The Nutty Professor

Der verrückte Professor
University professor Julius Kelp likes to make a big bang when he’s teaching chemistry. But otherwise, he’s a bit of a wimp. His failed experiments have earned him the label of loser among his colleagues, and his social awkwardness means the students consider him lame. As a myopic weakling with nothing even approaching a buff physique, he’ll never be able to impress his student Stella, on whom he has a secret crush. So he tinkers with his chemicals to see if he can change all that and invents a potion that turns him into Buddy Love, an attractive, swaggering chick magnet. But he never knows when the potion might wear off … The dazzling use of colour is as effusive as the singing of Kelp’s alter ego in this modernised version of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” in Technicolor. It was the start of Jerry Lewis’ impressive career as a “total filmmaker”. Although long mocked as a mainstay of stupid comedies for kids, he was always a seismograph of America’s looniness. The film is being shown in honour of the ceremonial transfer of exclusive documents from Jerry Lewis’ estate to the Deutsche Kinemathek – preceded by a screening of outtakes never before shown publicly.
by Jerry Lewis
with Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman, Med Flory, Norman Alden, Howard Morris, Elvia Allman, Milton Frome, Buddy Lester, Marvin Kaplan, David Landfield, Skip Ward, Julie Parrish, Henry Gibson, Les Brown and his Band of Renown
USA 1963 English 107’ Colour Rating R12

With

  • Jerry Lewis (Prof. Julius F. Kelp/Buddy Love)
  • Stella Stevens (Stella Purdy)
  • Del Moore (Dr. Hamius Warfield)
  • Kathleen Freeman (Millie Lemmon)
  • Med Flory (Warzewski)
  • Norman Alden (Football-Player)
  • Howard Morris (Elmar Kelp)
  • Elvia Allman (Edwina Kelp)
  • Milton Frome (Dr. Leevee)
  • Buddy Lester (Bartender)
  • Marvin Kaplan (English Student)
  • David Landfield (College-Student)
  • Skip Ward (Football-Player)
  • Julie Parrish (College-Student)
  • Henry Gibson (College-Student)
  • Les Brown and his Band of Renown

Crew

Director Jerry Lewis
Screenplay Jerry Lewis, Bill Richmond
Dialogue Bill Davidson
Cinematography W. Wallace Kelley, Kyme Meade
Camera Assistant James Grant
Colour Correction Richard Mueller
Editing John Woodcock
Music Walter Scharf, Les Brown & His Band of Renown
Sound Hugo Grenzbach, Charles Grenzbach
Art Director Hal Pereira, Walter Tyler
Costumes Edith Head
Make-Up Wally Westmore
Assistant Director Ralph Axness
Casting Eddie Morse
Production Manager Bill Davidson
Producer Ernest D. Glucksman
Associate Producer Arthur P. Schmidt

Produced by

Jerry Lewis Enterprises (A Jerry Lewis Production)

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis was born Joseph Levitch in Newark, New Jersey in 1926 and died in Las Vegas in 2017. After performing his solo act as a teenager, he teamed up with Dean Martin in 1946 and for a decade, they were the most popular comedy duo in the US. Beginning in the early 1960s, “total filmmaker” Lewis directed, wrote, produced and acted in successful Hollywood comedies. He began a new chapter in his career in 1983 with the lead in Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy. His later films included Funny Bones and The Trust, and his final lead role was the title character in Max Rose.

Filmography (films as Director)

1960 The Bellboy 1961 The Ladies Man · The Errand Boy 1963 The Nutty Professor 1964 The Patsy 1965 The Family Jewels 1966 Three on a Couch 1967 The Big Mouth 1970 One More Time · Which Way to the Front? 1972 The Day the Clown Cried 1980 Hardly Working 1983 Cracking Up

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020