Jerry Lewis

Overview

Jerry Lewis (born March 16, 1926 - August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis. In addition to the duo's popular nightclub work, they starred in a successful series of comedy films for Paramount Pictures. Lewis was also known for his charity fund-raising telethons and position as national chairman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Lewis won several awards for lifetime achievements from The American Comedy Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and Venice Film Festival, and he had two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2005, he received the Governors Award of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Board of Governors, which is the highest Emmy Award presented. On February 22, 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Lewis the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Jerry died on August 20, 2017, in Las Vegas.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

His film class students included Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
Besides Dean Martin, Lewis said the closest friend he ever had was Sammy Davis Jr. Davis would call Lewis in tears at times because of the racial slurs people would say to him about his relationship with Swedish actress May Britt.
While filming Cinderfella (1960), he suffered a mild heart attack immediately after running up the stairs and was in an oxygen tent at Mount Sinai hospital 30 minutes later. He ran up 66 steps in eight seconds.
Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Honorary Member (1981) Lewis was honored for his contribution and development of the first "Video Assist" for the motion picture camera (1966). This allowed him to view his performance while directing himself in his films. This is used extensively today in filmmaking, known as "Video Village".
Nominated for Nobel Prize for his 50 years raising money to fight muscular dystrophy.

[looking back on more than 60 years in show business] I was about as discreet as a ... bull taking a piss in your living room.
I think I really wanted to write my biography more to be able to mention that [John F. Kennedy] and I were friends than anything else.
Going unnoticed has never been my strong suit.
Other comedy teams never generated anything like the hysteria that [Dean Martin] and I did, and that was because we had that X factor--the powerful feeling between us. And it really was an X factor, a kind of mystery.
I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again!