Las joyas de la familia

I'll give Lewis credit: even though this one isn't on par with the uproarious stuff he and Dean Martin did or even with "The Disorderly Orderly" or "The Nutty Professor", "The Family Jewels" shows Lewis doing what he does best.

Running amok.

Playing no less than seven characters here, Lewis changes costumes, accents and venues but stays just as addled in all of them. This time, he plays a chauffeur who takes care of a little girl (Butterworth, a novice here and since) and shuttles her between six brothers (all Lewis again) who vie to be guardian of her and the millions of dollars she will inherit.

Of course, it's interesting to see that he brings back (in shape only) his character from "The Nutty Professor". Good to see him.

And only Lewis could make a slapstick free-for-all in which Anne Baxter makes a cameo.

It's good, nutty fun for all and definitely a better choice than his later work. "The Family Jewels" - definitely a "Jewel" in the rough.

Eight stars.

My friends and I laughed so hard. Even at age 10 I thought the movie was totally funny and engaging. Jerry Lewis was my favorite comic back then and I also liked the child actress Donna Butterworth. She and Jerry had chemistry. I loved the characters and I remember Sabastian Cabot trying to squeeze into or out of a car; too funny.

Whatever happened to Donna Butterworth? She acted in an Elvis movie and that was it for her. If anyone knows, let me know.

I have been familiar with both The Family Jewels and Paradise Hawaiian Style for many years, but it was only when I coincidentally bought both on DVD recently that I realised Donna Butterworth starred in both. I'm not sure her name even registered with me in the past. However, her performances in both films are winning and funny and I imagine she grew up to be a very lovely person. Her singing is sensational in what is otherwise a lesser Elvis Presley film (directed by Michael Moore (!) but not the Sicko guy). The audio commentary and special features on The Family Jewels provide some interesting information and background about Donna. Jerry claims to have discovered Donna in Hawaii and we see amusing and heartwarming screen tests of them together among the special features. She is now 50 or so years old and I hope she is proud of them. If you're reading this Donna, hi from me.

Jerry had to reach deep into his bag of stupid jokes, gags, and ham handed comedy to come up with this little jewel[?]. It doesn't play well by today's standards, in fact the whole thing is double lame; especially the 2 bits using son Gary and his band. Did the Playboys need this gig to further their hinky dinky careers? I did get a few laughs, but the film was really just too goofy....as usual for Lewis. What was with Jerry's hair? Two or three inches long in the front, and a buzz cut in back: a reverse of today's style.

I finally figured out why the French love Jerry Lewis. They have this idea that one guy should be the "author" of a film: director, scenarist, star performer, the whole bit. Fernandel was like that. For their transAtlantic tastes, this standup jokester turned movie mogul is just the ticket.

I saw "The Family Jewels" in the theater as a little boy and loved it; Lewis had reached the point where he could make kids laugh. But are Vegas audiences of adults still buying his act?

This story probably would have been more believable as a stage presentation, as Lewis's mugging certainly works better before a live audience. It's OK on film, and continues to appear on cable from time to time. For someone who figured out how to entertain the little ones, Jerry Lewis here pulls off the very considerable feat of not being upstaged by a child actor.