The Bellboy (1960)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writer:

Jerry Lewis (writer)

Release Date:

20 July 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Jerry Lewis rings the bell for buffoonery!

Plot:

In Miami Beach, the mute bellboy Stanley works at the luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel. In spite of being a serviceable and friendly employee, the clumsy Stanley gets successively into trouble with his mistakes.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Slapstick | Bellhop | Actor Meets Character

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Stanley / Himself
Alex Gerry	...	Mr. Novak, Hotel Manager
Bob Clayton	...	Bob, Bell Captain
Sonnie Sands	...	Sonnie, Bellboy (as Sonny Sands)
Eddie Shaeffer	...	Eddie, Bellboy
Herkie Styles	...	Herkie, Bellboy
David Landfield	...	David, Bellboy
Bill Richmond	...	Stan Laurel
Larry Best	...	Apple Man
Cary Middlecoff	...	Himself
Art Terry	...	Himself (as The Novelites)
Frankie Carr	...	Himself (as The Novelites)
Joe Mayer	...	Himself (as The Novelites)
Stanley Allan	...	Hotel Guest
Duke Art Jr.	...	Bit part
Eddie Barton	...	Doorman
Murray Barton	...	Murray, bellboy
Howard Brooks	...	Bit part
Ricki Dunn	...	Hotel Guest
Jack Durant	...	Ferdinand Manville, Husband who slips on waxed floor
Jimmy Gerard	...	Man fighting with wife in lobby
Matilda Gerard	...	Woman fighting with husband in lobby
Paul Gray	...	Paul, assistant manager
H.S. Gump	...	Gangster
Jack Henkins	...	Hotel Guest
Elise Jayne	...	Miss Winkley
Dick Lynn	...	Desk Clerk (as Dick Lynne)
Pat Mack	...	Thin Mrs. Hartung
John G. Morgan	...	Hotel Guest
Larry K. Nixon	...	Bell captain who tells Bob Clayton about the union meeting
B.S. Pully	...	Steve, head gangster (as B. S. Pully)
Guy Rennie	...	Mr. Carter
Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom	...	Maxie, Gangster (as Max Rosenbloom)
Benny Ross	...	Hotel Guest
Joe E. Ross	...	Joey, Gangster
Frankie Scott	...	Hotel Guest
Roy Sedley	...	Mr. Sedley, man with sunburn
Sammy Shore	...	Hotel Guest
Sarah Smith	...	Fat Mrs. Hartung
Art Stanley	...	Bell captain
Hal Winters	...	Hal, desk clerk
Mike Letz	...	Gangster bodyguard (as Mike Zetz)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Milton Berle	...	Himself / Bellboy (uncredited)
Bobby Byron	...	Texan (uncredited)
Sheila Caplan	...	Autograph hound (uncredited)
Ron Corsi	...	Autograph hound (uncredited)
Alberta Dee	...	Autograph hound (uncredited)
Isobel Elsom	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Leon Fields	...	Leon, member of entourage (uncredited)
Paul Gerard	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Tilly Gerrard	...	Fighting woman (uncredited)
Ernest D. Glucksman	...	Herman (uncredited)
Sid Gould	...	Gin player (uncredited)
Paul Grayson	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Jay W. Jensen	...	Hotel guest (uncredited)
Jack Keller	...	Golfer, Cary Middlecoff's opponent (uncredited)
Jack Kruschen	...	Jack E. Mulcher, President of Paramount Pictures (uncredited)
Bill Matuza	...	Autograph hound (uncredited)
Del Moore	...	Voice of golf announcer (uncredited)
Ben Novak	...	Owner of Fontainebleau Hotel (uncredited)
Danny Rogers	...	Gin player (uncredited)
Bartley Shank	...	Golf announcer (uncredited)
Walter Winchell	...	Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
Ned Wynn	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Sam Younghans	...	Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Jerry Lewis

Writing credits
Jerry Lewis		(writer)

