THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED - the screenplay!

[Subterranean Cinema]

NOW AVAILABLE AT SUBCIN.COM!

I have painstakingly transcribed the SCREENPLAY of Jerry Lewis' infamous unreleased film about a clown in a concentration camp, THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED.

You can download this gem NOW at:

SUBTERRANEAN CINEMA
http://www.subcin.com

ENJOY!  :D

[Abby]

Hey -- that's cool. The script was really interesting -- and frankly, pretty decent. I skimmed through the beginning because it didn't seem like it was going any where, but the last forty pages were pretty good.

You know -- I could see my own version of the film in my head -- in black and white -- and no significant dialogue from any players save the Nazi soldiers. Like an art film. Perhaps Lewis couldn't pull that off, but someone should attempt to remake this never-seen film.

[Lee]

OOOOHHHH! Art Film! *gag*

[Abby]

Choke on it, pink boy. Lewis is already a hero in France, birthplace of the finest art films in the universe.

I can totally see it: Dominique Pinon (Delicatessen) as the clown -- he'd be perfect. Weepy, toy-piano carnival soundtrack by Yann Tierson. It could be directed by Jodorowsky (he's a hero in France by way of Mobius) or Lars von Trier (if he's not a hero in France, he should be).

[Squishy]

Ooooooo--I've heard things about this one. I'm kinda scared to look.

[Law Dog]

Choke on it, pink boy. Lewis is already a hero in France, birthplace of the finest art films in the universe.

Roughly compairable to being the finest ballerina in all of Galveston.

[Abby]

Roughly compairable to being the finest ballerina in all of Galveston.

I'm unaware of any ballerinas in Texas who were nominated for Emmys -- or for the nobel prize.

I honestly don't know why it's so trendy to bash Jerry Lewis. He had his clunkers, but  they were more enjoyable than say, Abbot and Costello's clunkers. And his ego is no more offensive than any other Las Vegas-washup. Even Lewis' 80's efforts manage to be entertaining. I can't tell you how many times I've referenced the "Jolly Fats Weehawkin Airline" gags from "Cracking Up" when traveling by air.

Anyhow, that script is nowhere near as offensive or crappy as many have led me to believe. It's an interesting concept that would make for a moving, if disturbing, film.

[Chris K.]

How is this man NOT FUNNY? I find him HILLARIOUS (partly becasue I have French in my family background is one reason). Lewis may have an ego the size of Texas, but he is certainly better than hacks like Tom Green or the Wayan's Brothers.

I remember one critic asking "Why do the French find him funny?" His only respose was, "What do you really expect from a country that eats snails!" The French find Jerry Lewis funny because THEY DON'T ANALYSE COMEDY! Movies like DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? and FREDDY GOT FINGERED are the ones that need to be analysed because they are simply NOT FUNNY.

[subterraneancinema]

This is a cross post from Patty's site, the same question was posed there, and I dont think I could put it any better than I did, so Im cutting and pasting:


I I agree ..., I think Lewis IS very underrated and overbashed.  And Ill go ya one even better... Ive got Hardly Working, Cracking Up (aka Smorgasbord), AND Slapstick of Another Kind coming in the next week.  I bought em on Ebay and Amazon, paid only 6 for Cracking Up and about a buck and change for Slapstick, but Hardly Working was the better find.  It's a Key video release, and almost every title released on that label is now out of print.  A guy sells COPIES of Hardly Working on Ebay, but I had to go to Amazon for an original, and paid $30 bucks for it (the only copy anyone had for sale).

I saw Hardly Working in the 80s (several times) in the early days of HBO (sigh)... I remember at the time thinking it was about 100 times better than anyone was giving credit for, and I found Lewis' clown in that movie kind of endearing too.  Maybe Im a sucker for his kind of pathos, but I think he IS vastly underrated.  They'll probably wait until he dies before they finally give the man the respect he deserves, like an Honorary Oscar.

