Film Forum

U.S., 1960
Written, Directed, and Produced by Jerry Lewis
Starring Jerry Lewis, Alexy Gerry, Bob Clayton
Approx. 72 min. 35mm.

“The slapstick genius of Jerry Lewis is at its most gleefully inventive in the comedian auteur’s gag-packed, almost free-form first outing as director (as well as writer and producer). He brings his touchingly gawky persona to the role of Stanley, a bumbling bellhop at the ritzy Fontainebleau Hotel in Florida’s Miami Beach. Guests may come and guests may go, but Stanley is on duty day after day at the posh resort, encountering all sorts of catastrophes. None other than Walter Winchell provides narration, while fellow comedy legend Milton Berle makes a cameo appearance as himself.” – Criterion

35mm print courtesy the Library of Congress. Special thanks to Chris Lewis and Bob Furmanek.

Reviews

“THE BELLBOY clearly sets a standard of self-involvement and examination in Lewis’s work that is so successfully hermetic that it scarcely needs the approval of the audience.”
– Slant Magazine

“Lewis’ first film as a director, and already his direction is meticulous. His gags are ingeniously conceived, both for the performer and for the camera. For Lewis, a gag isn't just a pratfall. It's a potential transformation of the world.”
– Richard Brody, The New Yorker