Produced by
Ernest D. Glucksman	....	associate producer
Jerry Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Walter Scharf

Cinematography by
Haskell B. Boggs

Film Editing by
Stanley E. Johnson

Casting by
Edward R. Morse

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton
Sam Comer

Makeup Department
Jack Stone	....	makeup supervisor
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
William Davidson	....	production manager (as Bill Davidson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Axness	....	assistant director
Maurice Lessay	....	assistant director
William R. Poole	....	assistant director
Larry Powell	....	assistant director
James A. Rosenberger	....	second unit director

Art Department
John Jensen	....	sketch artist

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Gene Merritt	....	sound recordist
Howard Beals	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects
Douglas Pettibone	....	special effects propmaker (uncredited)

Stunts
Hal Bell	....	stunt double: Jerry Lewis (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Denney	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Bud Fraker	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bernard P. Keever	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Howard Kelly	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Lewis Kirkpatrick	....	rigging best boy electric (uncredited)
James Knott	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bob Mundell	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)
Walter Newman	....	key rigging grip (uncredited)
Dave Perry	....	electrician (uncredited)
Glen E. Richardson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Herbert Romey	....	grip (uncredited)
Gus Ryden	....	camera loader (uncredited)
Joe Schuster	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
Jack Sherman	....	rigging grip (uncredited)
Darrell Turnmire	....	key grip (uncredited)
Buck Walters	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Paul Weddell	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Whitson	....	generator operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Wally Wanger	....	casting: Miami

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John A. Anderson	....	wardrobe: men (as John Anderson)
Pat Barto	....	wardrobe supervisor: women
Sy Devore	....	wardrobe: men
Mickey Hayes	....	wardrobe: men
Grace Harris	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Herman Freedman	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Jack Harnish	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jerry Lewis	....	composer: theme song (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Al Latta	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)
Russ Welch	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Claire Behnke	....	script supervisor
Nick Castle	....	choreographer
Arthur P. Schmidt	....	assistant to producer
Marvin Weldon	....	dialogue coach
Russ Brown	....	technical supervisor (uncredited)
Rita Dillon	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Marvin Levy	....	physician: Mr. Lewis (uncredited)
Homer Mendenhall	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
Jim Merrick	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Carl Skelton	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Doris Turner	....	secretary: Mr. Lewis (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jerry Lewis Pictures
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Poletel (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Fontainebleau Hilton Resort - 4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Jerry Lewis Pictures

Trivia:

The first theatrical release directed by Jerry Lewis.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When the staff helps the overweight Mrs. Hartung up the stairs you see the reflection of the boom mic raising up in the window

Movie Connections:

Featured in 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV)

Jerry Lewis the true genius of comedy

Jerry Lewis produced, wrote and directed The Bellboy in 1960, in four weeks at the Fountainbleau Hotel in Miami Beach, where he was performing at the time.The movie has no plot, it just shows us Stanley the bellboy getting in many hilarious situations.Stanley doesn't speak, he doesn't say a word until at the end of the movie.Lewis shows us some incredible silent comedy, great physical comedy in a way only Jerry can do.And what he does with his face! Marvelous, just marvelous! In this movie Jerry makes also a visit as himself.You can't help yourself laughing when the star arrives with a whole bunch of people.An other great comedian, Milton Berle can be seen there.And Stan Laurel.Well, not quite.Jerry wanted Stan to be in the movie, he sent him the script and Stan did make a few minor changes to it.He deleted one entire scene because it was too mean-spirited.So Stan did have something to do with the picture, but he wasn't seen in it.That's too bad, since Mr Laurel is also one of my favorite comics.But there is Bill Richmond as Stan Laurel look-alike.Mr Lewis will receive next September the Governors award for his charity work.He is the chairman of Muscular Dystrophy Association.Good for you, Jerry!You do deserve all the best in the world.I bought the DVD yesterday and I sure am glad I did.It may not be the most traditional Jerry Lewis movie, but it still works, works like a charm.After 45 years it still does.