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THE CADDY
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis provided one of their most hilarious collaborations with a 1953 comic romp called The Caddy.
Lewis plays Harvey Miller Jr., a golfing legacy who inherited his father's skill at the game, but was unable to make a career out of it because he would freeze up in front of crowds. Martin plays Joe Anthony, a guy who has no desire to take over his father's fishing business so he returns to his hometown of San Francisco, where he discovers Harvey living with his family and engaged to his sister (Barbara Bates). He also discovers a talent for golf and Harvey agrees to act as his caddy and coach to help Joe earn enough money to save his family's restaurant.
Joe wins his first tournament and his second tournament leads him to his first real introduction to the Country Club set, who welcome him graciously into their circle, led by the glamorous Kathy Taylor (Donna Reed) who is immediately attracted to Joe; however, the rich country club is not so welcoming to Harvey and make it clear that, as a caddy, he belongs on the other side of the club and eventually what we have is Joe and Harvey both experiencing personal conflict as this "snobs vs slobs" sensibility tests their friendship and their working relationship at every turn.
This movie is classic Martin and Lewis and shows with almost every scene, in a completely coincidental manner, how these two began their career together. As a matter of fact, the film opens with a stage appearance from the pair filmed two years prior to the movie that is used to springboard this story. You get to see Martin the crooner trying to put over a serious tune while the clown Lewis keeps interrupting, getting in the way, and garnering huge laughs in the process. As a matter of fact, there is a recurring bit throughout the film of this chubby guy being front and center during all of Joe and Harvey's antics, unable to stop laughing at them and eventually suggesting they give up golf and go into show business.
This film was made during the team's peak and it was always believed that if and when Martin and Lewis broke up, Lewis' gift for physical comedy would sustain an individual career but that Martin would be nothing without him and after viewing this and Hollywood or Bust, and Living it Up, I can't think of anything that was further from the truth. Martin's gift at keeping a straight face throughout Jerry's nuttiness and his ability to never fade into the woodwork with his partner made it clear that Martin had a talent and, even though he didn't realize it at the time, didn't really need Lewis.
Lewis, of course, rules with some great classic comedy that includes the destruction of a department store and an elegant country club dinner party. Martin is given his chance to shine with a handful of nice songs by Harry Warren and Jack Brooks including "You're the Right One", "It's a Whistlin Kind of Morning" and one of Dean's biggest hits, the smash "That's Amore". Donna Reed is a charming leading lady, playing second fiddle to Martin and Lewis here and later in the same year, delivering her Oscar winning performance in From Here to Eternity. Fred Clark is properly befuddled as the department store manager and Clinton Sundberg underplays beautifully as a tightly wound country club butler. Fans of this legendary show biz pair will find this to be one of their best.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis provided one of their most hilarious collaborations with a 1953 comic romp called The Caddy.
Lewis plays Harvey Miller Jr., a golfing legacy who inherited his father's skill at the game, but was unable to make a career out of it because he would freeze up in front of crowds. Martin plays Joe Anthony, a guy who has no desire to take over his father's fishing business so he returns to his hometown of San Francisco, where he discovers Harvey living with his family and engaged to his sister (Barbara Bates). He also discovers a talent for golf and Harvey agrees to act as his caddy and coach to help Joe earn enough money to save his family's restaurant.
Joe wins his first tournament and his second tournament leads him to his first real introduction to the Country Club set, who welcome him graciously into their circle, led by the glamorous Kathy Taylor (Donna Reed) who is immediately attracted to Joe; however, the rich country club is not so welcoming to Harvey and make it clear that, as a caddy, he belongs on the other side of the club and eventually what we have is Joe and Harvey both experiencing personal conflict as this "snobs vs slobs" sensibility tests their friendship and their working relationship at every turn.
This movie is classic Martin and Lewis and shows with almost every scene, in a completely coincidental manner, how these two began their career together. As a matter of fact, the film opens with a stage appearance from the pair filmed two years prior to the movie that is used to springboard this story. You get to see Martin the crooner trying to put over a serious tune while the clown Lewis keeps interrupting, getting in the way, and garnering huge laughs in the process. As a matter of fact, there is a recurring bit throughout the film of this chubby guy being front and center during all of Joe and Harvey's antics, unable to stop laughing at them and eventually suggesting they give up golf and go into show business.
This film was made during the team's peak and it was always believed that if and when Martin and Lewis broke up, Lewis' gift for physical comedy would sustain an individual career but that Martin would be nothing without him and after viewing this and Hollywood or Bust, and Living it Up, I can't think of anything that was further from the truth. Martin's gift at keeping a straight face throughout Jerry's nuttiness and his ability to never fade into the woodwork with his partner made it clear that Martin had a talent and, even though he didn't realize it at the time, didn't really need Lewis.
Lewis, of course, rules with some great classic comedy that includes the destruction of a department store and an elegant country club dinner party. Martin is given his chance to shine with a handful of nice songs by Harry Warren and Jack Brooks including "You're the Right One", "It's a Whistlin Kind of Morning" and one of Dean's biggest hits, the smash "That's Amore". Donna Reed is a charming leading lady, playing second fiddle to Martin and Lewis here and later in the same year, delivering her Oscar winning performance in From Here to Eternity. Fred Clark is properly befuddled as the department store manager and Clinton Sundberg underplays beautifully as a tightly wound country club butler. Fans of this legendary show biz pair will find this to be one of their best.