It's Only Money

Even if you don't crave for comedies, you can't miss this kind of stuff, never boring material which always keep its promises in terms of entertainment. It is fast paced with always an excellent climax, here with the lawnmowers. The story is only a pretext, as usual, you have not to ask many questions, just enjoy and laugh. Only pure top entertainment. I guess Jerry Lewis was the best of his time. I am sure that Frank Tashlin made the best of his films with Lewis, though I have not seen all his films either. I am not a comedy specialist, you see.

In IT'S ONLY MONEY, disaster-prone TV repairman, Lester March (Jerry Lewis) gets involved with a private investigator named Flint (Jesse White), in his attempt to find a recently departed millionaire's son. The sleuthing pair pretend to return the old man's TV set to his palatial estate.

Confusion occurs when the man's daughter (Mae Questel) mistakes Lester for her long, lost brother, and fellow heir to the family fortune! Adding to the fun are a sleazy, conniving lawyer (Gregory Scott), and the creepy, homicidal butler, Leopold (Jack Weston).

Lewis is at his lamebrained best in this movie, making it one of his finest / funniest outings!

Besides, how many movies have a finale featuring an army of killer lawnmowers?

Highly recommended for fans of old school comedy in general, and Jerry Lewis movies in particular.

Co-stars the beautiful Joan O'Brien as the kindly nurse Wanda Paxton...

In this offering, Jerry was a stupid television repairman who is an heir to a fortune that an unscrupulous attorney wants for himself. Many attempts are made to insure that Jerry does not live to get the inheritance. Of course, they all fail. The action was so predictable that I considered the whole show to be very dull - just so much more slapstick Jerry.

Has Jerry Lewis just gotten a bad rap? Well, when you combine his top-notch physical humor with a good script, wonderful supporting cast (and the ever necessary loyal pretty girl played here by Joan O'Brien) and Frank Tashlin's cartoon-expert direction, you've got to wonder. Very funny (and those creepy, one-eyed, flesh-eating, canister vacuum cleaners at the end are a blast).

Jerry Lewis has undoubted talent as a slapstick comedian. Unfortunately he also has a massive ego and a rather unpleasant personality which make most of his movies (especially the ones without Dean Martin) almost impossible for me to watch. In this one director Frank Tashlin seems to have established firm control, doesn't let Lewis hog the camera but makes the most of his acrobatic comedy. This, supplemented by an expert supporting cast, Zachary Scott as the villain, Jesse White as the private eye and Mae Questel as the dotty aunt, along with some understated but well done Noir type photography make this mystery spoof watchable and funny.