Living It Up (1954)

The classic screwball comedy, "Nothing Sacred", gets an update thanks to the brief Broadway version, "Hazel Flagg", which in its film version gets a sex change. Jerry Lewis becomes Homer Flagg, the victim of radiation poisoning who ends up a big newspaper story for New York reporter Janet Leigh while small town doctor Dean Martin makes a play for Leigh, all the while knowing that Lewis isn't sick. All mayhem ensues in a musical comedy that shows Martin and Lewis at their best. Martin scores as the doctor whom Lewis asks, "What college did you graduate from?", to which Martin replies with his own question, "Who graduated?"The few songs that remain from "Hazel Flagg" are sung nicely by Dean, and don't reflect the mediocre original cast recording. A jitterbug dance between Lewis and blonde bombshell Sheree North is the highlight, as is the production number, "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York", the best song in the Broadway production. Unlike Abbott and Costello (whom Martin and Lewis replaced as the top comedy team at the box office), you could tell that Martin's character always cared about Lewis's, while Bud always seemed out to take advantage of Lou's idiocy. This is a rare example of a flop Broadway show making it to the big screen, although in its altered story is obviously quite different. I enjoyed the twists on the gender of the lead characters. Fred Clark and Edward Arnold have nice smaller roles, adding class to an already classy production. It's colorful and fast moving, and doesn't cheapen the memory of the classic original which so many remakes of 1930's screwball comedies seemed to overkill on.

Homer Flagg is an inept stationmaster in New Mexico, he mistakenly believes he has contracted radium poisoning. A reporter for the New York Chronicle, Wally Cooper, heads out west to write his story, but before she arrives, Homer finds out that he in fact isn't dying, but along with his devious doctor they decide to accept Cooper's offer of an all expenses paid trip to the Big Apple. Here in New York everyone takes Homer to their hearts, so the guys have to keep up the pretence that Homer is not long for this world, something that will be hard to do in light of Homer's complete ineptitude.As Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis vehicles go, this is one of the better offerings, it's basically a reworking of the 1937 William Wellman picture, Nothing Sacred. Lots of fun to be had as Martin & Lewis continue the formula that made them so appealing to the movie watching masses back in the 50s. A bonus here is the bright as a button performance from Janet Leigh, not only turning Dean Martin's { Dr Steve} head, but also the audience with an enjoyable slot into this comedy tale. As usual Jerry acts the goof whilst Dean sings and swaggers, and as usual a Martin & Lewis film is only as good as it's comedy set pieces, here they come up trumps with one sequence during a jitterbug contest particularly entertaining. It all comes together during a typically hilarious finale to leave us with a rewarding film from a very rewarding double act. 7/10

Jerry Lewis plays a railroad worker Homer Flagg, who think he's dying on radioactive poisoning in three weeks.Dean Martin is his doctor Steve Harris, who tells him that's not the case.A beautiful New York reporter Wally Cook (Janet Leigh) comes to New Mexico wanting to write a series of articles about this "dying" young man.She takes both Homer and the doc to New York.Homer hasn't bothered the lady with the truth, that he's not actually going to die, because he's always wanted to go to NY.And of course the love sick doctor falls for the pretty reporter and so does Homer.The whole city of New York feels pity for the poor Homer. Norman Taurog's Living It Up (1954) is an extremely funny Jerry Lewis movie from the time he still made a team with Dean Martin.It's not only Jerry who makes you laugh hard, also Dean does that trick.Janet Leigh makes a perfect leading lady in the middle of the clown and the playboy.You can find awfully many funny scenes from the movie, like where Jerry pretends he's a doctor from Paris, Wienna and Hong Kong.He also pretends he's Dean's character while Dean is Jerry.Also the scene on the dance floor with Sheree North is pretty amazing.I saw this movie for the first time in seven years yesterday.It sure brought me back.

I saw this film in Albany, NY while taking a 40' yacht up the Hudson River from New York City. I thought it was very funny. coincidently, I was with the songwriter, Bob Hilliard and his wife Jackie, the night before I left New York. Also, Albany is mentioned in the movie and the Albany audience went wild. I had to take a boat and a bus to Albany to experience this. In the first comment about this film, the writer refers to Bob Hilliard as a "Brill Building Writer." Most writers and musicians worked out of that building in the forties and fifties. Bob wrote a number of hits, including; "Our Day Will Come" "Moonlight Gambler" "Be My Life's Companion" "Money Burns A hole In My Pocket" "In the Wee small Hours of the Morning", and many more. I don't think he should be dismissed as just a "Brill Building Song Writer." You can read more about Bob and see a list of all of his songs by running a search for "Bob Hilliard" in one of the major search engines. There is a website with stories and a list of all of his songs.