The Nutty Professor (1963)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Jerry Lewis

Writers:

Jerry Lewis (written by) and
Bill Richmond (written by)

Release Date:

4 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

What does he become? What kind of monster?

Plot:

To improve his social life, a nerdish professor drinks a potion that temporarily turns him into the handsome, but obnoxious, Buddy Love.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Student | Professor | Teacher | Nerd

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jerry Lewis	...	Professor Julius Kelp / Buddy Love / Baby Kelp
Stella Stevens	...	Stella Purdy
Del Moore	...	Dr. Hamius R. Warfield
Kathleen Freeman	...	Millie Lemmon
Med Flory	...	Football Player
Norman Alden	...	Football Player
Howard Morris	...	Mr. Elmer Kelp
Elvia Allman	...	Edwina Kelp
Milton Frome	...	Dr. M. Sheppard Leevee
Buddy Lester	...	Bartender
Marvin Kaplan	...	English student
David Landfield	...	College Student
Skip Ward	...	Football Player
Julie Parrish	...	College Student
Henry Gibson	...	Gibson, College Student

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Stella Stevens' character's name was first Stella Paine, but Stevens asked Jerry Lewis to change it to Stella Purdy.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Professor Kelp is at his desk writing in his journal, the clock on the wall is not running. When he drinks the formula later that evening, during his transformation into Buddy Love, the clock is running.

Quotes:

Buddy Love: Here y'are, baby. Take this, wipe the lipstick off, slide over here next to me, and let's get started.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Snoop Dogg/Avril Lavigne (#29.19)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

That Old Black Magic

Jerry Lewis in Hilarious Jeckyl/Hyde Comedy

This is by far the best of the Jerry Lewis (sans Martin) films. The Jekyll & Hyde storyline is the perfect outlet for Jerry Lewis' "physical comedy" genius. I bet the "French" were inspired by this performance, when they named Jerry Lewis their comedy idol. As a clumsy, yet lovable chemistry professor, the title character could hardly be considered a "babe magnet". When he discovers a magic potion that turns the nerd into "Buddy Love", his luck with the ladies appears to change. In the end, he learns that appearance is less important than character. A young Stella Stevens is effective as the grad-student love interest.

This original "Nutty Professor" is heartwarming and funny without offensive language and double-meaning visuals. It is far superior to its 1990s Eddie Murphy remake. Especially for a juvenile audience, Lewis beats Murphy by a mile!