Posted on 06/13/2006 5:53:47 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Comedian Jerry Lewis postponed a July engagement to perform live after suffering a heart attack Sunday that a casino spokeswoman described as "mild."
"At present, he is under hospital care and is expected to make a full recovery," said Candi Cazau, spokeswoman for the Orleans hotel-casino in Las Vegas, where Lewis was to perform July 13-16.
Lewis, 80, is also suffering from "a touch of pneumonia," Cazau said in a statement.
A call to Lewis' manager, Claudia Marghilano, was not returned Tuesday.
Last week, a wise-cracking Lewis appeared healthy at a news conference in Las Vegas when he announced his first return to live performances in five years after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis, a crippling lung ailment.
He also appeared at a roasting as abbot of the Friars Club in New York on Friday, with fellow comedian Robert Klein and the Amazing Kreskin in attendance.
Lewis announced last week that he planned to direct a version of his hit 1963 comedy, "The Nutty Professor," as a musical on Broadway by October 2008.
Those plans have not changed, said executive producer Ned McLeod of The Michael Andrew Company, which bought the rights to develop the show in March.
"We support and will be by Jerry on any health issue that comes up for him as well as he would for me or Michael," McLeod said. "It's not going to affect us."
Comedic legend Jerry Lewis, left stands with artist Leroy Neiman next to the Friars Club statue at the Friars Club celebrity roast in Lewis' honor Friday, June 9, 2006 in New York City. Lewis has been 'roasted' previously in 1971, 1986 and also in 1955 with then partner Dean Martin. The comedian-philanthropist was named abbot of the Friars Club and then roasted by his peers.(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)
Wow he looks really bad
I wonder if we'll ever hear the tapes of those old Friars roasts. Maybe after everyone present has died...
And I am surprised to hear that Jerry Lewis is at the Orleans. To me, that says a lot about his condition (maybe career wise more than health).
I saw him a number of years ago in Damn Yankees. It was shortly before Dean Martin's death, if I recall.
This is really sad. He hasn't looked well for so long. God be with him.
Jerry's done a lot of good in his life and I hope he recovers fully.
He gained a lot of weight after I saw him perform.
And he faced suicide because of the pain in his back.
But he found some electronic therapy that worked and went around singing the praises of the technology. I recall seeing him on Conan O'Brien's show.
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