talent to date and was unprecedented in that he had unlimited creative control, including final cut and the return of film rights after 30 years. Lewis's clout and box office were so strong that Barney Balaban , head of production at Paramount, told the press, "If Jerry wants to burn down

2420-519: A pilot called Sheriff Who , a second version of The Jerry Lewis Show (this time as a one-hour variety show for NBC, which ran from 1967 to 1969), and The Danny Thomas Hour . He also appeared on Playboy After Dark , Jimmy Durante's The Lennon Sisters Hour , The Red Skelton Show , The Jack Benny Birthday Special, The Mike Douglas Show , The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour , The Hollywood Palace , The Engelbert Humperdinck Show, The Irv Kupcinet Show and The Linkletter Show . Behind

2541-473: A practice inspired by European art films and classical Hollywood directors such as D. W. Griffith and Alfred Hitchcock . Films with unorthodox editing included Easy Rider ' s use of jump cuts (influenced by the works of experimental collage filmmaker Bruce Conner ) to foreshadow the climax of the movie, as well as subtler uses, such as those to reflect the feeling of frustration in Bonnie and Clyde ,

SECTION 20

#1732776380321

2662-532: A press. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Hollywood was dominated by musicals, historical epics, and other films that benefited from the larger screens, wider framing, and improved sound. However, audience shares continued to dwindle, and had reached alarmingly low levels by the mid-1960s. Several costly flops, including Tora! Tora! Tora! , Gene Kelly 's adaptation of Hello, Dolly! and the Julie Andrews vehicle Star! , each failed attempts to replicate

2783-459: A publicity photo of the team for the magazine cover but cropped Martin out. The boys did their final live nightclub act at the Copacabana on July 24, 1956. Both Lewis and Martin went on to have successful solo careers, but neither would comment on the split nor consider a reunion. Martin surprised Lewis on his appearance on The Eddie Fisher Show on September 30, 1958, appeared together at

2904-440: A punchline at the very end of the film. This was really a time-saving device; by concentrating on visual action, Lewis could film the scenes faster without bothering to remember written dialogue. Another time-saver was his innovative use of instant video playback, which allowed Lewis to review each scene on videotape immediately after filming it, thus eliminating film-laboratory delays and expenses. Trade reviewer Pete Harrison noted

3025-462: A rendition of a song he had learned as a child, " Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody " along with " Come Rain or Come Shine ." Lewis recalled, "When I was done, the place exploded. I walked off the stage knowing I could make it on my own." At his wife's urging, Lewis used his own money to record the songs on a single. Decca Records heard it, liked it and insisted he record an album for them. The single of "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby" went to No. 10 and

3146-592: A revival of Damn Yankees , Inside the Actors Studio , The Martin Short Show , The Simpsons , Late Night with Conan O'Brien , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , The Nutty Professor II (2008), The Talk , Max Rose (2013) The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , The Trust (2016) and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee . Lewis "single-handedly created

3267-614: A series of sixteen Martin and Lewis films with Dean Martin as his partner during their 10-year act in radio, stage, television and film. He then acted without Martin in Visit to a Small Planet (1960), Cinderfella (1960), The Bellboy (1960), The Errand Boy (1961), The Ladies Man (1961), It's Only Money (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963), Who's Minding the Store? (1963), The Patsy (1964), The Disorderly Orderly (1964), The Family Jewels (1965) and Three on

3388-618: A socially inept scientist who invents a serum that turns him into a handsome but obnoxious ladies' man. It is often considered to be Lewis's best film. In 1963, he had a cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), fully starred in Who's Minding the Store? (1963) and hosted The Jerry Lewis Show , a lavish 13-week, big-budget show which aired on ABC from September to December in 1963. Lewis next starred in The Patsy (1964), his satire about

3509-650: A string of more new box-office successes: Three on a Couch (1966), also during this period, he appeared in Way...Way Out (1966) for 20th Century-Fox , then The Big Mouth (1967), Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968) and Hook, Line & Sinker (1969). Lewis continued to make television appearances: The Merv Griffin Show , The Sammy Davis Jr. Show, Batman , Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In , Password ,

3630-422: A style of humor that was half anarchy, half excruciation. Even comics who never took a pratfall in their careers owe something to the self-deprecation Jerry introduced into American show business." Jerry Lewis was the most profoundly creative comedian of his generation and arguably one of the two or three most influential comedians born anywhere in this century. The King of Comedy , 1996 His comedy style

3751-588: A third and final version of The Jerry Lewis Show, this time as a syndicated talk show for Metromedia, which was not continued beyond the scheduled five shows, directed an episode of Brothers , appeared at the first Comic Relief in 1986, where he was the only performer to receive a standing ovation, appeared for Classic Treasures , Fight for Life (1987), did a second double act with Davis Jr., hosted America's All-Time Favorite Movies and came on Speaking of Everything . While guest starring in five episodes of Wiseguy , its filming schedule forced Lewis to miss

