That sucks - I never really cared for Lewis' comedy but thought his telethon was a great thing.
Even his movies with Dean Martin? They were so silly they were hilarious.
Understand...his sense of humor is really a matter of taste. One can not however look at the man and not show an enormous amount of respect for 41+ years of dedication for MDA...it still gets major star power to the program.
Joined by host Ed McMahon and co-hosts, Jann Carl, Tom Bergeron, Norm Crosby, Billy Gilman, Larry King, Tony Orlando and Bob Zany. This year’s on-air talent includes Celine Dion , Paul Anka, Goo Goo Dolls, Lee Greenwood, Dave Matthews Band, Joshua Bell, Jo Dee Messina, Daddy Yankee, Cheap Trick, Rita Rudner, Neil Patrick Harris, Ray Romano, William Shatner, Donald Trump, Sean Hayes, Lance Burton, Clint Holmes, Louie Anderson, George Wallace, Julie Roberts, Maureen McGovern, George Clinton, Village People, the casts of Phantom of the Opera, Shout, The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee, The Color Purple and the Wedding singer and more.
That's more or less what I was going to say but you beat me to it
So.....
Ditto!
Jerry's '60s and 70's movies are pretty cringe-worthy, but his early stuff with Dean Martin was hilarious. They were a nightclub act, at their best in front of a live crowd, and their movies never really captured it. Check out the DVDs that have come out recently of their early TV appearances on the Colgate Comedy Hour, which more accurately reflects the way they slayed live audiences (you can find them for a couple of bucks at Walgreen's). Some of that stuff made me laugh until I couldn't breathe. Also, Jerry did some solo records early in his career, like "Sunday Driving," which are absolutely hilarious.
My wife never cared for him either until I showed her that stuff, and she became a convert. I even took her to see him in the national tour of "Damn Yankees" in the '90s, and he was great. I think he's just one of those guys you have to see in person to really appreciate. I remember a Dallas newspaper columnist in the '70s, doing his "best of the year" column, listed Jerry as the best stand-up comedy act he'd seen all year, and he admitted that he never would've believed he would be saying that.
One more thing: his recent book about his career with Dean Martin was terrific, and if you're at all interested in show business in that era (late 40's-mid '50s) and the mob influence on it, etc., it's a must read: http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Me-A-Love-Story/dp/0767920864/sr=1-1/qid=1157319158/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8220619-4527922?ie=UTF8&s=books