The Big Mouth (1967)

Wow, this movie was actually painful to watch. "Cringeworthy" is an understatement. First of all, I was surprised that Hilton allowed the use of its name considering the part of the front desk clerk.Don't the actors have a read-through before they do a movie? You mean they actually read through this and still decided to make it? Were they all friends of his, or just kiss-ups, or both? I tried to force myself to watch this all the way through, but my mind kept wandering, day-dreaming about how much more pleasant it would be to have dental surgery without anesthesia. I guess it was that scraping sound that kept waking me from my daydreaming, the sound of a ten-foot pole against the bottom of the barrel.There was a semblance of a redeeming factor in the part played by Charlie Callas; and I truly felt for Susan Bay: her career wasn't completely ruined by this though - Leonard Nimoy married her despite this movie. I would love to write a spoiler for this movie but it's impossible to spoil a rotten egg.Then, after what seemed like days later, the movie finally ended and my first thought was "how did this movie ever get made?", my second thought, "that was two hours of my life I will never get back...". I have never been much of a Jerry Lewis fan, but The Big Mouth will now be The Big Reason why I am not.

This time, Jerry Lewis plays reporter Gerald Clamson, who just happens to be a dead ringer for Sid Valentine, wanted by a crime syndicate. The only thing is, Valentine is supposed to be dead, so when the thugs see Clamson, you can imagine what sorts of things they do! Mistaken identity seems to be a frequent source of comedy (or drama; see "North by Northwest"). So even though "The Big Mouth" is nothing special, it's good for a few laughs. Most of the laughs come from what happens with the thugs when they see Clamson. But one also gets the feeling that Lewis was sort of losing his ability to come up with anything new after this. And now that we know what sort of a person he is in real life, that weakens it. But overall, this one's pretty funny.

I've lost track of all the times I've seen this one from the first 16mm print at a summer camp in 1970. But I always loved it, no matter how stupid and inane it really is. The plot holes and pure unbelievability of the film must be put aside just for the sillyness. A few things stand out. A cameo by Col. Harland Sanders of KFC, and a view of early Sea World in San Diego. When I worked there in 1985, I found all the places that the film was shot. And the best of all, is Charlie Callas' totally hilarious bit when he sees the appranently dead Sid Valentine (Lewis' other role) come to life again. He comes apart, as do his other friends, but with much more panache and skill. His stuttering, eye-popping gibberish is so funny you have to watch the same dialogue over and over again. It's a classic bit, and one that actually saves the film from being a total Lewis stinker. "That's him, thats him, that's aaaahh, that's im-POSSIBLE!"

A tepid, extremely mild, fairly tedious, slightly overlong comedy. The first half has some reasonably funny bits (like the one that takes place in a phone-booth), but in the second half things get pretty desperate. Jerry Lewis himself is appealing when he is playing the "straight man", but irritating when he appears disguised. And the direction has no comic timing whatsoever.