Auteur - Misplaced Pages Continue

3872-565: Is a watershed picture, the kind that signals a new style, a new trend." Biskind states that this review and turnaround by some critics allowed the film to be re-released, thus proving its commercial success and reflecting the move toward the New Hollywood. The impact of this film is important in understanding the rest of the American New Wave, as well as the conditions that were necessary for it. These initial successes paved

3993-402: Is treated as artwork while the auteur, as its creator, is the original copyright holder. Under European Union law , largely by influence of auteur theory, a film director is considered the film's author or one of its authors. The references of auteur theory are occasionally applied to musicians, musical performers, and music producers. From the 1960s, record producer Phil Spector is considered

4114-614: The Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami as his setting—on a small budget, with a very tight shooting schedule—Lewis shot the film during the day and performed at the hotel in the evenings. Bill Richmond collaborated with him on many of the episodic blackouts and sight gags. The film presented a new approach for the usually frenetic and highly vocal comedian: in The Bellboy Lewis doesn't speak at all—he only whistles—until

4235-470: The Freedman v. Maryland court case in 1965 and the new ratings system in 1968 (reflecting growing market segmentation) set the scene for the New Hollywood. A defining film of the New Hollywood generation was Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Produced by and starring Warren Beatty and directed by Arthur Penn , its combination of graphic violence and humor, as well as its theme of glamorous disaffected youth,

4356-843: The Museum of the Moving Image 's opening with a retrospective of his work. Lewis then attended Martin's 72nd birthday at Bally's in Las Vegas, wheeling out a cake, sang " Happy Birthday " to him and joked, "Why we broke up, I'll never know." Then starred in Cookie (1989), directed episodes of Super Force in 1990 and Good Grief in 1991 and appeared in Mr. Saturday Night (1992), The Arsenio Hall Show , The Whoopi Goldberg Show , Inside The Comedy Mind , Mad About You and Arizona Dream (1993). Then appeared for Funny Bones (1995),

4477-684: The Olympic Fund Telethon and cameoed in Road to Bali (1952). Crosby and Hope would do the same in Scared Stiff a year later. Attesting to the duo's popularity, DC Comics published The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis from 1952 to 1957. The team appeared on What's My Line? in 1954, the 27th annual Academy Awards in 1955, The Steve Allen Show and The Today Show in 1956. Martin's participation became an embarrassment in 1954 when Look magazine published

4598-584: The Palace Theater in New York and Martin called on the phone during this period to wish him the best of luck. "I've never been happier", said Lewis. "I have peace of mind for the first time." Lewis established himself as a solo act, starting with the first of six appearances on What's My Line? from 1956 to 1966, then guest starred on The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show , Tonight Starring Jack Paar and The Ed Sullivan Show . In January 1957, Lewis did

4719-480: The Paramount Case (which ended block booking and ownership of theater chains by film studios) and the advent of television (where Rod Serling , John Frankenheimer , Arthur Penn , Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet worked in their earlier years), both of which severely weakened the traditional studio system , Hollywood studios initially used spectacle to retain profitability. Technicolor developed

4840-460: The Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which marked a turning point in his life and career. The Sands signed him for five years to perform six weeks each year and paid him the same amount they had paid Martin and Lewis as a team. Live performances became a staple of Lewis's career and over the years he performed at casinos, theaters, and state fairs. In February 1957, Lewis followed Garland at

4961-531: The dailies . New Hollywood The New Hollywood , Hollywood Renaissance , American New Wave , or New American Cinema (not to be confused with the New American Cinema of the 1960s that was part of avant-garde underground cinema ), was a movement in American film history from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when a new generation of filmmakers came to prominence. They influenced

Auteur - Misplaced Pages Continue

5082-399: The 1959 Academy Awards closing, reunited several times publicly and sometimes privately according to interviews they gave to magazines. After ending his partnership with Martin in 1956, Lewis and his wife Patty took a vacation in Las Vegas to consider the direction of his career. He felt his life was in a crisis state: "I was unable to put one foot in front of the other with any confidence. I

5203-682: The Beach Boys and Hal Ashby as the Kinks ). Los Angeles Times article film critic Manohla Dargis described New Hollywood as the "halcyon age" of 1970s filmmaking, that "was less revolution than business as usual, with rebel hype". She also pointed out in her New York Times article that the era's enthusiasts insist this was "when American movies grew up (or at least starred underdressed actresses); when directors did what they wanted (or at least were transformed into brands); when creativity ruled (or at least ran gloriously amok, albeit often on

5324-558: The Bs" Roger Corman while others like celebrated cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond worked for lesser-known B movie directors like Ray Dennis Steckler , known for the 1962 Arch Hall Jr. vehicle Wild Guitar and the 1963 horror musical flick The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies . This, together with the breakdown of the Motion Picture Production Code following

5445-527: The French film critics André Bazin and Roger Leenhardt described that directors, vitalizing films, depict the directors' own worldviews and impressions of the subject matter, as by varying lighting, camerawork, staging, editing, and so on. As the French New Wave in cinema began, French magazine Cahiers du cinéma , founded in 1951, became a hub of discourse about directors' roles in cinema. In

