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These 25 minutes of footage and interviews are the last of it, we’re promisedRemember Jerry Lewis’ never-released Holocaust film? The one about the German-Jewish clown sent to Auschwitz (!) to entertain children as they’re sent to the gas chamber (!)? The grotesque comedic rendering of concentration camp life in which—spoiler alert—Lewis’ clown decides to voluntarily enter the gas chambers himself could have been the stuff of cinematic urban legend—Lewis told the New Yorker the film would never see the light of day—but thanks to the Internet it’s very, very real. The 1972 film, The Day the Clown Cried, which Spy...

This is making-of footage from a film that will never-be. The Day the Clown Cried was a 1972 Holocaust drama directed and starring Jerry Lewis that was famously decried for its bad taste before ever being released. Lewis then buried the film, denouncing it as “bad” and made him feel “embarrassed.” The script and a few stills are all that survive for public consumption — until now, when YouTube user unclesporkums found this 7-minute clip of behind-the-scenes footage and shared it online yesterday. As of this writing, only 751 people have laid eyes on the video below, but that number...

Puzzling break-ins over the last month at the offices of at least three House members and several committees have U.S. Capitol Police gumshoes working to find a pattern and the culprits, with missing items ranging from cash and expensive computer equipment to autographed baseballs and alcohol. In at least four of the cases, thieves broke into the offices at night when doors were locked, leading some staffers to believe they were victims of an inside job. (MAP: Where the House Office Break-Ins Happened) “The evidence points to someone with access to my office, and other offices in the Capitol complex,...

Jerry Lewis turned 86 yesterday and got quite a nice birthday party from the Friars Club. Richard Belzer interviewed him last night at the 92nd St. Y, Lewis did a lengthy and hilarious Q&A with the audience, and then Paul Shaffer played “Happy Birthday” to him on the piano with an audience singalong. Veteran comic and actor Jerry Stiller came and sat third row center and even asked a question: “Did you and Dean rehearse your act?”– and he seriously wanted an answer. Jerry joked a lot of his answers, and got lots of applause from an audience that included...

Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, announced today he will retire after 46 years in elected office and 33 years representing San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in Congress. This will be his last term. Lewis is the longest-serving Republican member of Congress from California in history, and the first member from the state to be Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, according to a news release from Lewis's office. San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt and Assembly Paul Cook, R-Yucaipa, announced today they both will be running for the new Congressional District 8 seat. In a statement, Mitzelfelt said Lewis has been...

Reporting from Mesa, Ariz.— The strain of conservatism that propelled Arizona lawmaker Russell Pearce to a powerful perch in state politics could also prove to be his downfall. Pearce, president of the state Senate, will face off Tuesday against fellow Republican Jerry Lewis in a recall election in their suburban Phoenix district. The election is the culmination of a nearly yearlong effort to oust the controversial Pearce, arguably the state's most powerful politician. Supporters champion his gruff, unwavering commitment to conservative ideals, while critics call him a bully whose tactics are divisive.

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The new era of primetime Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethons has started. In six primetime hours last night, the organization leading the fight against progressive muscle diseases delivered on its promise of an outstanding 46th annual MDA Labor Day Telethon. MDA today announced that its 2011 Telethon raised $61,491,393 -- up from the $58,919,838 achieved during the prior year's 21.5-hour Telethon. This is the biggest Telethon achievement since 2008, when the global recession began. Contributions can still be made online at mda.org or by calling 800-FIGHTMD (800-344-4863). "We're so grateful to everyone who made...

LAS VEGAS -The hosts of the 46th annual Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon said Sunday that Jerry Lewis retired from the organization and its yearly fundraiser — the charity's first comments about the beloved icon's departure since an announcement last month. Lewis publicist Candi Cazau declined comment to The Associated Press when told of the statements that opened the telethon on Sunday. Co-host Nigel Lythgoe said during his opening comments on the telethon that he didn't realize Lewis, 85, was thinking about retirement during the show last year, when the comedian offered Lythgoe his seat as Lewis took a break and...

Few TV traditions in America are as popular as the annual MDA Labor Day Telethon, but this year’s is still shrouded in mystery as to what happened between entertainment legend and longtime host Jerry Lewis and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Not one mention of his name in the two latest MDA press releases about the telethon. That’s not only downright rude and disgraceful, but also a tragedy. This year’s show, broadcast live again from South Point on Sunday, has been cut to 6 hours from the long-standing 21-hour marathon. MDA says the new look will be more fast-paced and hopefully...

