Hollywood or Bust

Malcolm Smith loves the movies and especially Anita Ekberg. Getting one of his lucky feelings, Malcolm buys a ream of raffle tickets to win a car. Sure enough he wins, but so does gigolo gambler Steve Wiley, who, not unsurprisingly has won by less than honourable means. Refusing to give out two cars, the promotion merely tells the men that they will have to share the car. Much to Steve's annoyance as he has debts to pay. So deviously he agrees to drive with Malcolm to Hollywood, planning to ditch him at the first chance he gets. Only he hadn't figured on Mr. Bascom, Malcolm's Great Dane who's along for the ride, and an encounter with the pretty Terry Roberts. Yep, it's safe to say this is not going to be an ordinary road trip.

With their relationship deeply fractured at this time (this was their last film together), it's something of a surprise to find that Hollywood Or Bust is one of the finest films that Dean Martin (Steve) and Jerry Lewis (Malcolm) made. Everything that made the duo so massively popular is in here, even into the bargain daring to cast a satirical slant to the whiles and trials of Hollywood itself. A lot of the credit has to go to director Frank Tashlin. Tashlin, who was also at the helm for arguably the boys career high point Artists & Models, keeps the whole thing zippy, steering the duo in a direction to which they simply could not fail.

Sure enough the humour is almost juvenile at times, and yes Dean of course croons and tries to bed the girl (a spiky Pat Crowley as Terry), but it's got such a sense of joy to it, the kind of joy that much like Artists & Models, can really lift the blues. Stand out songs from the Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster score are "A Day in the Country" and "It Looks Like Love", whilst it will be tough not to giggle at some of the antics of Mr. Bascom and the irrepressible Lewis, particularly with one particular movie parody. Anita Ekberg comes and joins in the fun later in the piece, just in time for the riotous carnage that you know is around the corner.

If the sight of a Great Dane driving a car is not funny to you? Well chances are you should avoid this film completely. But that would be a shame for it's a delightful film, brisk and cheeky, it's most definitely one that's in desperate need of reappraisal from the grumpy brigade because it's a real blues lifter. 8/10

Having spent the last two or so weeks watching Martin & Lewis movies in chronological order on YouTube, I just finished their very last one on the same site. Once again, a couple of female players from their previous ones have appeared here: Pat Crowley, previously Jerry's girl in Money from Home, is now Dean's here though she initially plays hard to get. And Anita Ekberg, who was a model in Artists and Models, plays herself as the movie star Jerry has a massive crush on. Since this is directed by Frank Tashlin, expect plenty of well-endowed women in view, particularly when Dean and Jerry are watching the views of various farming countrysides on the road. Oh, and there's also a dog named Mr. Bascomb in tow to add to the hilarious comedy that's almost nonstop throughout. Watching this, you wouldn't know that Martin & Lewis weren't talking to each other off-set and that they would break up the act for good. Maybe it's just as well as they both would continue to have success solo (Jerry) and with others (Dean). I've had the best time seeing them grow as performers during this time and I'm looking forward to watching what I can of their subsequent films separate from each other. So on that note, I highly recommend Hollywood or Bust. P.S. While the IMDb cast list doesn't identify him, I swear the guy who announces the winning car ticket that Dean & Jerry claim is Harold Peary, best known to me as The Great Gildersleeve on radio, especially when he enunciates certain words. And I immediately recognized when they went through my birthtown of Chicago, Ill., by the Prudential building.

I caught this on YouTube soon after the great Jerry Lewis passed away. I always love to read the "backstories" about films, so I read about it in Wikipedia and IMDb before I watched it. This was the comedy team's final film, and the two barely spoke to each other off camera during the shoot. You can't tell that from the finished film, because the chemistry between the two is there. Because the version I saw on YouTube turned off the audio whenever there was a song (for music copyright reasons), I can't comment on the music, but I am sure that it was good. Enjoyable, frothy comedy.

Dean Martin plays Steve Wiley, a gambler with bad debts and Jerry Lewis is Malcolm Smith, a huge movie lover who wants to go to Hollywood to meet Anita Ekberg.And then there is a car raffle where Steve wins a car with a fake ticket and Malcolm wins it with a real one.So they're both off to Hollywood with Malcolm's dog Great Dane and Terry Roberts (Pat Crowley), a girl they meet along the way.A very pretty lady, if I may add.By the way, Dean Martin's daughters Claudia, Deana and Gail can be seen in the movie.Frank Tashlin's Hollywood or Bust (1956) is a good and funny comedy which offers you some good laughs.One good and funny scene is where Jerry sings the song of the dog food commercial and then there's of course the one where the dog goes for a ride with the car.A dog behind the wheel is always funny.This was the last movie Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis did together.There were personal conflicts that ended the relationship.They were such a hilarious duo and they did lots of great films together.But as you know,nothing lasts forever.Luckily they didn't stay as enemies forever.In 1976 Frank Sinatra reunited them on stage and they stayed as friends till Dean's death in 1995.While making this film there was lots of anger between them but you can hardly see it.This isn't all time best of Martin and Lewis but it's very enjoyable anyway.Jerry Lewis has said he hasn't seen Hollywood or Bust because it's much too painful for him to watch.Good movie, bad memories.

A very enjoyable film, though my view may be a bit prejudiced due to I have a Dane. Kudos to director Tashlin for giving Mr. Bascomb a distinct personality and some very funny moments! This movie is a testament to both Martin and Lewis as they had basically ended their partnership while HOB was being made, yet still seem to be enjoying themselves.