5566-562: The Front? (1970) was a World War II military comedy starring Lewis as a wealthy playboy who wants to enlist in the armed forces. Rejected, he forms his own volunteer army and infiltrates the enemy forces on the Italian front. The cast included many of Lewis's cronies, including Jan Murray , Steve Franken , Kathleen Freeman , Kenneth MacDonald , Joe Besser , and (in a broad caricature of Adolf Hitler ) Sidney Miller . The film received only

5687-502: The Hollywood Golden Age, which deals with the relationship of characters and plot. He argues that plot in classical Hollywood films (and some of the earlier New Hollywood films like The Godfather ) "tended to emerge more organically as a function of the drives, desires, motivations, and goals of the central characters". However, beginning with mid-1970s, he points to a trend that "characters became plot functions". During

5808-629: The Hollywood star-making industry, The Disorderly Orderly (1964), his final collaboration with Tashlin, appeared in a cameo on The Joey Bishop Show and starred in The Family Jewels (1965) about a young heiress who must choose among six uncles, one of whom is up to no good and out to harm the girl's beloved bodyguard who practically raised her. In 1965, Lewis went on The David Susskind Show , starred in his final Paramount-released film Boeing Boeing (1965), in which he received

5929-512: The Living Dead , The Wild Bunch , and Easy Rider while films that failed at the box office such as New York, New York , Sorcerer , Heaven's Gate , They All Laughed and One from the Heart marked the end of the era. In fact, The Wild Angels was kind of a... it was a big success for the New Hollywood . It was Roger Corman , it was Peter Fonda , Nancy Sinatra , it

6050-432: The New Hollywood consists of several different movements. The films made in this movement are stylistically characterized in that their narrative often deviated from classical norms. After the demise of the studio system and the rise of television, the commercial success of films was diminished. Successful films of the early New Hollywood era include Bonnie and Clyde , The Graduate , Rosemary's Baby , Night of

6171-407: The New Hollywood movement marked a significant shift towards independently produced and innovative works by a new wave of directors, but that this shift began to reverse itself when the commercial success of Jaws and Star Wars led to the realization by studios of the importance of blockbusters , advertising and control over production (even though the success of The Godfather was said to be

SECTION 50

#1732776380321

6292-752: The TV spectacular, forfeiting the million-dollar payment from NBC. "It's not ready for Broadway and cannot be made so in three remaining weeks before the opening", Cohen said. Cohen's spokesman subsequently announced that the stars would be replaced: "Recasting means recasting, and that's it." Lewis went on and starred in Circus of the Stars , Pink Lady and Jeff , Hardly Working (1981, his first " comeback " film in 11 years), Late Night with David Letterman , Star Search , Cracking Up (1983, originally titled as Smorgasbord ), Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (1984) and

6413-543: The Town (later renamed as The Ed Sullivan Show ) June 20, 1948. In 1950, they signed with NBC to be one of a series of weekly rotating hosts of The Colgate Comedy Hour , a live Sunday evening broadcast. Lewis, writer for the team's nightclub act, hired Norman Lear and Ed Simmons as regular writers for their Comedy Hour material. By 1951, with an appearance at the Paramount Theatre in New York, they were

6534-581: The United States. Giese argues women in the US are rarely allowed to direct unless they are already celebrities, and that they are rarely afforded proper budgets. She cites women as making up less than 5% of American feature film directors , while the Hollywood Reporter stated that only about 7% of directors were women among the 250 highest-grossing films in 2016. In some law references, a film

6655-557: The album Jerry Lewis Just Sings went to No. 3 on the Billboard charts, staying near the top for four months and selling a million and a half copies. With the success of that album, he recorded additional albums More Jerry Lewis (an EP of songs from this release was released as Somebody Loves Me ), and Jerry Lewis Sings Big Songs for Little People (later reissued with fewer tracks as Jerry Lewis Sings for Children ). Non-album singles were released, and It All Depends On You hit

6776-399: The anti-everything cynicism... Was everything a bummer? Was everything a drag? Was every movie about some guy with problems?" In 1980, film historian/scholar Robert P. Kolker examined New Hollywood film directors in his book A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Kubrick, Coppola, Scorsese, Altman , and how their films influenced American society of the 1960s and 1970s. Kolker observed that "for all

6897-458: The art cinema movement as a significant industry force with its peak in 1974–75 with Nashville and Chinatown . Geoff King sees the period as an interim movement in American cinema where a conjunction of forces led to a measure of freedom in filmmaking, while Todd Berliner says that 70s cinema resists the efficiency and harmony that normally characterize classical Hollywood cinema and tests