I remember parts of "Cracking Up", most notably the one Patty mentioned, with him slipping around on a freshly waxed floor... I think I laughed myself silly.  Ill letcha know when I rewatch it.  Never seen "Slapstick", just getting it for the sake of completeness.  

Its obvious why Jerry gets so p**sed off when people ask him about "Clown"... it's because every time he  shows it to someone, not only do they go out of their ways to slag it publicly, they don't even have enough manners to at least be GRATEFUL and try to give him constructive criticism.  I know that if he ever invites me over to watch it, Ill give the man his proper respect.  I wouldnt tell him "duhh, I didnt UNDERSTAND it...", like the female reporter from Rolling Stone did in the Spy Magazine article (posted on my site).  No wonder he got p**sed at her.  What a clueless remark!

After reading all of the articles, it appears that Lewis was responsible for the best things in the second half of the screenplay.  He wrote the scene (my favorite) where Helmut continues to clown while being severely beaten, in order to shield the kids from the horror of the situation.  Let's see Benigni pull THAT one off with his silly-ass "contest for a tank".  His film was too candy-assed to deal with a scene that macabre, it was Clown Cried light, Clown Cried near beer.  Blecch, vastly overrated!

He also gave the character his HUMANITY, like those heartbreaking (to me) scenes where the child asked "do you have any children?" and he answers "I do now"... then the guard (who discreetly has sympathy for them) says "clown... can you play one of these?" and hands him a harmonica.  Holy s**t, I got tears in my eyes when I transcribed that.  And the final scenes were excrutiatingly potent.  Ill come right out and say it:  the second half of the screenplay was a MASTERPIECE.  

Read Joan O'Brien's description of her original screenplay in the Spy article ... she wrote him as arrogant, hateful, right until the end.  Her clown had no redeeming value.  Ill bet you a thousand bucks she is a bitter old woman these days.  fuggin b***h!

[Lee]

I have nothing against Jerry Lewis. The guy is hilarious! The Bellboy, The Nutty Profesor, and others are truely classics. They never fail to do what movies are meant to do...ENTERTAIN PEOPLE!

[Phantom 187]

Jerry Lewis has got to be the best actor I've ever seen at exhibiting pathos. Master piece... definitely

[Squishy]

"You don't need the weatherman to know which way the wind blows."

It's not that Lewis isn't a funny guy--I like his older stuff a lot--it's just that we've all seen what happens when a comedian tries to do "art"--or even just do "poignant."

(Cross references: Andy Kaufman in Heartbeeps, Bill Murray in The Razor's Edge, Jim Carrey in The Majestic, and Robin Williams in so many examples it's well past time to hire a hitman. Let's just say What Dreams May Come or Patch Adams and now I'm going to be sick whaaarrrrrrrf and I didn't even get to Jack, Jakob The Liar, or Bicentennial MBLARRRRRRRRRGGGH gag pyuk kaff kaff hackkkk--oh God, too much syrup clogs my colon.)

*NOTE: Before anybody gets their back up--as far as I'm concerned, all these guys are great when they're just being funny. They even have moments in their better comedies when they can show their full range and make us thoughtful or even sad while making us laugh. The examples I give are just regrettable moments when they went waaay overboard. Williams has turned it into a habit, that's all. He should've stopped at Hook--urrrrrrrrrrrrrp.

Word of Cried spread when Lewis was at the low point of his career--before the accolades of doing the telethons, but right after Hardly Working. Without actually reading the script, it's very, very easy to picture Cried as being the single worst thing any human being has put on film. Very easy. This is a man who made his fame by crossing his eyes, flopping his arms about, and talking in a high-pitched voice in an act slightly less highbrow than a Three Stooges routine. Now he's going to make us all weep?

The title alone evokes mental images of bad paintings--of bad art. Say it out loud--"Jerry Lewis does a Holocaust drama." Now say it in his "funny voice." See? You can certainly understand why people might be a little skeptical.

