"The Nutty Professor" was Jerry Lewis' version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It was a change in direction for Lewis whose movies had tended to be more madcap comedy than drama.
Jerry plays nerdy Professor Julius Kelp complete with buck teeth, glasses and a stooped over posture. He is clutzy to say the least but a somewhat brilliant scientist nonetheless. Wanting to change his image he invents a serum that transforms into Buddy Love a cool cat who is abrasive and egotistical. He has his eye on student Stella Purday (Stella Stevens - smack, drool) who sees something within the bold and unpleasant Buddy that she can't explain.
Unfortunately, Buddy changes back into Julius without warning and is forced to flee from Stella, leaving her dumbfounded. This happens several times until prom night when singing with Les Brown and his band of renown, his voice cracks and he changes back into Julius. He apologizes to the assembled crowd leaves the stage and.......................................................................
Lewis demonstrated that he could act going seamlessly from the professor to Buddy. His depiction of Buddy contains little or no comedy turns and he makes the character totally despicable. The professor is closer to the Jerry we all know but has his serious side as well.
Jerry employed many members of his in house stock company in key roles. Kathleen Freeman plays the Dean's secretary, Del Moore the college Dean, Milton Frome a fellow professor and Buddy Lester as a befuddled bartender. Others in the cast include Howard Morris as Julius henpecked father, Evia Allman as his domineering mother, Med Flory as Warzewski the giant football player and Henry Gibson, Norman Alden and Marvin Kaplin as other students. And watch for Richard Kiel briefly in the Gym scene.
Was it me or didn't most of the "students" look to be well into their thirties. And Jerry Lewis as a singer makes a great actor/comedian.
Jerry plays nerdy Professor Julius Kelp complete with buck teeth, glasses and a stooped over posture. He is clutzy to say the least but a somewhat brilliant scientist nonetheless. Wanting to change his image he invents a serum that transforms into Buddy Love a cool cat who is abrasive and egotistical. He has his eye on student Stella Purday (Stella Stevens - smack, drool) who sees something within the bold and unpleasant Buddy that she can't explain.
Unfortunately, Buddy changes back into Julius without warning and is forced to flee from Stella, leaving her dumbfounded. This happens several times until prom night when singing with Les Brown and his band of renown, his voice cracks and he changes back into Julius. He apologizes to the assembled crowd leaves the stage and.......................................................................
Lewis demonstrated that he could act going seamlessly from the professor to Buddy. His depiction of Buddy contains little or no comedy turns and he makes the character totally despicable. The professor is closer to the Jerry we all know but has his serious side as well.
Jerry employed many members of his in house stock company in key roles. Kathleen Freeman plays the Dean's secretary, Del Moore the college Dean, Milton Frome a fellow professor and Buddy Lester as a befuddled bartender. Others in the cast include Howard Morris as Julius henpecked father, Evia Allman as his domineering mother, Med Flory as Warzewski the giant football player and Henry Gibson, Norman Alden and Marvin Kaplin as other students. And watch for Richard Kiel briefly in the Gym scene.
Was it me or didn't most of the "students" look to be well into their thirties. And Jerry Lewis as a singer makes a great actor/comedian.