Trivia

Besides Dean Martin, Lewis said the closest friend he ever had was Sammy Davis Jr. Davis would call Lewis in tears at times because of the racial slurs people would say to him about his relationship with Swedish actress May Britt.

His film class students included Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

He and Dean Martin were the world's top box-office earners from 1950-1956. On his own, Lewis also ruled as #1 movie draw in 1957, 1959, and 1961-1964.

While filming Cinderfella (1960), he suffered a mild heart attack immediately after running up the stairs and was in an oxygen tent at Mount Sinai hospital 30 minutes later. He ran up 66 steps in eight seconds.

Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Honorary Member (1981) Lewis was honored for his contribution and development of the first "Video Assist" for the motion picture camera (1966). This allowed him to view his performance while directing himself in his films. This is used extensively today in filmmaking, known as "Video Village".

Had open heart surgery (1983) and underwent surgery for prostate cancer (1992).

The character Professor John Frink in The Simpsons (1989) is based on his role of Professor Julius Kelp in The Nutty Professor (1963). He also did the voice of Professor John Frink Sr. in "The Simpsons" episode "Treehouse of Horror XIV", segment "Finkenstein". Also, some of Krusty the Clown's off-stage antics are based on him.

Encouraged Christopher Walken to act. Walken met Lewis while he was on The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) and Lewis suggested to the young boy that he pursue a career in show business.

Lewis always wore tiny lady's sized wristwatches, usually made by Cartier. They are easy to spot in all of his films.

Said his favorite Martin and Lewis film was The Stooge (1951) because "...it came closest to capturing what Dean and I had as a team".

He and Dean Martin recorded a radio spot endorsing a product, "Tuck Tape", an alternative brand of "Scotch Tape" and noticing the recording tape for the commercial was still rolling, decided to improvise additional radio spots, with Jerry slipping profanities into his dialog. The unedited master recording was surreptitiously taken from the studio and made into a "bootleg" record that sold briskly among collectors.

Nominated for Nobel Prize for his 50 years raising money to fight muscular dystrophy.

On June 11, 2006, he suffered a minor heart attack on the flight home to San Diego, California which caused him to postpone his comeback in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pronounced clinically dead from a massive heart attack, after completing The King of Comedy (1982) with Robert De Niro. (December 1982)

In 1969, Lewis announced an ambitious project of franchising a chain of Jerry Lewis Cinemas. A firm believer in family entertainment, he said that the one inviolate rule of the chain would be that nothing other than family-oriented films would be shown. The theaters were to be state-of-the-art, easy to operate and franchised to individuals who could meet the chain's investment requirements. However, a combination of changing tastes in popular entertainment and management problems caused the project to collapse within just a few years. Several lawsuits between Lewis and his associates were settled out of court.

Wrote, produced and acted in the film The Day the Clown Cried (1972) which, because of legal difficulties, has not been released as of this date (March 2009). The film is a tale of a clown in Auschwitz during World War II.

Was teamed up with Dean Martin from 1946-1956.

Hosted the annual Muscular Dystrophy marathon, but shocked audiences with his bloated and infirm appearance, due to treatment for a pulmonary illness (2002).

Was offered the role of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959), directed by his friend Billy Wilder. He declined because he didn't want to dress in drag. Of course, the role eventually went to Jack Lemmon and he received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Lewis says that Lemmon would send him chocolates every year to thank him and he regretted not taking the role.

In 2006, for his 80th birthday, he was given a medal and induction into the Legion of Honor by France, given the honorary title of "Legion Commander". He apologized for not speaking French at the ceremony but said that "even if the French people cannot hear my language, they have always heard my heart".

The Los Angeles Times revealed on August 5, 2015 that the Library of Congress received a collection of Jerry Lewis work from himself, including The Day the Clown Cried (1972). Lewis made the Library agree not to screen the movie for ten years. If this is true, the movie will be available again in 2025.

Was best friends with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. They starred in Lewis' home movies after Curtis complained about the roles he was being offered by his studio.

Said there was no gap between comedy and tragedy.

Sammy Davis Jr. called him the "greatest white faker" as a dancer.

He was a huge fan of "The Catcher in the Rye" and strongly identified with the main character Holden Caulfield. He planned to direct a movie version but failed to acquire the rights from the book's famously reclusive author J.D. Salinger.

He was known as a clothes horse. He gave away suits rather than having them cleaned and refused to wear a pair of socks more than once.

Claimed to have never seen Hollywood or Bust (1956), the last film he made with his partner, Dean Martin, saying this was much too painful for him to watch.

Lewis changed white sweat socks several times a day, always putting on a brand-new pair, and he gave the used ones to charity.

Was good friends with US President John F. Kennedy.

He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 6150 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

He was presented the French Legion of Honor (1984) and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (1977).

Claimed he was thrown out of high school for punching out his principal who had offended him with an anti-Semitic remark, and then went directly into vaudeville. An episode of Seinfeld (1989) makes use of plot point based on Lewis' (alleged) real-life stratagem of secretly leaving an audiotape recorder running in a briefcase he intentionally leaves behind him in meetings to see what some people may be saying about him.

