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.
The Nutty Professor is pretty damn funny. It's a classic film.
While their Colgate Comedy Hour stuff might have made audiences laugh uproariously back in the 1950s (and gives us an idea of what their live nightclub performances were like), I find that those live Colgate appearances hasnt aged well. (Though DONT get me wrong. I still prefer Dean and Jerry's Colgate Comedy Hour programs to anything they produce today)
I much prefer their movies where they are mcuh more disciplined. That is, sticking to the structure of a script, and the movies are subjected to editing before being seen by their audiences.
While their Colgate Comedy Hour stuff might have made audiences laugh uproariously back in the 1950s (and gives us an idea of what their live nightclub performances were like), I find that those live Colgate appearances hasnt aged well. (Though DONT get me wrong. I still prefer Dean and Jerry's Colgate Comedy Hour programs to anything they produce today)
I much prefer their movies where they are mcuh more disciplined. That is, sticking to the structure of a script, and the movies are subjected to editing before being seen by their audiences.