7018-702: The authors". He named eight writer-directors, Jean Renoir , Robert Bresson , Jean Cocteau , Jacques Becker , Abel Gance , Max Ophüls , Jacques Tati , and Roger Leenhardt , as examples of these "authors". Jerry Lewis , an actor from the Hollywood studio system, directed his own 1960 film The Bellboy . Lewis's influence on it spanned business and creative roles, including writing, directing, lighting, editing, and art direction. French film critics, publishing in Cahiers du Cinéma and in Positif , praised Lewis's results. For his mise-en-scene and camerawork, Lewis

7139-532: The bumbling everyman , Lewis used tightly choreographed, sophisticated sight gags, physical routines, verbal double-talk and malapropisms . "You cannot help but notice Lewis's incredible sense of control in regards to performing—they may have looked at times like the ravings of a madman but his best work had a genuine grace and finesse behind it that would put most comedic performers of any era to shame." They are "choreographed as exactly as any ballet, each movement and gesture coming on natural beats and conforming to

7260-407: The challenge and adventure, their films speak to a continual impotence in the world, an inability to change and to create change." John Belton points to the changing demographic to even younger, more conservative audiences in the mid 1970s (50% aged 12–20) and the move to less politically subversive themes in mainstream cinema, as did Thomas Schatz, who saw the mid- to late 1970s as the decline of

7381-449: The characters. In films such as The Ladies Man (1961), The Disorderly Orderly (1964), The Patsy (1964) and Cracking Up (1983), there is either neuroticism, schizophrenia, or both that drive the plot. Lewis was able to explore and dissect the psychological side of his persona, which provided a depth to the character and the films that was not present in his previous efforts. During the 1960 production of The Bellboy, Lewis pioneered

SECTION 60

#1732776380321

7502-591: The charts in April and May 1957, but peaked at only No. 68. Further singles were recorded and released by Lewis into the mid-1960s. But these were not Lewis's first forays into recording, nor his first appearance on the hit charts. During his partnership with Martin, they made several recordings together, charting at No. 22 in 1948 with the 1920s That Certain Party and later mostly re-recording songs highlighted in their films. In late 1956, Lewis began performing regularly at

7623-422: The contrast of that with the violence in the film: "In a sense, it is the absence of sadism — it is the violence without sadism — that throws the audience off balance at Bonnie and Clyde . The brutality that comes out of this innocence is far more shocking than the calculated brutalities of mean killers." Kael also noted the reaction of audiences to the violent climax of the movie, and the potential to empathize with

7744-502: The counterculture of the late 1960s." Easy Rider also affected the way studios looked to reach the youth market. The success of Midnight Cowboy , in spite of its "X" rating, was evidence for the interest in controversial themes at the time and also showed the weakness of the rating system and segmentation of the audience. For Peter Biskind, the new wave was foreshadowed by Bonnie and Clyde and began in earnest with Easy Rider . Biskind's book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls argues that

7865-684: The darker elements of humanity and society within the context of the American Dream in the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, with themes that were reflective of sociocultural issues and were centered around the potential meaninglessness of pursuing the American Dream as generation upon generation was motivated to possess it. In comparison, American Eccentric Cinema does not have a distinct context, its films show characters who are very individual and their concerns are very distinctive to their own personalities. The following

7986-486: The director was considered the most important influence on a film. In Germany, an early film theorist, Walter Julius Bloem , explained that since filmmaking is an art geared toward popular culture, a film's immediate influence, the director, is viewed as the artist, whereas an earlier contributor, like the screenwriter, is viewed as an apprentice. James Agee , a leading film critic of the 1940s, said that "the best films are personal ones, made by forceful directors". Meanwhile,

8107-477: The film's period setting, was inspired by the Martin Scorsese classics Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy while Alexander Payne 's 2023 film The Holdovers took inspiration from Ashby's works. American Eccentric Cinema has been noted as influenced by this era. Both traditions have similar themes and narratives of existentialism and the need for human interaction. New Hollywood focuses on

8228-434: The first auteur among producers of popular music. Author Matthew Bannister named him the first "star" producer. Journalist Richard Williams wrote: Spector created a new concept: the producer as overall director of the creative process, from beginning to end. He took control of everything, he picked the artists, wrote or chose the material, supervised the arrangements, told the singers how to phrase, masterminded all phases of

8349-607: The following summer, and the audience was so enthusiastic that Kaye became Lewis' manager and guardian for Borscht Belt appearances. During World War II , Lewis was rejected from military service because of a heart murmur . In 1945, Lewis was 19 when he met 27-year-old singer Dean Martin at the Glass Hat Club in New York City, where the two performed until they debuted at Atlantic City 's 500 Club as Martin and Lewis on July 25, 1946. The duo gained attention as

8470-600: The gang of criminals in terms of their naiveté and innocence reflecting a change in expectations of American cinema. The cover story in Time magazine in December 1967, celebrated the movie and innovation in American New Wave cinema. This influential article by Stefan Kanfer claimed that Bonnie and Clyde represented a "New Cinema" through its blurred genre lines, and disregard for honored aspects of plot and motivation, and that "In both conception and execution, Bonnie and Clyde