Although critics usually referred to him as "the little guy" throughout his career, Lewis was around the same height or slightly taller than Dean Martin (Dean was around 5' 11'' and Jerry was 6'). To try to make himself look more diminutive next to his partner, Lewis frequently hunched and also shaved a few inches off the heels of his shoes and added them to Martin's.

On October 13, 2003, he entered a Las Vegas hospital to kick steroids used in the treatment of his pulmonary fibrosis.

On March 20, 1965, he suffered a serious back injury while performing at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, resulting in chronic pain. He became addicted to the prescription painkiller Percodan, but says he has been off the medication since 1978. He used an implant device that dulls nerve impulses and can be controlled by a hand-held remote control. As a result of his admiration for the implant, he offered to be an unpaid spokesperson for Medtronic, Corp.

Contrary to belief, the 1976 MDA telethon was not the first reconciliation of the legendary comedy team. They appeared spontaneously on ABC's The Joey Bishop Show (1961) and then ran off through the audience. In 1960, four years after they separated, they briefly reunited. Both were performing their own separate acts at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, a club they frequently played while they were together. Lewis caught Martin's closing act and Martin introduced his former partner to the audience, bringing him on stage. For about 15 minutes, they joked a little and sang a duet of "Come Back to Me". Unfortunately, the reunion was only a one-time thing. Later when Lewis was too exhausted to perform his act, Martin generously replaced him.

Was one of the co-hosts of what may have been the only Academy Awards ceremony that actually ended earlier than expected, by almost twenty minutes - The 31st Annual Academy Awards (1959). He and several other celebrities gallantly tried everything they could to improvise and fill the extra time. NBC mercifully cut the broadcast short to air a short film about target shooting until the next scheduled program began, which in most cases was the local news.

Suffered a heart attack while filming Cinderfella (1960).

Some have said that if Lewis hadn't pursued a career in show business, he would have been a professional baseball player for the Dodgers. He played with the team a few times at charity events and was apparently very good.

Oldest son Gary Lewis and his soft-rock group Gary Lewis & The Playboys had several pop hits in the 1960s, including "This Diamond Ring". At the height of his recording career, Gary and Jerry appeared together on NBC-TV's Hullabaloo (1965).

Came upon his long-time theme song, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby (With a Dixie Melody)", by accident. In 1956, he had to cover for an indisposed Judy Garland at a performance in Las Vegas, Nevada, which included singing several of her songs. His performance of "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby", using Garland's arrangement, went over so well with the audience that Lewis has used it as his theme song ever since. He had a #10 hit recording with the song in 1957 and launched a recording career.

He once played first base in an exhibition game for five innings for the Houston Astros.

Was close friends with comic Lenny Bruce.

In Italy, Lewis has been given the nickname 'Picchiatello' (which means something like "nut" or "crazy"). At least three of his movies use the word in their Italian title: You're Never Too Young (1955) which became "Il Nipote Picchiatello" ("The Crazy Nephew"), Hardly Working (1980) ("Bentornato Picchiatello", or "Welcome Back Crazy") and Cracking Up (1983) ("Qua La Mano Picchiatello". pr "Shake My Hand, Crazy").

Lewis and comedy partner Dean Martin were in 17 feature films together: My Friend Irma (1949), My Friend Irma Goes West (1950), At War with the Army (1950), That's My Boy (1951), The Stooge (1951), Sailor Beware (1952), Jumping Jacks (1952), Road to Bali (1952), Scared Stiff (1953), The Caddy (1953), Money from Home (1953), Living It Up (1954), 3 Ring Circus (1954), You're Never Too Young (1955), Artists and Models (1955), Pardners (1956) and Hollywood or Bust (1956).

Starred with Dean Martin on "The Martin and Lewis Show" (1949-1953), which aired on NBC radio. They first appeared together in the films My Friend Irma (1949) and My Friend Irma Goes West (1950). The Martin and Lewis comedy team were one of a series of rotating hosts of the television show The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950).

Twice voted Best Foreign Director by the French film critics.

Cannes, France: The annual Film Festival is officially paying an 'homage' tribute to Lewis and his life's work with a screening of his latest film Max Rose (2013). (May 2013)

Interviewed in "The Great Comedians Talk About Comedy" by Larry Wilde (1968).

Father of six children and adoptive father of two. His first son with Patti Lewis, Gary Lewis, was born on July 31, 1945. They adopted Ronnie Lewis (born December 29, 1949) because Patti could not bear more children without surgery. Surgery fixed the problem, and she gave birth to Scott Lewis (born February 22, 1956), Chris Lewis (born October 9, 1957), Anthony Lewis (born October 14, 1959) and Joseph Lewis (born January 7, 1964). During his marriage to Patti, Jerry conceived a daughter, Susan Minoret (born February 3, 1952) with Lynn Dixon Kleinman. She now goes by Suzan Lewis. With second wife SanDee Pitnick, he adopted a daughter, Danielle Sara Lewis (born March 23, 1992).