As far as France goes--well, they've developed--no, carefully cultivated--a reputation for p**sing on almost everything that's ever come out of America. Except Jerry Lewis. That makes him the equivalent of the Teacher's Pet, through no fault of his own. That's just the way the wind blows.

[Chadzilla]

I understand they thought quite highly of Clint Eastwood back before American film snobs noticed the man could act and was, incidentally, a brilliant director.  They are also quite fond of John Carpenter, JC's Vampires was a huge it over there (in fact it was already in profit when it opened here).

I don't watch a lot of Lewis's stuff.  I think is underrated, but I don't think his clown/patsy persona is particularly funny either.  Just my taste (which moves to Pink Panther movies, etc)

[Abby]

Squishy, you forget "Dead Poet's Society" and "Good Morning Vietnam," two perfectly decent semi-serious Robin Williams movies.

When you say, "Word of Cried spread when Lewis was at the low point of his career--before the accolades of doing the telethons, but right after Hardly Working," I have to strongly disagree. Lewis was already doing the telethon when Hardly Working saw release. And his popularity enjoyed a revival in the early 80's, before and after Hardly Working. Right through King of Comedy. So with all due respect,  I think you're a mite hazy on your Lewis history.

The Medveds are primarily responsible for the bringing attention to "Clown,"  around the same time they worked their bitter, caustic magic on Ed Wood. A judgement based on rumor and little more.

Lewis made some fine, visually artful films in the 60's (Ladies Man and Nutty Professor especially), which is why I think he's popular in France. His technique was fairly unique -- his use of color and set design often extraordinary. And he demonstrated a very serious devotion to his charity work. The notion of Lewis being capable of making a compelling drama is not that unreasonable.

[Squishy]

Well, maybe I should clarify...I didn't say ALL of Williams' dramatic roles were massive failures. (I'll stand by my examples. The sheer bulk of them calls for legislation.) Jim Carrey showed a wider range than I would have expected in The Mask, The Truman Show, and others, but The Majestic still sucks, and part of it is his fault. (More on this below.)

Jerry Lewis WAS doing the telethons when Hardly Working vomited forth, BUT he wasn't being nominated for Jesus at the time, like he was before he had his verbal oopsie-doodle. (Note to everyone: we all screw up every so often, but for God's sake, if you care about your image and you see a microphone, assume the mike is on and broadcasting live to The 700 Club.) (And please, I like Lewis too. I'm just sayin'.)

What you note of the Medveds is quite true. However, I owe them a bit of a boon, for if it was not for their books I may never have known anyone else orgasmed with giggles watching Godzilla vs The Bionic Monster or Exorcist II: The Heretic. They're still major-league schmuckaroonies, but...

(More.) The artist can control his performance, but not its perception. Some people get very, very lucky when changing their image; who remembers the obscenity known as Marky Mark? And yet today Mark Wahlberg is a fairly respected, regularly-employed actor. The same guy who directed Heavenly Creatures made a movie featuring a zombie spooning out a victim's brains and slurping them up, and another in which puppets play Russian Roulette and eat excrement. Traci Lords finds more (legit) work than one would have expected. Things haven't worked out as well for Marilyn Chambers, Ginger Lynn, or Ron Jeremy. Larry Fine did a very bad Stooges short wearing a dirty T-shirt and constantly threatening to slap his "woman" because he thought he could do Stanley of A Streetcar Named Desire someday and wanted to prove it.

Part of this "luck" is picking a vehicle that lets the audience gradually accept the idea that the artist can do more than the norm for which he or she is known, or pleasantly surprise them with it. And when the guy who regularly stumbled about the room crossing his eyes and going "Wah wah WAH wah!!!" popped up with a proposal for a tender heartwrenching drama about children being gassed in the Holocaust that sounds for all the world like a self-deifying vanity project...listen! Can you hear all the jaws hitting the floor?  Fair or not, that's how it is.