8591-591: The height of the studio system, films were made almost exclusively on set in isolated studios. The content of films was limited by the Motion Picture Production Code, and though golden-age film-makers found loopholes in its rules, the discussion of more taboo content through film was effectively prevented. The shift towards a "new realism" was made possible when the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system

8712-505: The journal Film Culture , American film critic Andrew Sarris translated the French term la politique des auteurs , by François Truffaut in 1955, into Sarris's term auteur theory . Sarris applied it to Hollywood films, and elaborated in his 1968 book, The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 , which helped popularize the English term. Via auteur theory, critical and public scrutiny of films shifted from their stars to

8833-476: The late '40s and early '50s, nobody had ever seen a comedian as wild as Jerry Lewis." Placed in the context of the conservative era, his antics were radical and liberating, paving the way for future comedians Steve Martin , Richard Pryor , Andy Kaufman , Paul Reubens , and Jim Carrey . Carrey wrote: "Through his comedy, Jerry would stretch the boundaries of reality so far that it was an act of anarchy ... I learned from Jerry", and "I am because he was." Acting

8954-490: The late 1960s, performers typically had little input on their own records. Wilson, however, employed the studio like an instrument, as well as a high level of studio control that other artists soon sought. According to The Atlantic ' s Jason Guriel, the Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds , produced by Wilson, anticipated later auteurs such as Kanye West , as well as "the rise of the producer" and "the modern pop-centric era, which privileges producer over artist and blurs

9075-458: The limits of Hollywood's classical model. According to author and film critic Charles Taylor ( Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near You ), he stated that "the 1970s remain the third — and, to date, last — great period in American movies". Author and film critic David Thomson also shared similar sentiment to the point of dubbing the era "the decade when movies mattered". Author A.D. Jameson ( I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing ), on

9196-459: The line between entertainment and art. ... Anytime a band or musician disappears into a studio to contrive an album-length mystery, the ghost of Wilson is hovering near." Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch ; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, filmmaker, actor, humanitarian and singer, who was famously nicknamed "The King of Comedy" and appeared in more than 59 motion pictures. These included

9317-462: The losses from expensive movie flops, led to innovation and risk-taking, allowing greater control by younger directors and producers. Therefore, in an attempt to capture that audience that found a connection to the "art films" of Europe, the studios hired a host of young filmmakers and allowed them to make their films with relatively little studio control. Some of whom, like actor Jack Nicholson and director Peter Bogdanovich , were mentored by "King of

9438-782: The mid-1960s to a younger, more affluent, college-educated demographic: by the mid-1970s, 76% of all movie-goers were under 30, 64% of whom had gone to college. European films, both arthouse and commercial (especially the Commedia all'italiana , the French New Wave , the Spaghetti Western ), and Japanese cinema were making a splash in the United States – the huge market of disaffected youth seemed to find relevance and artistic meaning in movies like Michelangelo Antonioni 's Blowup , with its oblique narrative structure and full-frontal female nudity. The desperation felt by studios during this period of economic downturn, and after

9559-464: The most memorable was the 1976 show, whereas on that broadcast, unrehearsed, Sinatra offered to bring an old friend on stage. From the wings came Dean Martin, as the audience cheered. Lewis was stunned by the surprise, but he embraced Martin and they exchanged jokes for several minutes. In 1976, producer Alexander H. Cohen signed Lewis to star in a revival of Olsen and Johnson 's musical-comedy revue Hellzapoppin . "I do think that to succeed today,

9680-566: The movie a scathing review. "It is a cheap piece of bald-faced slapstick comedy," he wrote, "that treats the hideous depredations of that sleazy, moronic pair as though they were as full of fun and frolic as the jazz-age cut-ups in Thoroughly Modern Millie ..." Other notices, including those from Time and Newsweek magazines, were equally dismissive. Its portrayal of violence and ambiguity in regard to moral values, and its startling ending, divided critics. Following one of

9801-419: The narrative strategies characteristic of Hollywood films of the 1970s: Seventies cinema also dealt with masculine crises featuring flawed male characters, downbeat conclusions and pessimistic subject matters alongside hard-nosed depictions of a America reeling from tense conflicts like The Vietnam War and President Richard Nixon 's Watergate scandal . Thomas Schatz points to another difference with

9922-410: The need for boom microphones in each room. His next movie The Errand Boy (1961), used the same formula as The Bellboy , with Lewis turned loose in a movie studio for blackouts and sight gags. Lewis was also somewhat active in television. NBC released him from a long-term contract in 1960; the official reason given was that Lewis was devoting more time to his motion pictures. A more probable reason

10043-414: The negative reviews, Time magazine received letters from fans of the movie, and according to journalist Peter Biskind , the impact of critic Pauline Kael in her positive review of the film (October 1967, New Yorker ) led other reviewers to follow her lead and re-evaluate the film (notably Newsweek and Time ). Kael drew attention to the innocence of the characters in the film and the artistic merit of

