Money from Home (1953)

Although this begins as a Runyonesque story, that disappears rather quickly as the film transforms itself in a somewhat typical Martin & Lewis film.There's some pleasant tomfoolery on a train with Dean as a sort of sultan and Jerry as a woman in a harem. And later a humorous ants in their pants dance. The race finale is well done."Moments Like This" is a nice song for Dean, but the version on Capitol Records had a better arrangement and vocal.Some of the scenes on the DVD were a little less than crisp, probably a result of this having been a 3D release back in 1953. Interestingly, Dick Stabile is not conducting the orchestra in the various scenes where an orchestra was involved.Pat Crowley is along as a vet and love interest for Jerry. Richard Haydn plays an alcoholic British jockey. Sheldon Leonard plays the head gangster.This is far from my favorite Martin & Lewis films, but it has its moments.

Money From Home was Martin&Lewis's first film in color and it is set during the Roaring Twenties and based on a Damon Runyon story from that era. With such character players as Sheldon Leonard, Robert Strauss, and Jack Kruschen playing Runyon's classic gambler creations of the era you know that at least that part of the film is more than satisfying.Dean Martin always casts well as that type and seeing Money From Home was a painful reminder of what a shame it was that Dino never got to play Sky Masterson in a planned TV special that never got off the ground in the middle Sixties. What a perfect part that would have been for him. His part in this film is a Sky Masterson type, a smooth talking lady's man who is dispatched to Maryland to fix a steeplechase race either by persuading owner Marjie Miller to scratch the horse or by having his dopey cousin, veterinarian trainee Jerry Lewis dope the horse.Money From Home never quite gets off the ground in terms of comedy. Jerry has been far funnier in other films both with Dean and one his own. The steeplechase race climax where Jerry substitutes for perpetually inebriated jockey Richard Haydn is lifted straight from the Marx Brothers classic A Day At The Races. As for Dean's singing he gets some truly forgettable numbers which he never recorded for Capitol records and he also sings I Only Have Eyes For You for which Paramount must have ponied some big bucks to Warner Brothers for the rights. Sad Dino never recorded that one because it fits him well.Not the team's best effort.

Pretty lame Martin and Lewis feature. The pair get tied up with mobsters and horse racing. Could have been better. Lots of Jerry Lewis antics and scenes are manufactured so that Jerry can do his thing. Must have been funny back when, but now his comedy seems like he's retarded and not as funny. The character he plays would have been institutionalized if any one acted that way today. But I forgot, this is a comedy "fantasy" where anything goes. Looks like a lot was left out as scenes don't match and they jump around out of order. At one point they seem to kidnap the Richard Hayden character and drive away. Later they seem to be back at the SAME HOTEL. The harem music was playing at the Hotel of the abduction, then the harem music and girls are at the place where the gangsters kidnapped two characters. Just doesn't make sense as do other editorial flaws. The color is nice, and one nice song with two attractive leading ladies. Now available on DVD and if you're a REAL Martin and Lewis fan, I guess it would be a almost must see!!!

This one is a typical Martin/Lewis vehicle. They are cousins who have to manage a lot of troubles. Jerry gets his satirical performances, Dino gets his songs - they would manage their roles asleep and have a lot of self-ironic. But there are still more positive aspects: It is the team´s first picture in color; George Marshall directs with sure hand and the supporting cast is very good although there are no big names in it; The first sequence in the movie where Dean is threaten by "Chambo Schneider" is a first class parody on gangster movie cliches of the Thirties; To sum it up it is a pleasure for fans like me. 7/10.