Hook, Line and Sinker

Fred C. Dobbs (Jerry Lewis) is on the operating table in a foreign country. He recounts his story for the medical students. Nothing goes right for the insurance agent family man who is actually named Peter Ingersoll. His only joy is fishing but his wife Nancy (Anne Francis) complains about the costs. His doctor Scott Carter (Peter Lawford) tells him that he's dying. With a large life insurance policy, his family is secured. His wife suggests that he takes an epic blow-out tropical fishing trip.

I don't mind that he's unhappy with his suburban life. I'm not rooting that hard for him to go have a single man adventure. He's lusting for the beautiful babes and that seems rather lonely and unfunny. I actually would like him to go into the wilds or get into the local life. He needs to get in touch with himself and get some character growth. Was he pitching for Pepsi back in the day? Sometimes, dated comedic references can go over my head. As for the rest of the premise, I stop caring about it. Jerry is doing some Weekend at Bernie slapstick that would be funny if I actually cared. I see what he's trying to do. It's a comedy that I don't find funny.

I saw this film for the 1st time at age 10 and I just loved it. My 11 yr. old loved it too. Jerry tries a bit different role here. At first he's a more believable, realistic person, probably tired by now of playing a lovable but bumbling idiot, then as the movie progresses, he starts to slip back into his more lovable, funny guy, routine on his fishing trips. The whole story is told to a group of doctors by Jerry and you wonder what landed him in a hospital all during the movie. The ending reveals it and is surely slap stick humor, but leaves you smiling and wanting another Jerry Lewis film to watch. I noticed the Bewitched set instantly, even at age 10. Good movie just not his best!

I have tried any number of times to understand why the French think Jerry Lewis is the comic equivalent of Charlie Chaplin. I always fail. His sophomoric mugging always leaves me cold. Therefore I was surprised to see him in a new vein in this flick which I caught on American Movie Classics. Gone is the juvenile horseplay of his earlier films with Dean Martin. We have here a more restrained and mature comic style, shown to good form at the start of the movie, which is a series of set pieces showing off comic aspects of life in suburbia. Unfortunately, the film goes downhill as it deals with his extravagant fishing trip.

The premise here is pretty familiar: family man and insurance company employee Peter Ingersoll (Jerry Lewis) is told that he's dying by his doctor and supposed "friend" Scott Carter (Peter Lawford). Thinking that he has mere months to live, Peter follows his wife's suggestion to go on an expensive vacation on his company's dime. Peter racks up about six figures in debt, and then is tracked down by Scott, who tells him, guess what? I made a mistake, and you're not dying. Now Peter is embroiled in a variety of fraudulent schemes to avoid any sort of consequences.

"Hook, Line and Sucker" was, in this viewers' humble opinion, one of Jerry's lesser vehicles from this era. The fact that the scenario is routine stuff is just one problem, but the screenwriter, Rod Amateau, and director, George Marshall, don't develop things in any truly interesting or funny ways, and the whole story is mostly uninspired. There are some solid laughs at the outset, as well as a pretty amusing punchline at the end, but overall this is far from Jerry's best.

Jerry gives it a reasonably good performance, falling back on some classic Jerry zaniness. His "heart attack" is hilariously stupid, and when he's required to play the role of an "Australian" character, it's real eye-rolling stuff. He gets decent support from Lawford, and the gorgeous Anne Francis, as Peters' homemaker wife. Jennifer Edwards (daughter of filmmaker Blake Edwards) and Jimmy Miller play Peters' kids, and there is a brief role for Jerry's longtime repertory player Kathleen Freeman as an inattentive babysitter.

This delivers some laughs, and has a fairly bright wrap-up, but there are no genuine comedy fireworks to speak of.

Five out of 10.

I saw this when I was about 12 or so and it kept me entertained throughout. Of course when you're a kid its probably a little easier to be entertained. But I was such a Jerry Lewis fan that basically he could do no wrong in my eyes. He's a comic genius, hands down, no question, so let it be written, so let it be done. There were some funny moments, it just wasn't his BEST work. Not EVERY movie an actor or actress makes can be their best film. But its reasonably funny and it SHOULD be able to be purchased by people who want it!! I would really like to know why it isn't on DVD or VHS! If it were one of his classic gem movies I could maybe understand it but its just an average Lewis film so why can't it be on VHS or DVD so we can get a copy. Some of us like ALL Jerry's stuff! If anyone can answer me regarding this, please do. kctkeller@hotmail.com