10164-461: The ninth grade and dropped out of Irvington High School in the tenth grade. Lewis said that he ceased using the names Joseph and Joey as an adult to avoid being confused with Joe E. Lewis and Joe Louis . By age 15, Lewis had developed his "Record Act", miming lyrics to songs while a phonograph played offstage. He landed a gig at a burlesque house in Buffalo, but his performance fell flat and he

10285-698: The other hand, claimed that Star Wars was New Hollywood's finest achievement that actually embodied the characteristics of the respected "serious, sophisticated adult films". Steven Hyden, writing for Grantland , called the Movie Brats the "cinematic version" of classic rock (to the point of roll calling Spielberg as the Beatles , Scorsese as the Velvet Underground , Coppola as Bob Dylan , Lucas as Pink Floyd , Robert Altman as Neil Young , Brian De Palma as Led Zeppelin , Bogdanovich as

10406-448: The overall creation. In the 1960s and the 1970s, a new generation of directors, revitalizing filmmaking by wielding greater control, manifested the New Hollywood era, when studios granted directors more leeway to take risks. Yet in the 1980s, upon high-profile failures like Heaven's Gate , studios reasserted control, muting the auteur theory. Pauline Kael , an early critic of auteur theory, debated Andrew Sarris in magazines. Defending

10527-425: The overall rhythmic form which is headed to a spectacular finale: absolute catastrophe." Although Lewis made it no secret that he was Jewish, he was criticized for hiding his Jewish heritage. In several of his films—both with Martin and solo—Lewis's Jewish identity is hinted at in passing, and was never made a defining characteristic of his onscreen persona. Aside from the 1959 television movie The Jazz Singer and

10648-399: The pantheon of auteur directors. She argues that there is no shortage of non-American women directors that could be considered auteurs, and lists Andrea Arnold , Jane Campion , Liliana Cavani , Claire Denis , Marleen Gorris , Agnieszka Holland , Lynne Ramsay , Agnes Varda, and Lina Wertmuller as being among them, but goes on to say that women are rarely afforded financing for films in

10769-526: The period's unusual narrative practices. The 1970s, Berliner says, marks Hollywood's most significant formal transformation since the conversion to sound film and is the defining period separating the storytelling modes of the studio era and contemporary Hollywood. New Hollywood films deviate from classical narrative norms more than Hollywood films from any other era or movement. Their narrative and stylistic devices threaten to derail an otherwise straightforward narration. Berliner argues that five principles govern

10890-408: The precursor to the blockbuster phenomenon). Writing in 1968, critic Pauline Kael argued that the importance of The Graduate was in its social significance in relation to a new young audience, and the role of mass media, rather than any artistic aspects. Kael argued that college students identifying with The Graduate were not too different from audiences identifying with characters in dramas of

11011-486: The previous decade. She also compared this era of cinema to "tangled, bitter flowering of American letters in the 1850s". Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino identified in his 2022 book Cinema Speculation that: "regular moviegoers were becoming weary of modern American movies. The darkness, the drug use, the embrace of sensation-the violence, the sex, and the sexual violence. But even more than that, they became wear of

11132-461: The production code enabled New Hollywood films to feature anti-establishment political themes, the use of rock music, and sexual freedom deemed "counter-cultural" by the studios. The youth movement of the 1960s turned anti-heroes like Bonnie and Clyde and Cool Hand Luke into pop-culture idols, and Life magazine called the characters in Easy Rider "part of the fundamental myth central to

11253-415: The recording process with the most painful attention to detail, and released the result on his own label. Another early pop music auteur was Brian Wilson , mentored by Spector. In 1962, Wilson's band, the Beach Boys , signed to Capitol Records and swiftly became a commercial success, whereby Wilson was an early recording artist who was also an entrepreneurial producer. Before the " progressive pop " of

11374-640: The right and responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell, 'Cut!' The films of New Hollywood influenced future mainstream and independent filmmakers such as Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson and Noah Baumbach . They also influenced both the Poliziotteschi genre films in Italy and a decade later the Cinéma du look movement in France. Todd Phillips 's 2019 DC Comics adaptation Joker , alongside

11495-604: The scenes, he contributed to some scripts for Filmation 's animated series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down , directed an episode of The Bold Ones and directed the Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis, Jr. comedy One More Time (1970), a sequel to Richard Donner 's Salt and Pepper (1968). Lewis would leave Columbia after his agreement with the studio lapsed, leaving him to produce his next movie independently. Which Way to

11616-443: The sight gags but felt that Lewis was not a true pantomime artist: "As a mute, there are only brief moments of his work coming close to Chaplin , Jacques Tati , or Harpo Marx . Lewis, always laughed at, fails to win the viewer's heart." Lewis later revealed that Paramount was not happy about financing a "silent movie" and withdrew backing. Lewis used his own funds to cover the movie's $ 950,000 budget. The Bellboy turned out to be

