Artists and Models

Probable one the most awaited movie from the duo comic Lewis & Martin,now an official release just came out with those remastered images that allow us to see so many gorgeous gils, funny story where Jerry Lewis makes a dumb guy addicted in comic books including weird dreams with their own crazy characters, bored when Martin has your old-fashioned songs, becomes a nightmare to me, on Lewis acting the life comeback to the picture!!

Resume:

First watch: 1979 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

Well it looks like I will be the first reviewer to give Artists and Models a lukewarm opinion. Saw this on the big screen today at a downtown theater. With Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine,Dorothy Malone and Eva Gabor and the most fun I wind up having is with Eddie Mayehoff! Loved his portrayal of publisher Murdock. I don't know...to me, this movie just got more boring as it dragged on. While I do love all the vintage set designs, vintage wardrobe and remembrances of how things used to be-one pay phone in the hall for an apartment building, Dean scrubbing up in a bathtub before a shower became common and the historical fact that comic books were once decried as evil by the bastions of society, I still had to fight off massive amounts of sleepiness as this grinded to its conclusion. I don't know...maybe it was just the mood I was in. It WAS very colorful and Martin can't keep from smiling even when he's supposed to be mad which is amusing but, Gabor was a disappointment and Malone was kind of blah and Jerry, I was just kind of bored with his schtick today. But yes the highlight for me was Mr. Murdock played by Eddie Mayehoff.

A crazy film for devotees of the super-hero comic book. Shirley MacLaine was both wacky and alluring as Bessie, who is the inspiration of the Bat-Lady, a character of the comic book which Dorothy Malone draws(?) Jerry is his usual self, while Dean Martin turns up a one-note performance as the typecast Lothario who tries to romance Dorothy who at first would have nothing to do with him. Eva Gabor(before Green Acres), cast as the seductress who tries to worm spy secrets out of Jerry is excellent.

I remember seeing the movie years ago and there was a scene where Jerry paints faces and puts little dresses on the knees of a young blonde actress in one scene. The actress bared a slight resemblance to Anne Bancroft. Is this correct?

Brian T

This is probably the best of the films featuring Martin and Lewis. This film is also a fine parody due to the fact that this film was shot during the period when there it was being debated over how the comic books that were out during that time were affecting children (those arguments would lead to the "comics code"). The other highlight of this film was looking at Shirley MacLaine was chasing after Jerry (the girl must have needed glasses). These scenes provide much of the humor as Jerry's character Eugene is scared to death of the aggressive Betsy. Its also interesting to note that MacLaine's character Betsy is interested in astrology and MacLaine would later become known for her new age interests, including astrology.

Worth it for the moment that Jerry Lewis's character says that reading comic books made him r*****ed, unless I misheard because I couldn't believe what I heard lol.

This definitely isn't the first Jerry Lewis movie I watched, and neither is it the first time I've seen Dean Martin in a film, but I think it is the first Martin & Lewis movie I've watched. It was fine, I guess. It has a scattershot, almost manic energy that's sometimes fun, but also wore me down a little as it went along.

Artists and Models is just a silly old-fashioned comedy with a few infrequent music numbers and a lot of bright colours. Martin and Lewis have a good dynamic and it's all slightly amusing. I guess it was fine for a film of its age, but it probably won't stick with me.