Footage of Controversial, Unreleased 1970s Jerry Lewis Film Turns Up on YouTube

The Blaze ^ | 08.12.13

[Perdogg]

The 1972 film “The Day the Clown Cried” was apparently such a disaster that it never saw the light of day, except for among a few people. Even decades later, actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, who directed and starred in it, said at the Cannes film festival this year “no-one will ever see it” because he is “embarrassed” by it.

But then over the weekend, rare scenes from the making of the film seem to have cropped up on YouTube.

[Perdogg]

ping

[Resolute Conservative]

He is a hero in France.

[FreeAtlanta]

Viva la.. Oh, nevermind.

[Perdogg]

The film has dutch subtitles.

[fhayek]

This is the Holy Grail of bad Cinema.

[Perdogg]

http://youtu.be/IJai18eys0M

[a fool in paradise]

Is she in it?

[Coldwater Creek]

Jerry's youngest child went to the same Baptist private school as my child. One day for show and tell he came to the class and played "A Whole Lot a Shaking Going On" on the piano

[Coldwater Creek]

Cancel my post! Wrong Jerry Lewis. 02 starved brain.

[erod]

Hmmmmmm, very interesting I’m going to have to check this one out.

[Buckeye McFrog]

If you are unfamiliar with it....the details of this film are mind-blowingly surreal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Clown_Cried

[dangus]

Now, I REALLY want to see Jerry LEE Lewis starring in “The Day the Clown Cried.”

[Buckeye McFrog]

I was gonna say....this was a very strange film for a Jewish comic to make. Even stranger then to send his son to a private Baptist school.

[a fool in paradise]

When the Jerry Lee Lewis film was in production, Mickey Rouke was being discussed as one of the possible actors for the lead. Some suit at the meeting was unclear on the film project and thought they were discussing Mickey Rourke as Jerry Lewis.

[dangus]

THere’s a joke I could make about “A Whole Lot a Shaking Going On,” but it would probably send me straight to hell.

[dead]

Years ago, I read the infamous Spy magazine article about this movie. The whole legend about it was so surreal.

Harry Shearer was one of the few who actually saw the whole movie, and his description of it made it sound so bizarre and wrong-headed.

Ever since reading that article, I wanted to see the movie so bad. This YouTube clip about the "making of" doesn't cut it.

I want to see Jerry the Clown leading the kids into the gas chamber, as I marvel at the idea that Jerry thought this scene was a good idea.

[tumblindice]

She makes me feel real loose, like a long necked goose!

[Darksheare]

“Just because they love Jerry Lewis in France, does that make him funny?”

[catnipman]

All the more reason for the French to heap even more adoration on this “comedian”.