11737-668: The studio I'll give him the match!" Lewis ended his association with Hal Wallis, their last joint venture being Visit to a Small Planet (1960). His next film was Cinderfella (1960), directed by Frank Tashlin; it was supposed to be Lewis's summer release, but Paramount withheld it in preparation for a Christmas 1960 release. Paramount, needing a quickie movie for its summer 1960 schedule, insisted that Lewis must produce one. This resulted in Lewis's sudden transformation from movie clown to all-around filmmaker. He produced, directed, co-wrote, and starred in The Bellboy (1960). Using

11858-416: The studio and eventually on the audience. The new generation of Hollywood filmmakers was most importantly, from the studios' view, young, therefore able to reach the youth audience they were losing. This collective of actors, screenwriters and directors, dubbed the "New Hollywood" by the press, briefly changed the business from the producer-driven Hollywood system of the past as Todd Berliner has written about

11979-425: The studio's dime)." This era was also infamous for its excessive decadence and on-set mishaps. Incidents plaguing the behind-the-scenes of some of the horror films from this era (such as Rosemary's Baby , The Exorcist , Twilight Zone: The Movie and The Omen ) were also the subjects for the docuseries Cursed Films . Even Spielberg, who co-directed/co-produced Twilight Zone with John Landis ,

12100-893: The subjectivity of the protagonist in The Graduate and the passage of time in the famous match cut from 2001: A Space Odyssey . Also influential were the works of experimental filmmakers Arthur Lipsett , Stan Brakhage , Bruce Baillie , Jordan Belson , John Whitney , Scott Bartlett , Maya Deren and Kenneth Anger with their combinations of music and imagery and each were cited by George Lucas , Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese as influences. The New Hollywood generation of directors and screenwriters (each educated at either USC , UCLA , NYU and AFI ) such as Coppola, Lucas, Scorsese, Steven Spielberg , John Milius and Paul Schrader were sometimes jokingly labeled as "Movie Brats" or " Young Turks ". The end of

12221-477: The success of Mary Poppins , Doctor Zhivago and The Sound of Music , put great strain on the studios. By the time the Baby Boomer generation started to come of age in the 1960s, " Old Hollywood " was rapidly losing money; the studios were unsure how to react to the much-changed audience demographics. The change in the market during the period went from a middle-aged high school-educated audience in

12342-409: The technique of using video cameras and multiple closed circuit monitors, which allowed him to review his performance instantly. This was necessary since he was acting as well as directing. His techniques and methods of filmmaking, documented in his book and his USC class, enabled him to complete most of his films on time and under budget since reshoots could take place immediately instead of waiting for

12463-489: The transition from Jack Paar to Johnny Carson in 1962, and his appearance on the show scored the highest ratings thus far in late night, surpassing other guest hosts and Paar. The three major networks began a bidding war, wooing Lewis for his own talk show. Lewis then directed, co-wrote and starred in The Nutty Professor (1963). A parody of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , it featured him as Professor Kelp ,

12584-420: The two French movies To Catch a Cop (1984) and How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave (1984), both which had their distribution under Lewis's control. During this period he took the very rare dramatic role as Jerry Langford in Martin Scorsese 's The King of Comedy (1982), playing a late night TV talk-show host stalked by a delusional would-be comedian played by Robert De Niro . Later, he hosted

12705-466: The types of film produced, their production and marketing, and the way major studios approached filmmaking. In New Hollywood films, the film director, rather than the studio, took on a key authorial role. The definition of "New Hollywood" varies, depending on the author, with some defining it as a movement and others as a period. The span of the period is also a subject of debate, as well as its integrity, as some authors, such as Thomas Schatz, argue that

12826-444: The unreleased 1972 film The Day the Clown Cried , Lewis never appeared in a film or film role that had any ties to his Jewish heritage. When asked about this lack of Jewish portrayal in a 1984 interview, Lewis stated, "I never hid it, but I wouldn't announce it and I wouldn't exploit it. Plus the fact it had no room in the visual direction I was taking in my work." Lewis's physical movements in films received some criticism because he

12947-431: The way for the studio to relinquish almost complete control to these innovative young filmmakers. In the mid-1970s, idiosyncratic, startling original films such as Paper Moon , Dog Day Afternoon , Chinatown , and Taxi Driver , among others, enjoyed enormous critical and commercial success. These successes by the members of the New Hollywood led each of them in turn to make more and more extravagant demands, both on

13068-473: Was a New Hollywood kind of movie, and it was very anti-the Old Hollywood, it was very hard-edged, violent, you know, it was not at all an Old Hollywood movie. And I didn't, I wasn't particularly aware of it. Then the following year was Bonnie and Clyde . Shadows had come out in the early '60s, so that was really the first sign of a kind of off-Hollywood movement. – Peter Bogdanovich Following

13189-501: Was a hit with audiences. The film eventually won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress ( Estelle Parsons ) and Best Cinematography . When Jack L. Warner , then-CEO of Warner Bros. , first saw a rough cut of Bonnie and Clyde in the summer of 1967, he hated it. Distribution executives at Warner Brothers agreed, giving the film a low-key premiere and limited release. Their strategy appeared justified when Bosley Crowther , middlebrow film critic at The New York Times , gave