For 45 years watching The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon was what millions of families did on Labor Day. The Telethon was to Labor Day what fireworks were to the 4th of July and a turkey dinner to Thanksgiving. This year the Muscular Dystrophy Association has decided to replace this holiday tradition with a television show on Labor Day Eve. The 6-hour program will still be called a telethon, but Jerry Lewis won't be there and it won't be live for most viewers unless MDA has different programs for each time zone. The program will start at 6 P.M. local...

Jerry Lewis said Saturday that his years of service to the Muscular Dystrophy Association helped make him a star, but he didn’t provide details on his recent departure as the group’s national chairman. In his first public appearance since the that announcement, Lewis accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Nevada Broadcasters Association, saying that he made his reputation in show business by saving lives. "I made my reputation in this business caring for what I did, caring for the people that I did it for," said Lewis, who donned a red foam clown nose at one point during his...

(CNN) -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association announced Wednesday that comedian Jerry Lewis is no longer serving as the organization's national chairman. Lewis, 85, and MDA had announced in May that he was retiring as host of the MDA Labor Day Telethon in September. But he said then in a statement that he was planning to continue to serve as the organization's national chairman. "As a labor of love, I've hosted the annual telethon since 1966," Lewis said in the news release issued in May by the association. "And I'll be making my final appearance on the show this year, by...

Legendary comedian Jerry Lewis was rushed to a hospital in Sydney today, after falling ill minutes before he was about to perform to a club. The 85-year-old entertainer, on his eighth tour of Australia to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, fell ill just before he was scheduled to entertain an expectant crowd. Mr Lewis was so ill that he could not even get out of a car which brought him to the club last night. He was driven to hospital where he was admitted for tests but there was no immediate comment on his condition.

After 45 years promoting treatment and a cure for children he calls "my kids," comedian Jerry Lewis announced Monday he is retiring as host of the Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon that has become synonymous with his name. Lewis, 85, issued a statement through the association calling it "time for an all new Telethon era." "As a labor of love, I've hosted the annual Telethon since 1966 and I'll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, `You'll Never Walk Alone,'" Lewis said of a shortened six-hour primetime broadcast scheduled for Sept....

Jerry Lewis announced on Monday that he is retiring as the longtime emcee of the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon. “As a labor of love, I’ve hosted the annual Telethon since 1966, and I’ll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’,” the legendary 85-year-old comedy entertainer said in a statement on the MDA website. “I’ll continue to serve MDA as its National Chairman – as I’ve done since the early 1950′s. I’ll never desert MDA and my kids.” According to the MDA, Lewis has logged more...

Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) wants to get the chair of Appropriations once Republicans take control of the House, and he’s campaigning hard to demonstrate his commitment to conservative causes. In an attempt to move the conversation away from earmarking, Lewis has fixed his sights on the EPA and its “arbitrary interpretations of the Clean Air Act,” warning EPA head Lisa Jackson that he intends on stripping the agency of funding for her climate-change agenda: Rep. Jerry Lewis is hoping to strengthen his bid to chair the House Appropriations Committee by threatening to strip funding from the Obama administration’s controversial environmental...

Trashing the muscular dystrophy telethon is like dissing Christmas. It ticks people off. Even if the offender is a former Jerry's Kid. Laura Hershey was born with a form of MD and spent her poster childhood appearing helpless at fundraisers. She became a celebrity in the '70s as the face of the condition in Colorado. She remembers being a prop in the TV studio that was broadcasting local parts of the telethon. "To whole families driving by to drop their contributions in a giant fishbowl outside the studio; to the camera's blinking red light; to the anchorman who squatted next...

Jerry Lewis has logged over 60 years in showbiz and has seen it all, but what really gets his goat are the current crop of young and troubled celebutantes who seemingly take their charmed lives for granted. Enemy No. 1: Lindsay Lohan, a name that set Lewis off during a no-holds-barred rant on 'Inside Edition' this week. "I'd smack her in the mouth if I saw her," he offered the interviewer when asked what he'd do if he saw Lohan. "I would smack her in the mouth and be arrested for abusing a woman!" He continued, "I would say, 'You...

A local Tea Party organizer is in the early stages of challenging the high-powered Rep. Jerry Lewis for the Republican nomination to represent his district in the House of Representatives. Kathleen Lane Schneider, 59, of Redlands is a graphic designer and organizer for the Redlands Tea Party Patriots. She is one of two GOP candidates .. The district, California's 41st, includes the Redlands area, San Bernardino Mountain communities, a.. Even if the kind of populist sentiment that has fueled tea partyers across the United States is strong in the 41st, Schneider or any challenger to Lewis faces a tough prospect...