13310-406: Was born at Clinton Private Hospital and others report it as Newark Beth Israel Hospital . Other aspects of his early life conflict with accounts made by family members, burial records, and vital records . In his teenage years, Lewis was known for pulling pranks in his neighborhood, including sneaking into kitchens to steal fried chicken and pies. He was expelled from Weequahic High School in

13431-766: Was cheaper (no sets need to be built) New Hollywood filmmakers rapidly developed the taste for location shooting, resulting in a more naturalistic approach to filmmaking, especially when compared to the mostly stylized approach of classical Hollywood musicals and spectacles made to compete with television during the 1950s and early 1960s. The documentary films of D.A. Pennebaker , the Maysles Brothers and Frederick Wiseman , among others, also influenced filmmakers of this era. However, in editing, New Hollywood filmmakers adhered to realism more liberally than most of their classical Hollywood predecessors, often using editing for artistic purposes rather than for continuity alone,

13552-461: Was completely unnerved to be alone." While there, he received an urgent request from his friend Sid Luft , who was Judy Garland 's husband and manager, saying that she couldn't perform that night in Las Vegas because of strep throat , and asking Lewis to fill in. Lewis had not sung alone on stage since he was five years old, twenty-five years before. He delivered jokes and clowned with the audience while Garland sat off-stage, watching. He then sang

13673-707: Was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and France awarded him the Legion of Honor in 2006. Lewis was born on March 16, 1926, in Newark, New Jersey , to a Jewish family. His parents were Daniel "Danny" Levitch (1902–1980), a master of ceremonies and vaudevillian who performed under the stage name Danny Lewis, whose parents immigrated to the United States from the Russian Empire to New York, and Rachael "Rae" Levitch (née Brodsky; 1904–1982),

13794-551: Was introduced and location shooting was becoming more viable. New York City was a favorite spot for this new set of filmmakers due to its gritty atmosphere. Because of breakthroughs in film technology (e.g. the Panavision Panaflex camera, introduced in 1972; the Steadicam , introduced in 1976), the New Hollywood filmmakers could shoot 35mm camera film in exteriors with relative ease. Since location shooting

13915-426: Was likened to Howard Hawks , Alfred Hitchcock , and Satyajit Ray . In particular, Jean-Luc Godard credited Lewis's "personal genius" for making him "the only one in Hollywood doing something different, the only one who isn't falling in with the established categories, the norms, the principles", "the only one today who's making courageous films". As early as his 1962 essay "Notes on the auteur theory", published in

14036-404: Was perceived as imitating or mocking those with a physical disability.  Through the years, the disability that has been attached to his comedic persona has not been physical, but mental. Neuroticism and schizophrenia have been a part of Lewis's persona since his partnership with Dean Martin; however, it was in his solo career that these disabilities became important to the plots of his films and

14157-424: Was physically uninhibited, expressive, and potentially volatile. He was known especially for his distinctive voice, facial expressions, pratfalls, and physical stunts. His improvisations and ad-libbing, especially in nightclubs and early television were revolutionary among performers. It was "marked by a raw, edgy energy that would distinguish him within the comedy landscape." Will Sloan, of Flavorwire wrote, "In

14278-432: Was so disgusted by the latter's handling of a deadly helicopter accident that resulted in the death of three actors, that he ended their friendship and publicly called for the end of New Hollywood. When approached by the press about the accident, he stated: "No movie is worth dying for. I think people are standing up much more now, than ever before, to producers and directors who ask too much. If something isn't safe, it's

14399-540: Was so eagerly awaited that NBC-TV promised Cohen $ 1,000,000 for the rights to broadcast the opening night live on national television. Out-of-town tryouts were staged in Washington, DC , Baltimore , and Boston to excellent business but mixed reviews. There was turmoil behind the scenes, as comedy star Lewis dominated the production and had serious arguments with producer Cohen, co-star Redgrave, and writer-adaptor Abe Burrows . "Lewis and Miss Redgrave had been having

14520-463: Was the difficulty in finding a weekly television vehicle for Lewis. (NBC did announce two series in development, "Permanent Waves" and "The Comedy Concert.") Lewis's TV appearances were usually guest shots. He appeared in The Wacky World of Jerry Lewis, Celebrity Golf, The Garry Moore Show , The Soupy Sales Show, It's Only Money (1962) and guest hosted The Tonight Show during

14641-539: Was unable to book any more shows. To make ends meet, Lewis worked as a soda jerk and a theater usher for Suzanne Pleshette 's father, Gene Pleshette, at the Paramount Theatre as well as at Loew's Capitol Theatre , both in New York City. A veteran burlesque comedian, Max Coleman, who had worked with Lewis' father years before, persuaded him to try again. Irving Kaye, a Borscht Belt comedian, saw Lewis' mime act at Brown's Hotel in Loch Sheldrake, New York,

#320679